One of the great mysteries in life is the location of the nearest available parking spot. Only the parking meters themselves know if they are currently occupied or not. I propose installing low powered wireless network devices into all parking meters that can only send/recieve in a 20 foot radius. Now I pull up next any parking meter in the city, push a button, and the corresponding wireless device in my car queries the meter for an available spot. The meter in range propogates the query to its immediate neighbors which do likewise until an available meter is located. The "available meter" reply is routed back through the network accumulating the directions as it traverses the return path. These directions in the reply are used to usher me to the available spot.
-- riromero, Mar 24 2005

This will work great, until the Parking Industry Association of America (PIAA) gets its grubby meathooks in and tries to shut down this sharing of Empty Parking Privilege Providers (EmP3), rather than embrace it. If we can keep sharing EmP3's withouth the PIAA getting too involved, I'm all for it.
-- AfroAssault, Mar 25 2005


I heard on the radio last week that they're considering experimenting with this system in NYC.
-- normzone, Mar 25 2005


[scout] Meters with no time remaining are "available". Of course miscreants may occupy available spots without paying. The P2P system offers the further bonus of efficiently directing Parking Enforcement to check only "available" spots.
-- riromero, Mar 25 2005


Nice!
-- energy guy, Mar 25 2005



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