8 August 2008

The new parking vouchers now with a grey strip

| johnboy
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Last week we noted that a crack-down was to begin on people making their own parking tickets.

The vengeful arm of parking law was to be armed with a holographic strip. This was intended to put fake ticket manufacturing beyond the capacity of the average bubblejet printer.

Below are two pictures of the new tickets under different lighting conditions. I have to say when I first got it I thought it was just a grey strip.

But will the fraudsters chance their arm on the lighting conditions?

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here we go…

peterh said :

PBO said :

Deano said :

PBO said :

There has been a way to beat this for a few years and this new strip has actually made it easier from inspection of one of these tickets. I wont say how it is done but it should be blatently obvious.

Would it involve a pair of scissors and some glue?

OMG, the secret is out!

and just wait – someone will blow it up into an a4 sheet and advise that the parkies are D*ckheads, if they couldn’t see the ticket on the dash….

Since you don’t know the circumstances behind that insident you cannot comment on it, yes it’s funny looking at it at face value but if you knew the real story you’d be singing a different tune, the worst parking offenders are the ones that are supposed to be upholding the law, protecting us and leading by example, well guess what they’re not.

Holden Caulfield said :

I don’t care what the tickets look like I just want the wankers to synchronise the clocks on the ticket machines to something resembling normality. Always having the time 5-7 minutes fast must net quite a few otherwise innocent “customers” I dare say.

Fkkers!

They are set that way to do the exact opposite, I’m sure there is something a little more important you could bitch about?

blood_nut said :

this is a perfect example of the media encouraging me to do something i would not have otherwise considered.

+1, i reckon i could print off a weeks worth in 20-30min with the attached security seal.

The more we fight against the system the more they will find ways to make us pay – just look at the parking systems in some Sydney councils – Sensors in the parking space know when you park, and when you have overstayed and summons the PI to book you. So, dumb ass scammers will make it even worse for us.

As for getting on up on the system I am all for culture jamming – like say finding out where all the bombers park their cars (if in paid parking of course) then find a way to dispose of their voucher (macgyver style, compressed air and a magnifying glass?) then have them all booked by each other lol (BTW would they be sacked if the refuse to book their own vehicle?)

A friend suggested electrifying his wiper blades (joking of course, a form of therapy when dealing with things we cannot change) but then googled the idea to find he’s far from the first.

Alternatively we could encourage the (Chaser) idea of more Citizens Infringement Officers.

I have only ever gotten five parking tickets in as many years, and yes, all were unlawful.

Good on you “””ozinaussie””” now all you have to do is send an invoice for your call costs logged in a diary plus the counseling sessions (probably in the dozens of pints). Although an envelope full of cash on your doorstep is a funny way to keep you quiet!

ozinaussie said :

I once parked on Christmas Eve in a car park at Tuggers. Walked to the machine and put a $2 coin int it and received no ticket. I walked over to another machine, put a $2 coin in it and got my ticket. Then I went to a pay-phone and spent 50 cents phoning the 1-800 number on the machine “in case of difficulties.” Was told by the guy on the phone that they don’t refund money, but just give a credit. I gave the analogy that if I was a visitor to the ACT, what good would a credit do me? Phoned back a few days later and found out that the first guy I talked to had told me a porky-pie and that they could give refunds, but they prefer to give credits. I pursued the $2 refund for three months & countless phone calls and threats to take it to the media. Finally, a white envelope was left in my screen door at home, with a $2 coin in it. Cost to me…probalby $20 in phone calls and a lot of frustration of red-tape gone mad.

Thank you for going to so much effort on behalf of us all!

Procedures don’t equal law pelican.

peterpelican8:20 pm 09 Aug 08

I think you might find that by law they don’t!! they only give you a credit you could ask them for a copy of thier procedures under the freedom of information Act.
You can’t beat the ACT Govenment so just pay for the privildge of driving to work at $7.50 a day $+, afterall even the Brown bombers have to pay for parking don’t they ???? Just remember they are only doing what there boss tells them and if they say anything they would be out of a job. Shame they can’t tell the time though.
I hear that a congestion tax could come in after the election. More $$$$$$$ for the ACT Govt.
pelican

I just rang them once when the machine swallowed my money (7.50) and they just promised not to book me that day. Someone came around and put a note on my windscreen saying I’d rung.
Soudnds easier than the refund.

ozinaussie said :

I once parked on Christmas Eve in a car park at Tuggers. Walked to the machine and put a $2 coin int it and received no ticket. I walked over to another machine, put a $2 coin in it and got my ticket. Then I went to a pay-phone and spent 50 cents phoning the 1-800 number on the machine “in case of difficulties.” Was told by the guy on the phone that they don’t refund money, but just give a credit. I gave the analogy that if I was a visitor to the ACT, what good would a credit do me? Phoned back a few days later and found out that the first guy I talked to had told me a porky-pie and that they could give refunds, but they prefer to give credits. I pursued the $2 refund for three months & countless phone calls and threats to take it to the media. Finally, a white envelope was left in my screen door at home, with a $2 coin in it. Cost to me…probalby $20 in phone calls and a lot of frustration of red-tape gone mad.

Thank you!

And by law they would have to give a refund.

A true hero!

No I mean it.

By taking one for the team you gave the system a chance of being improved.

Not that anyone else will thank you for it.

I once parked on Christmas Eve in a car park at Tuggers. Walked to the machine and put a $2 coin int it and received no ticket. I walked over to another machine, put a $2 coin in it and got my ticket. Then I went to a pay-phone and spent 50 cents phoning the 1-800 number on the machine “in case of difficulties.” Was told by the guy on the phone that they don’t refund money, but just give a credit. I gave the analogy that if I was a visitor to the ACT, what good would a credit do me? Phoned back a few days later and found out that the first guy I talked to had told me a porky-pie and that they could give refunds, but they prefer to give credits. I pursued the $2 refund for three months & countless phone calls and threats to take it to the media. Finally, a white envelope was left in my screen door at home, with a $2 coin in it. Cost to me…probalby $20 in phone calls and a lot of frustration of red-tape gone mad.

Jimmydolittle8:40 am 08 Aug 08

All the parking machines I have used, have their time set forward between 5 and 10 minutes, I am only guesssing, but would that not give you extra time. ie if it is 3 o’clock on my watch and 3.10 on the parking machine and I purchased an hour parking ticket would it not expire at 4.10 not 4 o’clock so in effect I would have an extra ten minutes of parking without paying. So the clocks set forward I would say is a bonus for us.

Its easy, you just print off a label that fits over the top of the old date leaving the silver strip visible. All you need to do is buy one ticket and reuse the strip.

tylersmayhem8:24 am 08 Aug 08

For F**k sake. It’s a service that you are using people. Just pay for it like you have to pay for rego, insurance and everything else. There is such a thing as karma I’ve learned. The only comment I agree with on here is when the wanker parking cops set the clocks incorrectly on the machines, or hover waiting for a meter to expire.

Other than that, stop moaning – stop forging and just bloody pay!

The random “number of the day” seems a good idea – should stop pre-offending. I would suggest that the penalty for fraud include the mandatory confiscation of the vehicle and that the grey ghosts get out and observe the comings and goings at early times in the morning – anyone that doesn’t bother to front up to the parking meter machine when leaving their car would be a suspect for further examination (although I assume that ticket pre-purchase may be an option in some carparks), as would those that return to their vehicles for spontaneous visits before the mandatory morning flex hours kick in.

Now that we’ve gone to all this trouble, it should be a cinch to finance since we don’t have to worry about the expense of keeping our murders locked up!

Mælinar - *spoiler alert* I've seen S04E139:43 pm 07 Aug 08

I think the most important question we should be asking is what are we going to spend the gained revenue from thwarting this evil criminal ring on.

lol the scheming criminal mind at work. I’m sure there would be many ways around it if you had the time and interest in doing it.

They would raise more money in parking tickets from people overstaying in parallel parking metres and other short term areas than from the people in the long stay car parks.

Anyway, now that they’ve wasted a bit of extra money, they will find that their machines still issue tickets after hours, even the day before, for the following day and will be valid to odd times like 5.31pm. Pity they don’t put the money raised back into providing adequate car parking.

If your smart and determined enough, just bust open one of the ticket machines and nick off with a whole roll of them. Pick up a thermal printer off eBay for $50 and presto.

peterpelican6:59 pm 07 Aug 08

Canberra times said the fines around the $400.00 mark, spose it depends on how often you get caught ! You can’t buy a ticket if the machines don’t work can you ? then you have to call ghost busters !. Do you move your car into another carpark where the machines do work yeah right ?

PBO said :

fnaah said :

I’m not sure why exactly, but forged rego sticker seems significantly more alarming and dishonest than forged parking lot ticket.

Too right, This old bugger had more schemes up his sleeve than arm. Aside from those infarctions on his part he was a damn good security officer.

A damn good security officer? Fraudulent and illegal activities? Not sure I’d want him guarding anything of mine of value….

fnaah said :

I’m not sure why exactly, but forged rego sticker seems significantly more alarming and dishonest than forged parking lot ticket.

Too right, This old bugger had more schemes up his sleeve than arm. Aside from those infarctions on his part he was a damn good security officer.

Holden Caulfield6:10 pm 07 Aug 08

fnaah said :

I’m not sure why exactly, but forged rego sticker seems significantly more alarming and dishonest than forged parking lot ticket.

Not to mention the possible insurance ramifications if you were involved in an accident.

Deano said :

johnboy said :

I did wonder if a checksum could be put in there, but that would be a lot of work for the brown bombers.

A much simpler, cheaper and more effective solution would be just to print a random letter of the day on all tickets each day. This makes it much harder to preprint batches of tickets in advance because you would have to purchase a ticket to see what the random letter is for that day.

Or you just look on someone elses dash – go back to your office and hit print?

AG Canberra said :

Who could be bothered – 8 bucks a day x 5 days a week x 48 weeks a year = $1920

any savings that can be made are worth the effort!

A person I know has printed out his own parking tickets – dated right up to the end of the year – and he’ll continue to use them until the fancy strips appear in his parking area!

That’s awesome!!! LOL

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy5:00 pm 07 Aug 08

Who could be bothered – 8 bucks a day x 5 days a week x 48 weeks a year = $1920

And that’s in after tax dollars! For some people that expense represents over $3k per year of their salary.

I’m not sure why exactly, but forged rego sticker seems significantly more alarming and dishonest than forged parking lot ticket.

I knew a very clever security guard who came up with the ticket idea, he also did his own rego for 12 months. The reason behind it was when the carparks hit 8$ a day, it seemed unreasonable to pay this as he was stationed twenty metres from his car all day. So one cold morning he got yesterdays ticket and merged it with a ticket that he had put 10 cents in the machine for that morining and made a wonderful all day pass for the cost of ten cents and some craft time.

His rego was even easier as he just peeled back the sticker and stuck a bit of paper over the big expiry month numbers with some higher numbers in the same font. He was even pulled over for a breath test and check where the cop even looked at the rego sticker and could not tell it was altered.

The rego trick does not work anymore (RAPID), but the parking ticket is still fair game.

Who could be bothered – 8 bucks a day x 5 days a week x 48 weeks a year = $1920

any savings that can be made are worth the effort!

A person I know has printed out his own parking tickets – dated right up to the end of the year – and he’ll continue to use them until the fancy strips appear in his parking area!

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:30 pm 07 Aug 08

Based on a quick look at these new tickets I think it would by quite easy to create a fake ticket, indeed to create them by the sheet in a manner undetectable to parking inspectors.

What the govt needs to decide is why they want us to pay parking… Is it to:
1) Discourage us from using our cars in certain areas; or
2) Raise money.

I’d suggest having a careful think about the rationale for pay parking could net some better strategies than the current approach. If the govt is going to this much trouble, fake tickets must be being used in pretty significant numbers.

Holden Caulfield1:04 pm 07 Aug 08

I don’t care what the tickets look like I just want the wankers to synchronise the clocks on the ticket machines to something resembling normality. Always having the time 5-7 minutes fast must net quite a few otherwise innocent “customers” I dare say.

Fkkers!

PBO said :

Deano said :

PBO said :

There has been a way to beat this for a few years and this new strip has actually made it easier from inspection of one of these tickets. I wont say how it is done but it should be blatently obvious.

Would it involve a pair of scissors and some glue?

OMG, the secret is out!

and just wait – someone will blow it up into an a4 sheet and advise that the parkies are D*ckheads, if they couldn’t see the ticket on the dash….

doh! Why didn’t i think of doing this before they made it so hard. now my life is ruined!

Deano said :

PBO said :

There has been a way to beat this for a few years and this new strip has actually made it easier from inspection of one of these tickets. I wont say how it is done but it should be blatently obvious.

Would it involve a pair of scissors and some glue?

OMG, the secret is out!

Who could be bothered forging tickets, really?

I’d say the penalty for that kind of fraud would be pretty hefty.

Nothing so elaborate.

Small type and in the background: tma tma tma (etc)

Larger type and in the foreground: securaticket securaticket (etc)

Letter of the day would at least stop them bringing them in from home.

The strips appear to have some sort of seemingly random lettering on them however. I can’t see the magpies checking in such detail though.

Parking fraud, what’s the penalty?

^^^ LOL agreed. I wouldnt never have thought of creating fake parking tickets before today. The silver strip does nothing. People who are committed to avoiding paying for parking will simply cut the silver strip off a ticket and stick it onto their fake one. easy.

this is a perfect example of the media encouraging me to do something i would not have otherwise considered.

thanks RA.

johnboy said :

I did wonder if a checksum could be put in there, but that would be a lot of work for the brown bombers.

A much simpler, cheaper and more effective solution would be just to print a random letter of the day on all tickets each day. This makes it much harder to preprint batches of tickets in advance because you would have to purchase a ticket to see what the random letter is for that day.

PBO said :

There has been a way to beat this for a few years and this new strip has actually made it easier from inspection of one of these tickets. I wont say how it is done but it should be blatently obvious.

Would it involve a pair of scissors and some glue?

LG said :

put the ticket on your dashboard in such a way that the strip is hidden?

Would that invite the issuing of infringement notices? Afterall they would say, you can always appeal, provide the non fraudulent ticket, and be on your merry way.

put the ticket on your dashboard in such a way that the strip is hidden?

I did wonder if a checksum could be put in there, but that would be a lot of work for the brown bombers.

There has been a way to beat this for a few years and this new strip has actually made it easier from inspection of one of these tickets. I wont say how it is done but it should be blatently obvious.

My fiancee and I received one of these tickets for the first time yesterday. Very sparkly very pretty, but how hard is it to duplicate? Not being in the holographic strip business I have no idea, however I wouldn’t be shocked if this isn’t the magic bullet against parking fraud.

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