Saves Towing
Several Cities in the US Are Using A Suction Cup Plate As A Weapon Against Parking Violators. This ‘Barnacle’ Replaces the Wheel Clamp There. Cars also no longer need to be towet.
The Barnacle, Developed by the Company of the Same Name, is Used in Cities Such As Bend (Oregon), San Marco (Texas), Manchester (New Hampshire) and Franklin County (Florida). A Pilot Project Has Been started in New York. Here, The Barnacle is Used to Force Drivers to Pay Fines Before They Can Continue Driving. The name barnacle refers to a crustaceean that attaches itsself to hard surfaces. The Plate Works Accordination to the Same Principle: Once the Device is Placed on the Windshield of a Wrongly Parked Car, It Remains firmly Attached Using Powerful Suction Cups. The Device Can Be Unfolded Into A Large, Bright Yellow Sign That Virtualy Obscures The Driver’s Entire View, Making It Impossible to Drive Away Safely.
Suction Force of 454 Kilograms
How does it work? Law Enforcement Officers Activate the Suction Cups via an app. The barnacle can be used on all windshields, as long as they are free of cracks. Accordance to the manufacturer, The Device Generates A Suction Force of 1000 Pounds (Approximately 454 kg), which makes it virtualy Impossible to Remove It By Force. AltheHOUG THERE is speculation on platforms Such as Reddit About Ways to Circumvent The System, The Barnacle is Mainly intended as a Deterrent. Compared to the Classic Wheel Clamps, The Barnacle is Easier for the Police to Handle, and the Risk of Damage to the Vehicle is also Lower – which Helps Prevent Legal Conflicts.
Pay and remove
The Barnacle is also relatively user-friendly for the offender. There is a QR code on the device that leads to an online payment platform. After Payment, the Driver Receives an Unlock code with which they can remove the barnacle. The Device is then expected to be handed in to the enforcers in Special Drop Boxes. The Latter is immediately a weak point: what if oneone simply does not return the device? This system also does not solve every problem: Unlike Towing Vehicles, The Wrongly Parked Car Simply Remains in The Street. For the time being, no concrete plans or tenders are known to introduction the system in the Netherlands. Whether it will ever be introduced on this side of the ocean is Therefore Still Questionable.