NYC. Lower East Side. 10pm. Two hours circling the blocks looking for parking anywhere within a half mile of the apartment. I dreamt of an app, a way to predict which street to be on so that I was the one that was in the right place at the right time. By 11pm I begin to experiment with different systems; pull over to the side and wait on the one way street so that I am ready for any opening spots. Drive a different route. Try not to think about having to go to the bathroom. I dreamt of this app. And I would have paid much more than $5 for a parking space that night and many more to follow; in NYC, in SanFran, in Boston. Planet Money has a great podcast about the psychology of the hustle. It is interesting to think about behavioral economics in relation to the store of the Haystack App.
It is even more interesting to think about the laws local governments have passed to block the natural inclination to fix a tiresome problem. How is it the domain of the local government to prohibit the sharing of parking information? And does it decrease our quality of life? What incentive does the local government have to prohibit the use of a parking app? This is also a fascinating look at behavioral economics.
Check out the conversation: https://n.pr/1BOGRlk