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Comment by sotzing | Hacker News Reader

Vandalism in most states is punishable by large fines and jail time.

Our hope is that CurbTXT will prevent folks from resorting to aggressive (and illegal) behavior.

Regards, Andrew at CurbTXT (info@curbtxt.com)

Luckily I don't live in the states. So the jail time or large fines do not scare me. Your app however tells people it's okay to park in front of people's driveways cause we'll just text them right? Also how are you planning on monetizing this? Are you actually going to make money off the misery of others by telling them it's okay to park wherever they want? Imagine my wife has a seizure, some guy with your sticker parks in front of my driveway and I can't rush her to the hospital in time. Can you AND the driver be held responsible for this in court? Since your app clearly condones illegal parking behavior. The rules are simple, if you park somewhere where you shouldn't you will get towed. Maybe you should make an anti-rape app too? The victim can just text the abuser letting him know of his mistake.

censormuch, I think you're missing a key point. No where does CurbTXT say they promote, excuse or "condone" illegal parking practices. It's simply a communication tool for notifying car owners of ANY issues with their vehicle. You can of course always tow if someone blocks your driveway. By using CurbTXT, you are not granted any immunity from parking violations, but you are allowing people to contact you directly. It is simply giving them a choice in how they make contact. If you are abusing the use of CurbTXT by say perpetually or indiscriminately parking wherever you want, you most likely will be towed, CurbTXT sticker or not.

However, if you happen to have left your lights on, or forgot to rotate your tires when on a hill, any neighbor can help you out with a friendly reminder. Other benefits would allow people to contact you if they noticed your car was being vandalized (by say someone keying your car).

Of course, CurbTXT isn't for everyone. And it doesn't look like it's offered outside of the States anyway, so fret not, you won't need to worry about helping or being helped by neighbors anytime soon.

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