Fighting over a parking space is about to go high tech.
A new app from an Italy-based startup allows drivers to auction off their soon-to-be-vacant space to someone willing to pay between $5 and $20 to avoid endlessly circling the block.
MonkeyParking started in Rome and recently launched in San Francisco, but it could spread to other cities if it gains a following.
Like Uber for hailing a cab and Airbnb for renting a room, the app intends for the auction-based model to take some of the pain out of parking.
So-called MonkeyParkers can post their spot, get alerts from drivers willing to bid on it and collect money all via the app.
While it sounds like a great idea, especially in parking-challenged Manhattan, it may not be legal because drivers are auctioning off the privilege of parking on city-owned real estate.
The app could also give rise to parking “squatters” who simply drive around looking for a choice parking spot to sell off for a quick buck.
Indeed, San Francisco’s Uptown Almanac, which first noted the app, suggested that wannabe entrepreneurs exploit “the difference between the city’s woefully underpriced public parking and peak demand.”