A DRIVER is earning $50 every 90 minutes by helping others swerve hefty parking fines – and all she needs to do is sit in one place.
Sydney Charlet, a creative entrepreneur from New York, has turned a unique need into a profitable side hustle.
A ingenious New Yorker has begun a car sitting business that saves drivers massive fines[/caption]
It even helps them avoid the risks of being towed[/caption]
Speaking to the NY Post, Charlet revealed how she’s offering motorists her services as “The Car Sitter” to help address a common headache for drivers during alternate-side parking hours – where cars must be moved to avoid fines or towing.
Her business model is straightforward yet innovative; she essentially babysits cars for a fee, ensuring they comply with parking regulations while owners go about their day.
“A lot of people in the city will just take the ticket and not move their car because they don’t have the time,” said Charlet.
“I figured, why not offer to sit in their cars for less than the cost of the initial fine?”
Charlet has utilized platforms like TikTok to attract clients, with service appealing to many motorists in the city – not least because it costs less than the city’s parking fines.
Charlet has a specific and professional process for her car-sitting service, which she says is essential in ensuring trust and efficiency.
It begins by an initial agreement, which sees Charlet provide clients with a written document outlining her responsibilities as the car sitter.
Clients sign and return the document, confirming their understanding and acceptance of her services.
Then, she receives a deposit, which is typically about half of the total cost for the session.
She also arranges a key pickup with the client, ensuring she has access to the car before the parking rules take effect.
Before sitting in the car, Charlet takes a video of the car’s exterior to document any preexisting damage – and this is sent to the client via email as a record.
She then arrives at the car about 15 minutes before the alternate-side parking rules take effect and sits in the car for 90 minutes, ensuring it is compliant with parking regulations and ready to move when or if necessary.
She makes sure to not move the car until after the street sweeper has passed by, adhering strictly to the city’s parking rules.
Once the session is complete, Charlet returns the keys to the client.
She said: “A lot of people in the city will just take the ticket and not move their car because they don’t have the time.
“I figured, why not offer to sit in their cars for less than the cost of the initial fine?”
Along with her viral videos, Charlet advertises herself using black-and-white flyers with her professional contact information.
These, reportedly, have helped attract a large number of inquiries.
“I have been asked, ‘Well, how do I know you’re not going to steal my car?’ – and that’s such a fair question,” Charlet said.
“But the people who’ve seen my TikTok and reached out to me for service seem to feel like they can relate to me.”
How to spot a fake parking ticket
Thieves sometimes go to great lengths to squeeze money from drivers
With parking ticket scams on the rise, it’s important to know how to tell the difference between a bogus ticket and a legitimate one.
Many parking enforcement agencies, like those employed by cities, will never ask people to pay for their tickets via apps like Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
A QR code should always make drivers cautious, as many times they lead to fake payment websites built by scammers to access banking or personal information.
It’s also wise to pay close attention to logos, as some scammers will even use fake logos close enough to a city’s official logo fooling those who don’t look closely.
Emails or text messages regarding parking citations should always be ignored, as most parking enforcement agencies will never use those mediums to collect a debt.
Other helpful tips for spotting false citations:
- Do some research on the lot you’re parking in, as signs are legally required to be posted to inform drivers on who is enforcing parking rules.
- Carefully examine the citation for any flaws – misspellings, incorrect logos, links, QR codes, etc.
- Evaluate the contact information on the ticket. Websites that belong to cities will always end in either .gov.
- Finally, pay with a card, as disputing an illegal charge is easier. Avoid mailing checks or cash to a suspect parking ticket.
- Look at a city’s ticketing database to double-check that you’ve been cited by an official.
Source: CBS affiliate WHNT
