Oregon city uses ‘Barnacle’ tool to help enforce unpaid parking tickets

BEND, Ore. — An Oregon city has booted its former method of enforcing the payment of parking tickets. After all, you cannot drive if you cannot see out of your windshield.

>> Read more trending news

The city of Bend has replaced the traditional method of booting cars to render their tires immobile with a tool called Barnacle, KTVZ-TV reported.

The Barnacle is a self-serve device that uses suction technology to stick to a vehicle’s windshield, according to the product’s website. It has information to call for help and an option to pay the citation where the car is parked, according to KTVZ.

Once a parking violator scrapes up the cash, the Barnacle unsticks and the driver can remove the device, the television station reported. Then, the driver must bring the tool to the city’s Diamond Parking office.

The device was first used in Las Vegas, according to the Barnacle website.

It also was implemented in Omaha, Nebraska, 2019, KETV-TV reported.

Tobias Marx, the parking services division manager in Bend, said the city has been using the Barnacle since the beginning of January, KTVZ reported. City officials began enforcing late parking citations several weeks later.

“It’s been great. It’s a huge improvement to the old immobilization devices we used,” Matt Gibson, the city’s lead parking enforcement officer, told the television station. “For one thing, it’s lighter, easier to pack around -- deployment is quick.”

“And just from a customer service standpoint, it’s easier for the customer to get it released.”

Drivers in Bend who are ticketed have 10 days to pay the $25 parking citation, according to KTVZ. The fee is reduced to $12 for violators who pay within 48 hours, the television station reported.

If the ticket is not paid after 10 days, a $20 late fee is added.

©2022 Cox Media Group