MPLS Parking

I really love this app overall. It’s accurate, easy to use, and I appreciate having a digital parking option instead of searching for a pay station or dealing with cash and coins. I also love that it’s connected to iCloud, making sign-in and account access quick and convenient. My only frustration is that the app seems to time out very quickly. For example, if I need to switch to another app to check my bank balance or if a payment doesn’t go through because I selected the wrong card or don’t have enough funds, the app signs me out. When I come back, I have to log in all over again, which can be stressful when you’re trying to pay for parking quickly. It would be great if the app could stay active in the background a little longer and only sign users out after they’ve been inactive for an extended period or after they’ve intentionally closed the app. That one improvement would make an already great app even better.

I’ve tried many times to log in, with the correct account information, and I either am told it’s incorrect or, I’m still let in for maybe 2-3 minutes only to then be kicked out again (and told it’s the wrong information). I’m not sure how I could have the wrong log in information if, when I do get let in, I see my license plate number and all of my forms of payments I’d previously entered. What’s most frustrating is, I’d love to send the developers a message and communicate with them directly but I can’t even stay in the app long enough to do that. And I send a request to reset my password, just in case that was the issue (even though, again, I’d managed to briefly get in more than once) and I’m still waiting almost a week later for the reset email (actually 2 emails were requested). I’m curious what’s the point of the $0.25 fee for using the app each time you pay for parking. Is it not supposedly for helping maintain it and improve issues that get reported? Maybe I’m wrong but either way, this app could use marked improvements and it’s really disappointing that there’s no one to even try to communicate with about it because there are some people who may really need/benefit from the app over finding a pay station (which the last pay station was comically broken in additional to the app 👍).

I was covering last night’s protests on the interstate when I felt my phone vibrate. I was warned that my parking time was almost up. As hundreds of unhappy cops surrounded protesters and media in full riot gear, I found myself in a position where I might have to pay the $25 for a parking ticket. “Everyone on the highway is now under arrest,” came from the police LRAD they were using as a giant speaker to communicate orders. With nowhere to go a DJ played jams from his Ford Transit packed with a mobile DJ setup that was used as a speaker system by protesters and the highway turned into the most expensive dance party I’ve ever been to, thanks to the 400 cops that were out at taxpayer expense. Just like that a 5 hour rave was started. “Let us go, let us go,” chants were reverberating off my chest as the group of about 700 people chanted. I opened the app and put another 2.25 to continue to legally park. In a matter of seconds I became the most law abiding person on the highway. I continued to document the night without worry because I was in compliance once again with city parking laws and as a documentarian I was legally within my constitutional right of Freedom of the Press. I probably would not have gotten ticketed because the city sent everyone to help arrest peaceful protesters. I’m pretty sure the meter attendants were sent as well. This app makes parking a lot easier and so many times I can’t run to the meter and leave an event I’m covering. This has kept me from getting tickets many times!