# Giant Robot Imprisons Parked Cars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 8, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898 "2006-08-08T18:52:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/1 "2006-08-08T18:52:49Z")
Giant Robot 1, Hoboken 0: > [@Wired News](#): > > The robot that parks cars at the Garden Street Garage in Hoboken, New Jersey, trapped hundreds of its wards last week for several days. But it wasn’t the technology car owners had to curse, it was the terms of a software license. > > The garage is owned by the city; the software, by Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida. > > In the course of a contract dispute, the city of Hoboken had police escort the Robotic employees from the premises just a few days before the contract between both parties was set to expire… > > In the days that followed, both sides dragged each other into court… > > In the meantime, many of the garage’s customers simply couldn’t get their cars out… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/2 "2006-08-08T19:09:55Z")
> [@](#): > > **Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida** : [surprised] Prime! > **Hoboken Prime** : One shall stand, one shall fall. > **Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida** :Why throw away your life so recklessly? > **Hoboken Prime** : That’s a question you should ask yourself, **Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida**. 😃🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/3 "2006-08-08T19:33:48Z")
Car owner: Open the car park door, HAL! HAL: I’m afraid I can’t do that, Steve. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/4 "2006-08-08T22:33:17Z")
Humm. I worked for a consulting company once that did something similar – had a timer in the software that shut it down after 6 months because they didn’t get paid. From what I remember, we got sued big-time for interruption of business and because there was nothing in the contract to allow for this “remedy.” ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/5 "2006-08-08T23:12:41Z")
Hmmm. Isn’t Clearwater, Florida where the Scientologists have their headquarters? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/6 "2006-08-08T23:22:07Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > Hmmm. Isn’t Clearwater, Florida where the Scientologists have their headquarters? Yes, it is. Robotic Parking, indeed! ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/7 "2006-08-09T00:05:59Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > **Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida** : [surprised] Prime! > > **Hoboken Prime** : One shall stand, one shall fall. > > **Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida** :Why throw away your life so recklessly? > > **Hoboken Prime** : That’s a question you should ask yourself, Robotic Parking of Clearwater, Florida. > > 😃🆒 A _Transformers_ reference on the second post. This is why I love the SDMB! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/8 "2006-08-09T00:33:08Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > Hmmm. Isn’t Clearwater, Florida where the Scientologists have their headquarters? > > > [@AskNott](#): > > > > Yes, it is. Robotic Parking, indeed! I hate it when I park my car, and when I come to pick it up, there’s an E-meter where the gas gauge used to be. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-robot-imprisons-parked-cars/367898/9 "2006-08-09T00:43:14Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > Hmmm. Isn’t Clearwater, Florida where the Scientologists have their headquarters? It’s also where the Hooter’s restaurant chain is from. Strange bedfellows, indeed.