Uninformed: Informative Information for the Uninformed

Vol 1» 2005.May


The Simple Hack

If my little introduction to Synchronous Smart Cards just went right over your head, here's an example of how to attack Parking Meters without having to deal with electronics or code. If you ever try putting an invalid card into a parking meter, you'll notice that after about 90 seconds of flashing error messages, it will switch over to Out-of-Order status. Now, for convenience sake, most cities allow you to park for free in Out-of-Order spots. (Anyone see a loophole here???)

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One simple method you can use for making it less obvious that something in the slot is making it be Out-of-Order is to fold a business card in half (preferably not yours) and insert it into the smart card slot. It should be the perfect length that it will go in and be very difficult to notice and/or take out. When you're finished parking, you should be able to pull the business card out using a credit card or small flathead screwdriver.