...or just prices that don't adjust?
In the Metro-North parking lots along Connecticut's Gold Coast, the haves and the have-nots aren't defined by their clothes, car or even their net worth. Here, it's about whether they have a flimsy green piece of paper visible on their dashboards.
A public parking pass in this and other towns along the Long Island Sound has become a precious asset. The waiting list for a Fairfield Parking Authority permit has 4,200 people and stretches past six years. In another town, Rowayton, the annual permit sale is an epic frenzy similar to that surrounding the release of a new iPhone, with residents camping out overnight to ensure they get a $325 pass.
I think it is interesting to note that because of the limited availability in some of the parking zones (particularly undergraduate), Vanderbilt is able to and does charge up to just over $1,000 per year for parking. Also the asymmetry of information of the students (there are alternative parking choices just off campus) enables them to take advantage of ignorant students.
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