Woman Makes Money Watching New Yorkers' Cars So They Don't Get Parking Tickets

Sydney Charlet, 29, from New York, became a TikTok star after sharing her unusual side hustle: "sitting in a car." SecretNYC tells the story of a creative solution to one of the city's most vexing problems: rotating parking.

Alternate Side Parking (ASP) in New York City is a system that regulates when and where parking can be park on the streets so that the city could carry out street cleaning.

On certain days and times, parking is prohibited on one side of the street to allow street cleaning vehicles to pass. Then on other days and times, parking is prohibited. parking on the other side of the same street. Violating this rule can result in a $65 fine.

Local residents often sit in their cars while cleaning, so that if necessary they can move a few meters and return back.

This is the system that Charle's "business" is built on. She "sits" in other people's cars while the ban is in effect to avoid fines.

How it all began

The idea came to Charla after she lost her job on the West Coast and moved to New York.

"I've heard from people that they just sit in their cars during street cleaning and don't move unless there's a cleaning vehicle passing by," she said.

On the subject: New York has introduced fines for something almost all drivers do

This is how a new business was born. Everything is set up simply: drivers write to Charle's business number, indicate their location and car details. Usually, she collects the keys from the concierge and gets down to business.

To make everything transparent and professional, Charle films the interior and exterior of the car before getting behind the wheel and after leaving the car.

Why the service became popular

With the rising cost of living in New York City, every little bit of savings counts. That's why Charlet's business has taken off.

“I’ll sit in your car for part of the cost of the parking fine,” she offered the townspeople.

New Yorkers are thrilled. On TikTok, users are calling Charle “the queen of side hustles,” “a genius,” and “the perfect entrepreneur.”

"Parallel parking under the pressure of a street sweeper is my worst nightmare," wrote one commenter.

Even those who live outside the city are delighted.

"I don't live in New York, but I love people who can spin," wrote another commenter.

Charle says she first printed out flyers to advertise her services, but they weren't even needed—her TikTok video has racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

And if this job sounds like a dream to you, you might be in luck. Less than a month after starting her business, Charle has already announced that she plans to expand and is ready to recruit a team.