A California woman claims “smart” parking meters are making
her sick. And now, she wants nearly $2 billion because of
it.
Denise Barton filed a claim against the city of Santa
Monica, Calif., for $1.7 billion alleging the radiation from
“smart” parking meters around the city are causing health
complications, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.
“In April, they started turning on the new smart meters
downtown and I started getting sick,” Barton told ABC News.
On Aug. 6, Barton filed the $1.7 billion claim that gives
the city 45 days to respond.
“I figured that’s the value of my life and health
considering how much I had to go through as a child,”
Barton told ABC News.
Barton, who experienced neurological damage following a car
accident as a young child, added, “It’s also the value of
taking away my choice of the best way to protect my health
without my consent.”
The
smart meters which were installed by the city last
March, allow drivers to use smartphones and credit cards to
purchase metered time. The parking slots have sensors that
will reset a meter when a parking space is vacated.
According to a spokesperson for the city of Santa Monica,
“The meters use basic wireless technology that is commonly
available and utilized in WiFi and cellular communications.”
Smart meters use a cell phone network to communicate for 2
to 4 seconds when a sensor detects a vehicle or when a
sensor detects a vehicle leaving, assistant finance director
Don Patterson told ABC News.
But it’s the high-tech capabilities that Barton alleged have
caused ear infections and tightness on the back, left side
of her neck and an irregular period.
“I know it seems a little big but they can’t do things that
affect people’s health without their consent,” Barton told
the Santa Monica Daily Press.
“I think that’s wrong,” she said.
Deb Hossli, a risk manager for Santa Monica, told ABC News
the city’s liability adjuster is currently investigating to
determine if the claim will be honored or rejected.
“We’re not concerned about any health risks. It basically
uses a very weak WiFi signal that only communicates between
the meter and the sensor in each space,” Patterson told ABC
News.
Over the years, there has been much debate about whether
cell phones can cause cancer . Earlier this year, the
Environmental Health Trust called into question a report
that found little evidence that cell phones were connected
to brain cancer.
“The city doesn’t regulate communication,” said Patterson.
“What we’re using is what basically is widely available cell
phone technology. If you have WiFi in your house, it’s the
same technology. If you have a cell phone, then that portion
of the technology is the same.
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