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Free Upper West Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Alternate side parking rules have long been the scourge of New York City car owners \u2014 but one Upper West Side woman has found a way to turn the city\u2019s automotive headaches into a business opportunity.<\/p>\n Sydney Charlet, 29, moved to Manhattan from Seattle in February after being laid off from a marketing job. By June, she had launched a service aimed at helping drivers avoid costly fines during street-sweeping hours. Her idea? Sit in their parked cars so they don\u2019t have to. <\/p>\n Dubbed \u201cThe Car Sitter,\u201d Charlet charges up to $50 to hold a spot for 90 minutes while sweeping regulations are in effect \u2014 a deal that undercuts the city\u2019s $65 alternate side parking tickets. \u201cI figured, why not offer to sit in their cars for less than the cost of the initial fine?\u201d she told the New York Post<\/a>, which first reported the story.<\/p>\n And business has been booming. A TikTok video<\/a> Charlet posted on June 19 \u2014 featuring flyers advertising her service \u2014 quickly racked up nearly 600,000 views. \u201cThe video blew up online,\u201d she told the Post. \u201cI basically had to build the brand in a day.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, she says she\u2019s received more than 500 service requests and has managed to serve about 20 clients so far, including repeat customers. One client even texted her: \u201cThank you!! I appreciate your service!! So much better than a ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n Her routine is as organized as it is unconventional. Clients sign a one-time agreement outlining her responsibilities, send a deposit, and coordinate a key handoff. Before getting into the car, Charlet records a video of its exterior to document any pre-existing damage \u2014 a clip she then emails to the owner. Then she waits. \u201cI send the video to the client via email, sit in the car for an hour and a half \u2014 I don\u2019t move the car until the street sweeper comes by \u2014 then I return the keys. And that\u2019s it,\u201d she told the Post. \u201cI\u2019m really babysitting the car.\u201d<\/p>\n Charlet says her clients are mostly people around her age who see her fashion and lifestyle content online and feel they can relate. \u201cThey\u2019re around my age, they get to see some of my fashion and lifestyle content,\u201d she told the Post. \u201cThey see I\u2019m a normal, stylish woman \u2014 like I\u2019m someone they could be friends with in real life.\u201d <\/p>\n With the gig now covering about half of her rent, Charlet sees it as more than just a stopgap. It\u2019s part of a growing trend of New Yorkers taking on creative side hustles to make ends meet in an increasingly expensive city.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been asked, \u2018Well, how do I know you\u2019re not going to steal my car?\u2019 \u2014 and that\u2019s such a fair question,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the people who\u2019ve seen my TikTok and reached out to me for service seem to feel like they can relate to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Rain, shine, or summer heatwave, Charlet can be found sitting in Teslas, sedans, and SUVs across the Upper West Side \u2014 doing her part to help fellow New Yorkers avoid a parking ticket and a whole lot of stress.<\/p>\n Have a news tip? Send it to us here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n