Millie Houlton: Student uses ChatGPT to overturn wrongfully issued $74 parking ticket, says 'I was relieved'
YORK, ENGLAND: A university student claims that she used ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence program, to compose a letter to get out of a parking ticket. Millie Houlton, a student at York St John University, claimed that she was issued a parking ticket of £60 (roughly $74). Given that she had a permit to park there, the 22-year-old was understandably shocked and unsure of what to do.
Houlton told that she initially intended to simply pay the fine but changed her mind after consulting ChatGPT about how to proceed. "I was like, 'Oh I don't need this fine, I'm a student,' but trying to articulate what I wanted to say was pretty difficult so I thought I'll just see if ChatGPT can do it for me," she said as per BBC News.
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'I wouldn't have been able to word it the way ChatGPT did'
She provided ChatGPT with the information, that the fine was for parking on her own street, for which she has a permit and it generated a response. "It said I was a student and that I had paid for my permit for two years and I wasn't going to deliberately park somewhere I shouldn't," she said.
After sending her appeal to the council, they got back in touch with her to say that the fine had been revoked. Houlton said, "I believe I wouldn't have been able to word it the way ChatGPT did, without it I probably wouldn't have had taken it back. I was relieved as I'm a student I don't want to spend £60 if I can avoid it, I was so pleased I could find a tool that can assist in putting thoughts into words in a professional manner." She added, "Everyone is talking about ChatGPT at the moment but I don't think people would know to use it in this sense and revoke a parking fine."
What was in the letter?
A screenshot of the bot's response was posted. The letter reads, "I am writing to appeal the penalty charge notice (PCN) that I received on XXXXX 2023, with the reference number XXXXX. I believe that the PCN was unjustified, and I hope that you will consider my explanation before making a final decision on this matter. On XXXXX, I parked my car around the back of my house, as I had received letters advising not to park outside the front of the house due to road works I'm sure you will be aware of. My permit covers parking around the back (XXXXX Road), and I believed that I was parking legally in the designated area. I was not aware that I had parked my back wheel over a yellow line, as the line was very faint and difficult to see. Furthermore, when XXXXX was passing by, I was reassured that the yellow line was unenforceable. I XXXXX, and I have been paying for permit parking on this street for two years. Being a student XXXXX and receiving a PCN for something that was unintentional and difficult to spot is a signi cant financial burden for me. I have attached images of my car parked in the designated area. As you can see, the yellow line is not visible and not easily enforceable. I hope that these images will help you understand the situation better and support my case. In conclusion, I kindly request that you cancel this PCN and withdraw any charges that have been made. I have been a responsible permit holder for 24 months, and I believe that this incident was a genuine mistake. I appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this matter," as per LadBible.