In Argentina, parking lot operator accepts barter as payment

At a parking lot in Mendoza, Argentina, patrons can pay for their stay with items they no longer need.

Hard on the heels of our recent story about Stockholm’s Clarion Hotel, which lets artists pay for a night’s stay with their work, comes word of yet another enterprise accepting barter payments. The spotting this time? None other than a parking lot in Mendoza, Argentina, that enables patrons to pay for their parking with items they no longer need. The scheme – which accepts any second hand items, even old magazines – is being run at three parking lots owned by Ivan Caraganopulos and his family in Mendoza, according to a recent MDZ Online report. Caraganopulos’s decision came in large part as a recognition of the financial strain affecting most consumers in the area, but so far he apparently hasn’t had cause to regret it. In fact, as a result of the overwhelmingly positive response from drivers, it has reportedly turned out to be a profitable one. Tough times call for tough measures, as the old saying goes, but that doesn’t mean the dark clouds of economic hardship can’t have a silver lining. One for inspiration! Spotted by: Miguel