Brookline teen, friends making thousands for letting U.S. Open fans park in driveway
BROOKLINE - As thousands of U.S. Open spectators wait in traffic lines or sit on shuttle buses to get to the course, a group of about 35 cars is parking only a five minute walk from the course, thanks to a teen and his friends looking to make a buck.
Ben Barrocas lives about 200 yards from The Country Club, the Brookline spot hosting the U.S. Open through June 19.
It was his dad's idea at first, and he thought it was crazy until he thought it through. Then, he texted his buddies, and they immediately came over to work.
"I was like, 'this is a great idea,'" Barrocas said.
With giant signs outside their home, Barrocas flags over cars looking to escape the crazy traffic and park. Based on demand, he has charged anywhere from $50 to $200 per car.
At that rate, he and his friends have made $10,000 in two days' time.
"We're going to split it evenly," Barrocas says.
"Personally, I never thought we would be the successful, I came into it with a very open mindset but also an understanding if we didn't succeed the way we wanted to," added his friend Malik Spaloss.
Several of these high school juniors don't even have their licenses yet, but plan to use their earnings toward their first car. "I was definitely going to save for a car. It's something that I've been working towards, and this is a great opportunity to contribute to it," said Adam Murray of Milton.
The spectators paying these boys hundreds to park in their driveway are impressed by their entrepreneurial spirit. "Anyone who is hustling to make a buck and then uses Venmo in this cashless world [has] a fan," Ryan Brady of Westwood said.
