If you’ve ever thought your side hustle options were limited to dog walking, babysitting or flogging your old clothes online, think again. One New York woman has carved out a niche that’s so bizarrely simple it’s gone viral: literally just sitting in people’s cars for money.
Sydney Charlet, 29, originally from Seattle, moved to Manhattan earlier this year after losing her marketing job on the West Coast. Faced with hefty rent on her Upper West Side flat, she came up with an idea that’s turned into a booming business — professional car sitting.
Reported by New York Post, for up to $50 a session, Charlet parks herself in other people’s vehicles during New York City’s notorious alternate side parking hours. These dreaded time slots where drivers are legally required to move their cars to avoid street-sweeping fines. Miss the window, and you’re slapped with a $65 ticket or risk getting towed.
But with Charlet on the case, stressed-out city drivers can avoid the chaos completely.
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Charlet said of her unusual gig, which she started only back in June: “I’m inundated with clients”. While she won’t reveal exactly how much she makes, she admits it’s enough to cover half of her Manhattan rent. Considering all she has to do is sit in cars for 90 minutes at a time, it’s hardly surprising the internet has gone wild for the idea.
The inspiration struck during one of her own frantic parking manoeuvres, watching locals (or their doormen) scrambling to beat the street sweepers. She recalled: “It was absolute chaos,” she recalled.
“There were fights and screaming matches over parking spots.”
On 19 June, she posted a TikTok showing black-and-white flyers reading “Need your car moved? The Car Sitter” along with her details. The clip blew up, pulling in nearly 600,000 views and more than 500 enquiries. Since then, she’s managed to take on around 20 customers — some repeat — who’d rather pay her than risk another fine.
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Before every session, Charlet sends over a one-off agreement, takes a deposit, and coordinates a key handover. She films the car’s exterior for proof of any pre-existing damage, emails the video to the owner, then waits out the parking restrictions before handing back the keys. “I’m really babysitting the car,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, some people have questioned whether giving their car keys to a stranger is wise.
Charlet laughs it off but admits: “I have been asked, ‘Well, how do I know you’re not going to steal my car?’ — and that’s such a fair question.” She reckons her TikTok presence helps ease those fears.
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“They’re around my age, they get to see some of my fashion and lifestyle content. They see I’m a normal, stylish woman, like I’m someone they could be friends with in real life. People want to hire someone they trust, and I’m happy New Yorkers trust me.”
From a one-off idea to a steady income stream, Charlet’s car sitting hustle proves that sometimes the simplest solutions can pay off big. That’s especially in a city where just existing costs a fortune.