PrepTest 154

Incorrect. If the parking lots are more expensive than on-street parking, then raising the price of on-street parking to be closer doesn't explain a increase in business for local restaurants.

Incorrect. The opposition of business owners has nothing to do with the actual impact of this change on consumer behavior.

Incorrect. This answer brings up a similarity before and after the change, which can't explain another change (the increase in business).

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
An increase in rates for on-street parking went up in an area, and restaurants (whose customers use that parking) saw an increase in sales.

Answer Anticipation:
Making something more expensive generally results in people using it less. Here, however, the restaurants who rely on the more expensive parking spots for their customers saw an increase in business after the parking rates increased. Something must have changed with the customer base when the parking rates increased to explain how they're making more money—either a high percentage of parkers are eating at restaurants, or more people are going to the restaurant per day, or people are spending more per visit. We need some relevant change in the customer base to explain this increase in business.

Answer Explanation:
If more expensive parking caused people to stay in their spot for less time, thus resulting in more turnover, then there are more customers in the area per day, which can explain an increase in sales. In short, the customer base changed—they spend less time in the parking spots, allowing for that customer base to be larger every day.

Key Takeaway:
This question is another example of a common pattern on the LSAT—actions or changes that have unexpected outcomes. In general, when one change leads to another—and, in Paradox questions, that second change will be unexpected—you're looking for something else that shifted in an unexpected way.

Incorrect. If this were true, then increasing the cost of shopping at the business district compared to the malls would be expected to drive shoppers to the latter, decreasing business at the business district.