Pro or Con: New Parking Meters?
Since we’re talking about cars and streets and stuff: what’s up with the new pay-and-display systems in town? You’ve seen them, right? Sad little stumpy poles at each parking spot - naked as their meters have been ripped off and replaced with pay stations - a few per block?
The systems seem more common in other cities - non-American - like in English towns or in Montreal. The upside: machines take ATM cards and more than just quarters! The downside(s): you have to walk down to the machine and back to your car; you don’t get to run out and just “feed the meter;” you can’t be a good neighbor and feed someone else’s meter; and you won’t pull into a spot with time left on the meter. ‘Cause there’s no meter.
Personally, I like the old-skool meters with the twist mechanism and the little indicator arm that would tick up for each nickel, dime, or quarter. There are still some of those left - though not for long, I’m guessing.
Related posts:
They’re transitioning to them in DC, too. More upsides: smaller cars and tighter spots= more parking spaces for all. Also, way less maintenance costs for cities. Non-Americans get efficiency, yo.