Chicagoist: Even the Parking Meters Don't Like the New Rates

mikely1

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:36:06 -0600

The meter's are not "ours" anymore. Screw it. Let them fight to get their money like any other private company. You do know that the city gets all the ticket revenue, right? All the private company gets is the revenue motorists pay into the meters. That's why the city still needs to do the enforcement ... because the city gets the ticket revenue. That's one thing that makes this so twisted. A private company changed the rules on us and we had no say in the matter. The city council sold us out and now the city will squeeze more revenue out of taxpayers now that parking on Sundays and overnight parking is no longer free. In my neighborhood, the change has gone into effect, but all the meters are still coin-only. So you'll need 8 quarters handy to pay for what used to cost 2 quarters. This is going to cause more outsiders blasting around my neighborhood's alleys and residential streets looking for parking.

Stealth

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:49:30 -0600

Should they be able to seize cars if people don't pay their tickets? Why should they be able to sieze any cars at all? If they're a private company, do what all other private companies do: badger the person that owes them money by mail or phone until they pay ("We've been extremely patient with you. If you do not respond soon, we will turn the matter over to a collection agency."). If they don't pay, turn the matter over to a collection agency. Bottom line (to me): if the city doesn't control the rate and times charged to the meters anymore, then the city should only deal with moving violations and not parking meter violations. The meter's are not "ours" anymore. Screw it. Let them fight to get their money like any other private company.

mikely1

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:24:20 -0600

If that happens, the taxpayers will simply pay for new ones. This happened in Washington DC in the late-90s and it prompted the city to stiffen fines and replace all of the meters with "vandal-resistant" meters. People were sawing off the heads of meters and stealing the money. Everywhere you went, there were headless meters. At one point the city was set to contract with Lockheed Martin (yes, that's right, Lockheed Martin) for the new, tougher meters, at a cost of $26 million. I'm not sure how that all panned out. There was some requisite Marion Barry corruption involved. But man, talk about civil unrest ... in 1997, a third of D.C.'s 15,000 meters were decapitated!

artdude75

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:20:02 -0600

lol. FAIL.

JessNevins

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:59:13 -0600

Heh heh heh. Stuck in my head yesterday afternoon when cops were parked at the end of the lot. I paid the meter out of fear and I swear they gave me a "are you kidding?" look.

Jonny

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:43:03 -0600

It's only a matter of time before someone "Cool Hand Lukes" these suckers. Not that I'm encouraging it or anything.

jeff303

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:10:06 -0600

However you may feel about the whole deal, there is a very good reason the corporation doesn't have enforcement power. Does it really make sense to let a company enforce the law? Should they be able to seize cars if people don't pay their tickets? Generally it's thought this type of thing should only be done by government agents.

Lincoln Park Yuppie

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:03:05 -0600

If you're missing something so am I. A bank that received bail-out money creates a corporation to "lease" the parking meters for, what like 99 years, has power over rates and revenues, and the city is providing enforcement. I do not understand this. Why isn't this shell corporation the ones hiring meter maids, dealing with changing out meters, etc?

Stealth

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:16:38 -0600

No one pays them and they're always expired. Nonsense. thanks a lot, blabbermouth. (kidding)

BlueFairlane

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:16:13 -0600

WIN!

Stealth

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:12:15 -0600

Why is the city running around wasting manpower and money doing this? Why don't the new parking meter owners take care of that? What's the point of selling them to collect the cash if you're dishing out all that cash to pay city workers to change the meters, pay city workers to issue the tickets, pay city workers to collect the money (you still have to go to city hall to pay them in person, right?). Am I missing something in this deal?

JessNevins

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:08:25 -0600

Speaking of parking meters, anyone near Ravenswood ever notice the private parking lot on Lawrence, just east of western with the 7-11 and Blockbuster, that has city meters? I've tried to figure that out for ages. Why would a strip mall get parking meters? No one pays them and they're always expired. Nonsense.

poptart

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:48:30 -0600

Blurg! I know what you mean. They just installed the new meters in my neighborhood and it seems they are constantly expired. Who the hell has enough quarters for these things? I don't have $2 in quarters at any given moment just so I can park for 10 minutes. I wonder if people will stop driving since parking costs so much now, or if they will start using private lots more. People are pretty lazy, so probably not, but its an intersting thought. PS-That picture is high-larious.

Maxwell

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:11:00 -0600

I was out this weekend, and honestly, no one is paying up the meters for weekend parking even though the new stickers say "everday" now. There was a whole row of cars with flashing meters.