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LAZ Parking has heard you loud and clear, Chicago, and they're going to help you out. No, they're not giving the money back to the city and no, they're not going to lower their rates. Instead, frustrated motorists that find themselves flummoxed by the new parking meter boxes will bed assisted by "Green Teams," who will be roaming the streets of neighborhoods with these boxes, distributing instructions on how to properly use them. The helpers earned their name thanks to the green t-shirts they'll be wearing when they pass out the instructions. According to the Sun-Times:
"This is not something they just started. They've been out there since the installation of the boxes began trying to help people understand how to use the boxes and make it a more customer-friendly transition. Customer services is a core value for this company," said [Chicago Parking Meters LLC spokeswoman Avis] LaVelle, a former mayoral press secretary."They go where the new installations are -- and where people are likely to be using the boxes and may not be familiar on how to use them."
A staffing agency is charged with hiring the employees, but LaVelle said, "You need people of all ages to relate to parkers of all ages. It also needs to be a diverse group."
Since the boxes started being rolled out, roughly a third of the 3,000 boxes that will eventually be used have been installed. It's also a good time to remind you that the Reader has published part three of their meter investigation, this time looking at who, exactly, benefits from the deal.
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I hope they are trained in self-defense. They will likely need it when they "relate to parkers of all ages" as many of these folks are pretty irate. What are they going to relate? How nice it is to get rid of all those annoying quarters to park for 20 minutes? Talk about how Daley saved the city and avoided layoffs by raising your parking rates?
Also, I'm a "parker" now?
As soon as I read this, my first thought was , How soon will one of them get beaten to a pulp?
This won't last long & it won't end well!
I'm still wondering when more bike racks will get installed to replace all the meters that have been taken out. It's going to be a big bike clusterfuck in neighborhoods where there is a lot of bike traffic.
This in addition to all the REST of the clusterfuck already. Way to go City.
Awww, how nice. They really do care about us. We are too stupid to figure out the meters so they are giving us a hand.
Why do those guys in the picture have recycling logos on their shirts? I don't understand.
It's just a picture that says "Green Team", not an actual picture of what the people will look like that are doing this. Unless of course, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Adam McKay have decided to give up comedy and help morons who can't figure out a meter.
I see now. Tiny picture is tiny.