Parking Meters Deep Freeze Again

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Dec 26, 2009 5:00PM

The wintry weather we've had the last day or so - rain changing over to ice and snow as temps have dropped - have made things a mess on the roadway and made things even worse for the city's troubled parking meters. Having already gone through the freeze before, the city's parking meter payboxes are freezing up again according to our friend the Parking Ticket Geek. Out and about doing post-holiday shopping or returns and encounter one of those frozen meters? Here's what the PTG suggests:

If you park at a frozen parking meter you will most likely be allowed to park for free as long as you report the problem to Chicago Parking Meter customer service at (877) 242-7901.

Make sure you get a reference number, just in case you receive a parking ticket. The reference number will allow you to contest the ticket and have it dismissed as it backs up your defense that the meter was inoperable.

It's not the first time the boxes have gone on the fritz thanks to lousy weather and it won't be the last given the cold weather we're in for over the next week.