The good guys thread

[Cataholic]

Put change in someone's meter
Ever walk by a car about to get a parking ticket? Go to a local parking garage with a roll of quarters and watch people smile when they come back to their car!

Where I live, this is illegal. Seriously.

[kuhio98]

Where I live, this is illegal. Seriously.

What a ridiculous law. I can't imagine paying taxes to enforce such a law.

Anyone have a happy story to share?

[Karen]

I don't know whether it is illegal where I live, but I have put extra change in someone's meter from time to time. If I get a metered parking spot, I often leave extra time on the meter for the next person intentionally, particularly if it is in one of the busy spots around town, and I know someone will be pulling in as soon as I leave.

[cassiesmom]

I bought the November issue of "Real Simple". The editor writes in her column of her family going to the beach and about to get in line for a parking pass. A man came up to them and offered to give them his, because he was planning to stay at the beach for the entire day but had to leave unexpectedly.

One more. I have a friend who sings in a professional Chicago chorus. She and her daughter went to her husband's workplace to take him out to dinner for his birthday -- he sometimes works alternate hours. At the restaurant she sang him a full-out opera style Happy Birthday, of course -- her daughter, who's in middle school, was thoroughly embarrassed!

[Cataholic]

I wasn't trying to be a downer...just pointing out that most metered parking is with a maximum limit, 2 hours, 1 hour, 4 hours, whatever. So, by re-feeding the meter, you are defeating the purpose of the meter. Do people do it? I am sure. Would I actively encourage people to do it? No. It is a law, one that I might not agree with...but the law is the law.

Google, "refeeding the meter" and you may find that it is illegal in many, many places.

[Bonny]

In the 46 years I have been driving I have never received a speeding ticket. I was 12 miles over the limit last Friday & was in the process of slowing down & had even thought of before that about 3 miles up the road to put the car on cruise at 60 in a 55 mph zone.

I met an officer of the law in a white car & his lights came on. I knew right away to pull over as quick as possible. He stopped behind me & I dug out my license & handed it to him. He asked me where I was going in such a hurry & I said to work. He asked me where I worked & I told him.

I figured I was 10 miles over the limit but he said I was 12. He asked me the last time I got a speeding ticket & I said never. He told me to stay in my car for safety. (I was thinking about the old lady a couple weeks back & the officer that had to rough her up because she wouldn't get out of her car.) I thought it was nice of him to think of my safety.

It took awhile before he came back to my car. He said you know it can cost you $167.00 for your speeding over the limit & I should think of the number of days it would take to pay for that speeding ticket. (He didn't mention my insurance going up.) I said WOW!. He said I am going to let you go today without giving you a ticket but am giving you a warning to slow down for your own safety & the safety of others. He handed me my license back. I didn't argue with him any & figured he did me a service & was doing his job.

If he would of given me the ticket I would of still felt the same.

[Karen]

I wasn't trying to be a downer...just pointing out that most metered parking is with a maximum limit, 2 hours, 1 hour, 4 hours, whatever. So, by re-feeding the meter, you are defeating the purpose of the meter. Do people do it? I am sure. Would I actively encourage people to do it? No. It is a law, one that I might not agree with...but the law is the law.

Google, "refeeding the meter" and you may find that it is illegal in many, many places.

It varies street to street in in this area whether there is a limit or not on the meters. If there is, any extra coins you put in past that amount do not count. So if you get delayed for something beyond your control, you can get a ticket if your errand takes 2 minutes over the 1-hour limit, for example. There are other meters that allow up to 6 or 12 hours, and cost different amounts, it really depends on how close one is to public transportation, retail stores, etc. And there are also streets with no meters, that require permits, and those with no requirements whatsoever. It's a mixed bag, and imagine can be confusing for visitors.

[Cataholic]

It varies street to street in in this area whether there is a limit or not on the meters. If there is, any extra coins you put in past that amount do not count. So if you get delayed for something beyond your control, you can get a ticket if your errand takes 2 minutes over the 1-hour limit, for example. There are other meters that allow up to 6 or 12 hours, and cost different amounts, it really depends on how close one is to public transportation, retail stores, etc. And there are also streets with no meters, that require permits, and those with no requirements whatsoever. It's a mixed bag, and imagine can be confusing for visitors.

Karen- I am not familiar to a parking meter not having a limit. Can you explain how that might work? I do know that re-feeding the meter in the city of Boston is illegal. That was about a two second google search. I forget where you two moved to, but was pretty sure you didn't live in Boston.

I am thinking all the parking meters in the US but the ones you are mentioning are the kind that have limits, and the limits are to limit the time a person parks in one spot without moving one's vehicle. That is the purpose behind the meter (in addition to raising money for the municipality). So, if there is a meter in place, and you refeed it, it is illegal.

[kuhio98]

Sorry about that. I should have separated my response to it being illegal and requests for happy stories.
I sincerely, didn't mean it the way it came out. I can see how it could be interpreted that way. Please accept my apology.

I wasn't trying to be a downer...just pointing out that most metered parking is with a maximum limit, 2 hours, 1 hour, 4 hours, whatever. So, by re-feeding the meter, you are defeating the purpose of the meter. Do people do it? I am sure. Would I actively encourage people to do it? No. It is a law, one that I might not agree with...but the law is the law.

Google, "refeeding the meter" and you may find that it is illegal in many, many places.

[Cataholic]

Sorry about that. I should have separated my response to it being illegal and requests for happy stories.
I sincerely, didn't mean it the way it came out. I can see how it could be interpreted that way. Please accept my apology.

No worries here. I just get kind of crazy when I see people on the verge of breaking laws. We had a HUGE re-feeding the meter story here years ago. It was huge...and while I always knew refeeding the meter was illegal, I never knew it could get as ugly as it did here.