City Parking Meters Double Billing

[thelakelander]

I know this story is about double billing, but why are we installing new digital meters that only accept quarters?

By Jackelyn Barnard
First Coast News

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Some of those parking downtown say they are paying double to park and they are not happy about it.

Mildred Gonzalez was parked across the street from the main library. She knew she put enough change in the meter, but when she came back to her car she had a ticket.

One side of the meter in front of her car indicated she had 25 minutes left. But the other side showed the meter had expired.

"I got an illegal ticket," said Gonzalez. "I'm not too happy about it, trust me."

Gonzalez was parked at one of the new digital meters downtown. The meters have been up for only a couple of weeks and the complaints are rolling in to the city.

"The meter is malfunctioning," said Captain Gary White of Jacksonville's parking division.

White says more than 1,600 parking meters are being replaced with digital ones.

for full article: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=83653

[DetroitInJAX]

Ok.. So they're digital.. Do they accept credit cards or nickels/dimes/quarters?

No.  So whats the point of the expense?  We could kill two birds with one stone.. Install accurate (non malfunctioning) meters that accept a multitude of payment options.

Voila!  Downtown parking just got 100 times easier.

[gatorback]

I just love paying twice for parking.  When the meter reads 5 minutes, put in another quarter.  30 minutes is displayed.  How about letting the meter go to 35 minutes since I paid for the first 30. 

[Lunican]

These digital meters are not the "smart" meters that have been talked about. They are just regular meters that don't have a knob. They are all over downtown already.

[Driven1]

can any semi-intelligent leader of this city not read this story and say, "Wtf?"?

morons.

[spidey]

Well, that's one way to raise fees.