Why is this illegial?

[eliza61]

Yesterday I was in Center City, Philadelphia. I had parked at a meter and noticed the meter maid (person who gives out the tickets if your meter expired. I know they have a new title, I just couldn't think of it) coming down the street.
Anyway, the car in front of me was expired so I put in 2 quarters. The maid was nice, she simply smiled at me but she said "You know that's illegial"

anyone know why? Jeez is the city so hard up for cash that its stalking poor motorist.

 

[KristinBelle]

Being nice is illegal? Crazy.

 

[MM27]

I don't know why it's illegal, but I would assume that it has something to do with the city getting the money for fines.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I know it's a threat here in Chicago, but it's still not illegal. Sometimes all they have to do is threaten people to get it to stop.

http://www.inyourfacechicago.com/blog/?p=1630

It is illegal in some parts of the country.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Its illegal because its not your car. Its that simple. I've heard its illegal to do that in NYC too, though I may be wrong. Its not like the turnpike where you can pay for the car behind you.

Doing it is nice but next time just be sure the meter maid isn't within eye distance. Other side of the street maybe.

 

[Christine]

"Feeding the meter" is illegal.

Meter parking is established for a "term" type of deal. One hour, two hours, four hours. The idea is that you are given the ability to park for that one term and then you should move along to allow others the opportunity to park. With meter parking, really, they don't not want people parking there all day. The meters are set up usually to allow for short shopping trips within an urban area. Staying at a 2 hour meter for longer than the 2 hours and then feeding the meter is illegal.

Here in parts of DC it is strictly enforced because people will try to park at them all day while they work and run down every few hours and feed the meter. They used to mark your tires and then come back and check. Now they have little hand-held computers that store the information so they can tell if you are feeding the meter. The parking spaces are not supposed to be there for long-term parking but are to be available for people to come and go and do business/shopping.

 

[DrCavin]

After watching Parking Wars, I think on Bravo, I think parking in Philly is a total SCAM. Those people go thru **** to get their cars back.

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[61292cna]

I never knew I was such a lawbreaker until I read this... and I used to think I was such a bore.
now I can consider myself a real rebel

Do you think I can get a tattoo for it?

If so, I want one also!!!

 

[Kimberly]

Probably can't park for more than a certain set of allotted time. Either that or she was just being cranky.

 

[Robinrs]

You have to remember the people who make these laws are the ones who benefit from them.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

My guess is the car with the meter expired exceeded the parking time limit. Here meters have time limits 2 hour parking, etc. It's still another way for the city to make their $$.

 

[swald91]

That sounds crazy to me! But they probably get more money for giving a ticket than the 50 cents for the additional time!

 

[luvmy3]

"Feeding the meter" is illegal.

Meter parking is established for a "term" type of deal. One hour, two hours, four hours. The idea is that you are given the ability to park for that one term and then you should move along to allow others the opportunity to park. With meter parking, really, they don't not want people parking there all day. The meters are set up usually to allow for short shopping trips within an urban area. Staying at a 2 hour meter for longer than the 2 hours and then feeding the meter is illegal.

Here in parts of DC it is strictly enforced because people will try to park at them all day while they work and run down every few hours and feed the meter. They used to mark your tires and then come back and check. Now they have little hand-held computers that store the information so they can tell if you are feeding the meter. The parking spaces are not supposed to be there for long-term parking but are to be available for people to come and go and do business/shopping.

Are there signs posted that make it clear it is illegal to park in a spot for more than XXX hours or that it is illegal to add more money/time to your meter?

 

[Becky2005]

"Feeding the meter" is illegal.

Meter parking is established for a "term" type of deal. One hour, two hours, four hours. The idea is that you are given the ability to park for that one term and then you should move along to allow others the opportunity to park. With meter parking, really, they don't not want people parking there all day. The meters are set up usually to allow for short shopping trips within an urban area. Staying at a 2 hour meter for longer than the 2 hours and then feeding the meter is illegal.

Interesting -- see I always looked at meter parking differently!!! I would so be breaking the law & not even realizing it! I always figured you were paying for your TIME at the parking spot, so you pay for 2 hours, if you needed more time, you just go feed the meter and you get 2 more hours.

We have time limit parking all over the place here but no meters, so I see those as 2 hour since you can't do anything to get more time, except move the car. That's probably why I figured meters were more of a "you can park here as long as you want as long as you feed the meters" vs. "it's only 2 hour parking". In our case, they mark the car tires -- so you would have to be the owner of the car if you wanted to make sure they didn't get a ticket because you would have to physically move it.

However, it sounds to me like if you were feeding a meter that was just about expired, they asked you if it was your car & you said yes -- they wouldn't have a problem with it since the wording seems to be illegal to pay someone ELSE'S parking meter. I guess it all depends on where the area.

 

[GeorgeG]

Many laws exist only to give politicians more of your money to spend. They'd rather have the parking fine than a few quarters.

Some local laws make no sense at all and we can only wonder what small-town personal tiff prompted them. Some years ago I was having lunch near a courthouse and the paper place mats had a bunch of stupid laws on them. One was that in a certain town it was illegal to walk down the street with an ice cream cone in your pocket on a Sunday. There were several variations of that for different towns.

 

[luvmy3]

Many laws exist only to give politicians more of your money to spend. They'd rather have the parking fine than a few quarters.

Some local laws make no sense at all and we can only wonder what small-town personal tiff prompted them. Some years ago I was having lunch near a courthouse and the paper place mats had a bunch of stupid laws on them. One was that in a certain town it was illegal to walk down the street with an ice cream cone in your pocket on a Sunday. There were several variations of that for different towns.

Some laws definitely make no sense but I don't have a problem with the parking law, as long as its clearly stated whats illegal. Local businesses probably lose alot of customers when they can't find a parking spot nearby, especially in large metropolitan areas, so I can see why that law would go into effect.

 

[TheZue]

You gotta think if it WAS legal all the people who work on a given block could hire somebody to watch out for the meter maid and only put money in when she was coming.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

"Feeding the meter" is illegal.

Meter parking is established for a "term" type of deal. One hour, two hours, four hours. The idea is that you are given the ability to park for that one term and then you should move along to allow others the opportunity to park. With meter parking, really, they don't not want people parking there all day. The meters are set up usually to allow for short shopping trips within an urban area. Staying at a 2 hour meter for longer than the 2 hours and then feeding the meter is illegal.

Here in parts of DC it is strictly enforced because people will try to park at them all day while they work and run down every few hours and feed the meter. They used to mark your tires and then come back and check. Now they have little hand-held computers that store the information so they can tell if you are feeding the meter. The parking spaces are not supposed to be there for long-term parking but are to be available for people to come and go and do business/shopping.

I agree with this completely, and that is probably why the OP got the comment from the meter maid.

 

[happygirl]

I'm going to guess as stupid as it sounds. Would it make you a accersory to a crime?