From: ctbishop@earthlink.net   
      
   In article , Bill Gill    
   wrote:   
      
   > On 9/11/2015 9:24 AM, Charles Bishop wrote:   
   > > In article ,   
   > >   danny burstein  wrote:   
   > >   
   > >> In  David Scheidt    
   > >> writes:   
   > >>   
   > >>> Such scams happen from time to time in the US.  A number of   
   > >>> municipally owned parking lots in Chicago have signs that say   
   > >>> something to the effect of "put your money in the ticket machine,   
   > >>> anyone asking for it is scamming", and a friend had his car towed from   
   > >>> a lot where he'd paid to park while attending a concert.   
   > >>   
   > >> Not always a complete scam.   
   > >>   
   > >> In NYC, for example, there are municpal parking lots where   
   > >> you can pay the meter for an hour.   
   > >>   
   > >> One of which I frequently used.   
   > >>   
   > >> There would be people there who'd, for an extra dollar   
   > >> a hit, would re-feed the meter for you so you could   
   > >> stay in the lot longer.   
   > >>   
   > >> - every so often the city would put an actual traffic   
   > >> agent there and ticket you if your car was there   
   > >> longer than the hour even if the meter was reset.   
   > >>   
   > >> - under NYC rules you're supposed to move when the   
   > >> time is up and refeeding the meter doesn't clear you.   
   > >   
   > > It's the same for the parking meters on the street in LA, CA, as well.   
   > >   
   > That's pretty standard.  One of the ideas behind having parking   
   > meters isn't just to make money for the city*.  It is to keep   
   > people from taking up the parking all day.  That way people can   
   > park to get to their shopping or whatever.   
   >   
   > *Money for the city doesn't hurt the powers that be.   
      
   I seem to remember that back in the day(TM) longer parking wasn't as   
   much of a concern. Or, that is, no so much of a concern that I heard   
   about it as much as I do now. It was a given that someone could use a   
   meter as a long term parking space as long as they fed the meter.   
      
   Now, though there are warning signs on the street or on the meters   
   themselves. I assume this is at the behest of the merchants who see more   
   shopping if there is more turnover, and they don't care of nearby office   
   workers have to park elsewhere. This policy is also likely to be good   
   for the PTB as well, with an increase in fines for those that park too   
   long.   
      
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   C   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)