Please learn how to make parking meters that accept pennies.
For one thing, parking meters in general are a pain and a rip-off. A quarter = 20 minutes? I remember when a quarter was worth half an hour, sonny. I even remember when I could park at Coolidge park for free (not a tough memory to conjure since that was like last year, but still.)
All I want to do is run in Figgy's or Ankars and grab a quick lunch, but if I am out of change, no such luck. I must drive all the way down Broad Street to the Subway (because the one downtown requires change for meters too.) This is a plastic world, folks. I almost never have cash. Which, conversely, means I almost never get change.
Except, there are ALWAYS pennies.
Everywhere, lurking. Because there is no use for them (no offense, Honest Abe.) I have been known (on occasion) to throw them away when cleaning out a purse because they're so basically useless and I don't want to carry them around.
HOWEVER, if I could put them in parking meters -- Oh, the utility! How much easier my life would be, and how coppery-clutter-free! Zip down to Figgy's, pop 10 shiny pennies in the meter, the city is satisfied, I am satisfied, it would be genius.
Why is it that machines reject our coppery little friends? No coke machines, no bubblegum machines, (obviously) no parking meters...what gives? Why do machine-makers hate on Abraham Lincoln? Maybe somebody knows this. Walker, you're an accountant, any ideas? Amanda Youell, you read this on occasion and are very smart/work with numbers, perhaps you can help?
8 comments:
I don't like the ones that take credit cards. You know your in for a minimum $2 charge.
What a freakin good point. Who should you call to see about fixing this? Mayor? Governor? Parking Meter Creator/Manufacturer?
I take it that you and Jason also had the same penny discussion we had the other week.
Solid point, Eric. Penny meters it is, then. I'm not sure, Sarah, but I am getting to the bottom of this. And actually Scott, we hadn't discussed it at all - just goes to show that great minds indeed think alike.
Three thoughts:
1) Excellent points on all fronts. I loathe parking meters and I am annoyed by the ubiquity of pennies.
2) There is a parking meter on the south side of the walnut street bridge that accepts pennies (right?) and goes to the community kitchen or something awesome, so there's always that...
3) OR you could just make a trail of them from your front door to anywhere in your apartment. It's decorative and top designers everywhere (R. Scott Woods) are doing it...
(this is Walker) My thought would be to allow the meter maids to somehow dial in your tag number and bill you at the end of the month. That way, you don't have to carry the correct change around all the time. Tax dollars would then actually be working for you and not just to give you tickets.
Bean - those meters are clever, but unfortunately not actually for parking, they're just for charity. Walk, that's brilliant. I like where your head's at on this one.
Pennies have been called ”the most ubiquitous man-made object in America which does not interact with any electronic or mechanical device”. 10 points if you tell me who said it without googling.
I'm with Walker on this one. And seriously Chattanooga, a quarter for 20 minutes?? That's robbery.
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