The Zen of 24-Hour Parking Meters

I still have the receipt from the last time I fed the parking meter on Guadalupe Street. It was for 25 cents, and the date was August 12, 2012. I must have been running late for a lecture at the University of Texas, because I remember glancing at my watch and thinking, "I've got just enough time to grab a coffee and still make it to class."

The parking meter was one of those old-fashioned ones with a coin slot and a dial that you had to turn to add time. It was a bit of a hassle, but it was also kind of fun. You'd insert your quarter, turn the dial, and feel a sense of accomplishment as you watched the time tick away.

But those days are behind us now. The city has replaced all the old parking meters with automated ones that take credit cards and have a screen that displays the time remaining. It's a lot more convenient, but it's also kind of soulless.

I was at the parking garage on 5th Street the other day, and I saw a sign that said, "Parking Meters Now Accept Credit Cards." I thought to myself, "What's the point of that? Don't people have enough to worry about without having to worry about feeding a parking meter every 20 minutes?" But then I realized that the sign was just a reminder that the city is still trying to make parking as convenient as possible, even if it means sacrificing a little bit of character.

The new parking meters are also a lot more expensive than the old ones. I remember when you could park for free on the street, but still had to feed the meter every 20 minutes. It was a bit of a hassle, but it was also kind of fun. You'd insert your quarter, turn the dial, and feel a sense of accomplishment as you watched the time tick away.

But now, the parking meters are a battle to be won. You have to feed them every 20 minutes, and if you're late, you'll get a ticket. It's a lot more stressful than it used to be, and it's also a lot more expensive.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but I do know that the city needs to find a way to make parking more convenient and less stressful. Maybe they could install more parking meters, or maybe they could just make the ones they have more efficient. Whatever the solution is, it needs to be one that balances the needs of drivers with the needs of the city.

As I was walking away from the parking garage, I saw a sign that said, "Parking Meters Now Accept Credit Cards." I thought to myself, "That's not the solution." The solution is to make parking more convenient and less stressful, not to just make it more expensive. But I guess that's just the old way of thinking.