The Parking Meter Revolt Rolls On

Recently it seemed that the initial fury and furor over the parking meter rates had diminished. It was as if emotions, after initially boiling over with concerted physical attacks and vandalism of parking meters, had diminished to a slow simmer. It seemed that the meter vandalism had ceased.

Then again, perhaps not.

It's clear that fewer cars are parking at meters. Large swaths of metered thoroughfares seem virtually vacant at times, when just weeks ago, before the rate increases, the meters were filled with cars.

But what is less evident and harder to spot is out and out vandalism of parking meters.

Over the course of the past few weeks, readers have sent us more photos of vandalized meters, and we've come across them, as well. Meters clogged with expanding foam and super glue, stolen meter heads and parking meters knocked over by cars.

A reader named Gary, who sent the photo of the bent meter, when asked if he thought it was the result of vandalism stemming from the meter rate increases said, "All I can tell you is that this meter was straight a few days ago, but after the rates went up, I found this meter like this."

"I have been noticing two things," said one PEA I spoke to on the street about the broken meters he's been observing. "One, it has been an even mixture of vandalized and normal failed ones, and, two, there are a lot more parking spaces open now."

Others are taking more passive and creative approaches to their protest, by covering meters up with fabric and using markers to express their outrage.

Whatever the case, this meter rebellion or revolt, or whatever you would like to call it, continues to roll on.

Despite multiple phone calls to Chicago Parking Meters, LLC, no one from the company returned our calls to comment.

If you see a vandalized parking meter, snap a photo, send it to The Expired Meter and we'll publish it.

Please e-mail your photos to: [e-mail]

Check out The Expired Meter for even more information and advice about parking, fighting parking tickets and red light tickets in Chicago.

Comments

[avocado]

privatization of services=efficiency in robbing the citizen/tax payer

[blahber]

yes you can ... sell out the city for the next 100 years for a quick cash insusion
to support your wasteful spending.

epitomizes the leftists ... sell out the future, but protect current government parasites.

[TheGhostOfTomJoad]

I'd like to see the revolters step up their game.

[mergina]

Does anyone know if the army of young ticket writers I was roaming the side streets yesterday writing a ticket for any reason at all are outsourced too?

[mergina]

Vote duhdaley out along with your aldermen. Clear out the whole wretched corrupt infestation.

[aaroncynic]

Good to see that people are finding creative ways to resist this financially oppressive city endeavor. Sadly, it's pretty much too late to really have an effect on the city government itself - but hopefully this will show the folks at the corporation they need to set their rates back to where they were.

[thephenomenologist]

rise up ! rise up, fellow chicagoans ! rise up and fight ! king richard the second must be stopped ! he has taxed everything but the air we breathe ... our houses, our cars, our transports, our routes in and out of the city, our bottled water, our alcohol, he has raised fees for residents and business owners, and all but eliminated the cherished corner bar, he allowed kermit to take over the county board, and he has promised our children's future in his pursuit of some olympic fantasy, which like all his plans will ultimately burden the taxpayer for his glory. the city of chicago has not improved services for residents, but the members of the his mayorty's court has gotten rich. and corruption is rife and cuts deep. for too long we have sat idly by and done nothing, but now, citizens, it is time to say enough is enough. rise up ! rise up ! smash the meters ! and do not rest, do not give up, never surrender ! rise up and fight !

[47th]

Good work!