At the end of January, we reported how the city just installed a crap load of new parking meters on Milwaukee Ave. from North and Damen northward and in and around that three-way intersection.
But now, less than three months later, Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the new lessees of the parking meter system, have just planted the first of many new Pay & Display boxes in Wicker Park.
This is the bleeding edge of the move to replace traditional single-head meters with these Pay & Display boxes.
I have to hand it to LAZ, they pulled out the new/old meters out pretty darn quick.
Yesterday afternoon I was tipped off to the changes going on. But I didn’t get a chance to run over there to take some photos.
But, according to Gangs of the New Economy, they had all the old school parking meters sitting hooded, like a prisoner headed to the guillotine.
So when we finally got over to photograph what was going on this morning, the meters were gone!
Special thanks to Spener S. for the tip!
Posted in 
Well, maybe they went through the expense of doing that, but people are still avoiding parking on the streets everywhere.
Is that area 7 days a week? What are the hours?
I like the idea of super glueing these meters. We, the citizen of Chicago don’t own these meters anymore.
Best part is you hit one point and disable umpteen dozen spots! What a time saver!!!
Patriot -
There was a post here the other day where someone got a ticket where a pay station was out of order and they were told they are suppose to walk down the street till they find another one…
Aaaaaargh! Wicker Park? Wicker Park? You would think that they would start installing the machines downtown where you need a freaking roll of quarters to park for an hour!!
By the way, if I see anyone breaking a meter or pay station I will personally shove the tube of crazy glue up your ass. I spent days fighting a parking ticket because someone jammed the meter with glue and pieces of metal. I guess at night the meter maid couldn’t tell that it was broken and I got the ticket. I beat it, but it was more of a hassle than paying the two bucks.
Peter Parker
Normally I don’t care if someone wants to break a meter, however I have to agree with you right now. My co-workers and I are getting tired of not only logging in the meters (which is not a problem) but calling in these meters are becoming very time consuming and is beginning to affect the production.
oh well, 15 minute break is about up. Got to hit the street again.
Ticketmaster-
Your comment has me CHOCK full of questions for you. I will shoot you an e-mail with my queries sometime this weekend.
Enjoy the nice weather today dude! It’s about time, huh?
Peter Parker,
Up my ass huh? Bring it on toady, I haven’t hurt anyone in a long time and I miss feeling the blood of my enemy splattered on my hands and face! God I miss the screams as I sense that almost erotic POP! of your eye balls as I hook my fingers behind them and pull them out.
I for one refuse to cooperate with a corrupt system and, in every war, a few ‘innocents’ such as yourself get whacked. So sorry Charley, thats the way the crazy glue dries! Be a part of the war and join us! Together we’ll shove that tube o’ glue up Daley’s ass…I’ll bring the lube!
don’t be distracted by MorganStanley and LZ companies. they made a super investment.
Get off the couch and go after Mayor Daley. 20 years as mayor and he has pillaged this city enough. Robbing taxpayers and now selling our future. You think your kids will be able to live here when we can barely make it now? the village idiot is worse thean George Bush but we keep electing him.
Time to stop him. time to tell your grandparents the Daleys are done robbing us.
IP…I suggest you take your Prozac or whatever it is you are on…
Ticketmaster and I are on the same page…
You want change? Vote the Mayor out of office for 2011….and don’t blame Revenue for the policy changes that we had nothing to do with.
And feel free to bring that attitude to any of us while we are working.
We just sent a Putz like you to MCC for doing Just that.
And one other thing.
Laz Has 6 months from the time that they assumed control of the Meters and Pay Boxes to Provide every area that is metered with a Cash AND Cashless option.
Expect Pay Boxes Everywhere…..if they can get it done in time.
Hey everyone,
Let’s try to keep the discussion civil. We can agree to disagree and still remain friendly.
I do concur with many of the people commenting about voting for someone besides Mayor Daley. I have never voted for him.
I think the outrage should be mainly directed at him, his administration and the city council members that vote for crappy ideas like the parking meter deal.
I’m not on anything other than a feng shui high induced by the wonderful lovely understanding little minions and servants of the mayor who scamper about the city dispensing rectangular orange toned sheets of love. Don’t get me wrong, I respect sworn law enforcement officers and all they do to uphold the law and the risks they take. However you guys…nothing but simple patronage tax collectors…and right now, based upon what I participated in and saw around the country on the 15th, taxes and those that collect them are not too well liked by the masses. Revenue is an arm of the system and the system is the problem. And I’ll agree with you 100% that your overlord needs to go but city employees, loyalists to a fault, and their associated unions, will fight to their dying breaths to keep their king enthroned as they have done so for the past however many elections. After all it is the Chicago way…
I will continue to attack the system by whatever means possible and encourage anyone who’ll listen to do the same.
Putz…? Your bobeshi* is rolling over in her grave right now, such language I never heard before from a shtayer-moner**! Oi vay!
*Yiddish for granny. Had to look it up on-line.
**Tax collector. Try http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/
“The Parking Ticket Geek Says:
Hey everyone,
Let’s try to keep the discussion civil. We can agree to disagree and still remain friendly.”
Sorry boss…
Illinois Patriot Says:
…but city employees, loyalists to a fault, and their associated unions, will fight to their dying breaths to keep their king enthroned as they have done so for the past however many elections. After all it is the Chicago way…
IP,
As a general rule, I stay out of discussions in regards to politics (after all, back in the day I was taught it was considered impolite to discuss religion, politics and money at the dinner table). However, I am making an exception here. I do not know of any City Employee (excluding management) or Union that is loyal to King Richard. Last time I checked, 99.9% of the unions did not endorse the King. Now if you are referring to City Employees who may be passing around petitions or selling fund raising tickets (on their own time), well, you do what you got to do if you want promotions, choice assignments, etc….That does not mean they are loyal to the King. Only means they are loyal to making things better for themselves.
For over the last 40+ years, I have only been a loyal person to 3 things.
1. My Family
2. Keeping my Personal Honor Clean.
3. The Cubs (we are taking it all the way this year)
Sorry PTG and Expiredmeter readers, had to get that off my chest.
-Ticketmaster
Tickemaster,
Sorry for my outburst of anger earlier. Ok, fair enough. But let me ask a non-confrontational question… So just how in the hell did King Richard mobilize his ‘machine’ to get elected year after year? Surely the average Chicago citizen cannot be that stupid to continuously elect the same guy over and over and over again? There was a machine that got the word out in the most polite and low-level threatening manner possible. This machine had to be City of Chicago employee based. Short Shanks pushed the aldermen, the aldermen pushed the various departmental field supervisors and they in turn pushed the workers. I have multiple friends scattered throughout the city who said that, come election time, they were bombarded with knocks on the door and big brutish individuals requesting that they vote for the mayor. Several questioned these people as to who they were and they all admitted working for various government departments. Streets and San seemed to be the biggest supporter by far followed by the various other trades and general labor positions.
For over the last 40+ years, I have only been a loyal person to 3 things.
1. My Family
First and foremost and good for you! That’s the way it should be!
2. Keeping my Personal Honor Clean.
Then you are indeed a rare breed of city employee and should be commended.
3. The Cubs (we are taking it all the way this year)
Err…um…ahhh…good…luck? BTW, did you hear that someone hung a dead goat at Wrigley Field in an effort to break the curse?
Ticketmaster & IP-
First, there is no need to apologize Ticketmaster. Impassioned thoughts are always welcome. Actually, it’s nice slice of writing.
Second, I understand IP’s frustration. I have always been confounded by Mayor Daley’s ability to get re-elected year after year.
I don’t like politics in Chicago because it seems closer to old school Soviet politics than to true American democracy. I grew up in DuPage county which was pretty much the Republican opposite of Chicago. To me, both are unhealthy examples of democracy. The citizens are served best when there’s parity of power amongst the political parties. The fighting is actually good. It keeps things healthy.
In Chicago, there is so little fighting, it’s disturbing. And it’s how bad policy comes about. It’s because there’s no one, or too few people to stand up to the powers that be.
Sorry, I digress.
But to IP’s point, there is obviously some sort of “Machine” apparatus in place here. However…the other part of the equation is citizen/voter apathy. I think many people have given up and feel their vote is futile.
The key to beating Daley is mobilizing the “silent majority” or should it be the “apathetic majority” to come out and vote for an alternative to Daley.
Also, IP, I used to have an opinion about city employees similar to yours. I assumed they were all lazy, politically connected hacks.
The thing is, over the years, I’ve met, and have friends who work for the city. The vast majority of these people are good, hard working people who are pissed to be lumped in with the lazy goofs who, like in any organization, make everyone else look bad.
I have a very good friend that works high up for a city department. And every time we talk, I feel like there’s hope that the city can be a better organization.
Maybe someday, with a new mayor and with the kind of people I know and guys like Ticketmaster, things will be different than they are today.
Sorry to ramble.
The problem is the Apathetic majority that Don’t do anything other than whine. And that the Dead Still Vote in this city.
I have never voted for Da Bum in City Hall…Not in the last 2 elections..and I will never vote for him.
Maybe you should look at who is responsible for this fiasco and for selling out taxpayers. Mayor RICH Daley and his family of crooks. How many times has this Mayor screwed the taxpayers and hard working people of this city.
Cannot count the number of screw ups on two hands can you?
Help Mayor Daley learn how to count in the next electiin. No one related, or supported or remotely attached to DALEY and his clan of robbers should be allowed to run this city anymore. They have pillaged enough.
Meters and your anger on LAZ are a distraction that Daley loves to see. Your attacks on LAZ exonerates Daley and friends.
For paying the highest taxes in the nation (10.25%), we get very little in return. The roads here are a shambles and dangerous. The parking Nazis now collect on Sundays. I’ve had enough.
[...] because some areas of Wicker Park were the first to receive these new units back in mid-April of this [...]