From the Daily News:Finding a parking spot in some Queens neighborhoods is a tough enough task. But now drivers say they are battling testy Muni-Meters that cheat them out of precious minutes and reject their coins and credit cards.
“They are not efficient. They rip you off,” said Robert Holden of the Juniper Park Civic Association. “Everyone has a horror story.”
Last year, the city finished replacing old-fashioned parking meters with the new Muni-Meters. But in some Queens neighborhoods, the transition has been anything but smooth.
Holden and the Daily News walked along a stretch of Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village recently and found more than half of the meters had the wrong time.
“You put your money in but the clock is slow,” said Holden, who discovered the problem during a recent shopping trip. “You don’t get the entire 15 minutes. We’re being cheated.”
One of the meters was a full seven minutes slow, while another was five minutes slow. For someone dropping a quarter in for a 15 minute stay, half the time is gone before they place the receipt onto their dashboard.
A city Transportation Department spokesman said more than 99% of the meters in the city are operational at any given time.
People who encounter broken meters should pay at the closest meter and call 311 to report the problem.
Elected officials and civic leaders around the borough say they have received a barrage of complaints.
25 comments:
"People who encounter broken meters should pay at the closest meter"
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Yeah right, I was on Myrtle ave in Ridgewood all the battery's were dieing in these meters.
You have to take the loss or leave your car and risk getting a ticket walking 20, 30 car lengths for a meter with the correct time.
I was talking (joking bitching) to a ticket agent who apparently was from India or Pakistan. He was pretty funny said quote "city all messed up"
Like everything else in the city, it's either a scam, a co-promotion or a fine print job!
This looks like shades of the Donald Manes era PVB hand meter scandal.
it seems that any time we go higher tech, somebody winds up getting screwed with high tech's finicky performance.
Stick to the basics!
Simplicity is the ultimate form of dependability.
It can be relied upon over and over, even when under stress.
Somebody's made a buck or two out of these
muni-meter contracts that were awarded...maybe one of Bloomberg's friends?
even if the meter has the correct time, i have noticed that it will lose time as the day goes on.
there is a NYC 311 app for the iphone. you can use it to report broken meters as a CYA. they will even email you a copy of your report.
worst case you can use your phone to record the time at the meters as proof their time is wrong
Here is the real scam: these kind of meters allow the city to 'double-dip' at the same spot for the same block of time.
Typically, a standard meeter would have a spot used four times in 15 minutes, so thats $1.00. Even if it gest used by 5 or 6 cars (because not everyone stays their full time).
But with the new system, they can get a 15-minute fee six times in one hour, because left over time now vanishes once you pull out.
There is also a rash of credit card skimmers being placed in these muni meters and your credit info getting scammed. I know this because it happened to me, and it was the muni meter at the Bayside lot and has happened to many others. Calls to 311 about this are a joke- they could care less, and question what you're actually saying. My bank alerted me, and now I only use $1 coins. Don't use your credit card!
"Here is the real scam: these kind of meters allow the city to 'double-dip' at the same spot for the same block of time."
Yes, but you can give your receipt to someone else when you are leaving, and you can give it so someone who did receive a parking ticket so they can plead not guilty. I hate to reward the people who don't bother to pay, but if it fucks the city that makes it ok.
"There is also a rash of credit card skimmers being placed in these muni meters and your credit info getting scammed."
Doesn't the tin foil hat you wear prevent this scam?
Seriously, how is anyone fitting a skimmer into that little credit card slot undetected, and even if they did, don't you need the 3 digit number from the back?
I have been using these muni-meters for years now, because they have been in use for commercial parking in Manhattan for a long time, and I have had almost no problems with them. Once it didn't print out a ticket. Hey, nothing's perfect.
We haven't experience the real scam yet, when the city raises the parking rates during peak hours. These machines are designed to be able to do that.
Thank You Janette Sadik Kahn, our Transporation Commissioner and Bloomie's best girl. She's the idiot behind bicycle lanes and pedestrian malls that screw up traffic flow. Now parking meters. Whoever runs for mayor and vows to get rid of the bike lanes, malls and meters = Gets My Vote. Let's get this city moving again.
Why is it that Chase and Citi can get their machines to work, and NYC can't?
"I have been using these muni-meters for years now, because they have been in use for commercial parking in Manhattan for a long time, and I have had almost no problems with them. Once it didn't print out a ticket. Hey, nothing's perfect."
Well good for you, maybe you're not paying attention. Check around Grand Central Station? Most of them don't work and almost all don't take credit cards! How many of us carry around $7.00 in quarters.
one morning in the Main street Flushing municipal lot a muni meyer ate my credit card. It just sucked it all the way in and never gave it back.
Most of them don't work and almost all don't take credit cards!
Yes, those are commercial meters. Buy yourself a parking card.
"Well good for you, maybe you're not paying attention."
I'm paying the meter everywhere I park, and getting a receipt, no problems. What's to pay attention to?
"How many of us carry around $7.00 in quarters."
Two words; dollar coins.
"Most of them don't work and almost all don't take credit cards!
Yes, those are commercial meters. Buy yourself a parking card."
No genius, after 6pm they take non-commercial. Go check for yourself around Grand Central, you don't know what you're taking about.
"How many of us carry around $7.00 in quarters."
Two words; dollar coins."
Idiot misses the point. Muni-Meters suck retard.
I had my credit card been eaten by the muni yesterday.
And to think the city signed a 20 year contract with this muni meter operator for ...get this.... $2.5 Billion! Who's the sucker on this one? And we're gong to pay for it big time.
Don't put any cards in the crappy cheapo meters ! The crooks already know how to boobytrap them. (usually with silicone acetate) They then go back and retrieve the cards with a solvent & 2nd card. Huge spending sprees before your off the phone with the bank.
On Main Street in Flushing, very few of the muni meters work. Many many people have called 311 about it, and have been confronted with a lazy, non-caring imbecile on the other end of the phone. They demand you call yet ANOTHER number, you don't usually carry paper and pen on you when shopping, so you can't. I heard one of the muni meters didn't work because the coins hadn't been collected out of it for a month. This makes shopping a nightmare on Main Street. You don't dare leave the car so you don't get a ticket. Regular parking meters were better, and you could inherit unused time on them. These muni meters really suck!
Never mind who's the sucker.
Which one of Bloomberg's buddies got the Muni Meter contract?
" On Main Street in Flushing, very few of the muni meters work. Many many people have called 311 about it, and have been confronted with a lazy, non-caring imbecile on the other end of the phone. They demand you call yet ANOTHER number, you don't usually carry paper and pen on you when shopping, so you can't. ".....
Fyi, if you have a smart phone, etc with you, you may file a mini-meter complaint on 311 online at there website, which has existed since 2009. Plus there's an advantage in many, but not all, issues you can attach/upload up to 3 photos.
Ever notice articulating buses are not in service during storms because they are prone to jacknife?
What does Jacknifing buses have to do with mini-meters? I'm not quite sure I understand that.
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