Personally, I love em! I normally bus it down to the Gay Street area during the day, but when I absolutely have to drive, the last thing I want to do is dig around for change at home before I leave the house. So much easier to swipe the credit card and be done with it. I hope they passed their trial run and we’re able to get more of them!

So yeah, easy enough to figure out. Stick in your card and yank it back out for the “swipe”. You can toggle the time limit up and down with the little arrow buttons. It moved in 10 minute increments. I bumped it up to an hour. You can cancel back out, but after pressing “ok” it authorizes your card.

The LCD screen displays the time of day, time remaining, and what time your meter will expire, which was really nice. I usually get paranoid with the meter math when you’ve put in some odd amount of change for an odd amount of time and I always end up second guessing myself on when I actually need to be back at the meter. So very cool that they give that for you.

My only complaint would be for a receipt for record keeping. Normally not a big deal for personal use, but the times I’m using it as a business expense I prefer to have the paper trail.

Below are two photos I took. Didn’t realized how fuzzy they turned out until I got home. D’oh.

Overall the experience was fine. Would use again. A++++++

Cyclist wrote Found this radio piece on meter rates while at work! I guess Chicago privatized their meters.

[url]http://www.glrc.org/story.php3?story_id=4274[/url]

Yup, and the Alderman are already trying to squander the money instead of budgeting it appropriately to last the 75 years that are the terms of the parking meter lease.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/1327695,CST-NWS-Snow12.article

Soon enough, we’ll have leased out everything that generates revenue, spent all that money, still have bills to pay, but no assets left to sell. Then the city will raise taxes to even more ridiculous levels (our sales tax is 10.25%) and/or run to Washington looking for a bail-out.

Irresponsible government is essentially the reason I don’t think these major infrastructure lease deals are a good idea.

[url]http://www.glrc.org/story.php3?story_id=4274[/url]

Cyclist wrote

Rockmastermike wrote

I would be far more worried about some asshat breaking the solar cells. Those things are delicate, and a clear plastic cover is a weak point for vandalism.

My first thought was, “how soon till this panel has a CD101 sticker over it?”

bingo

Rockmastermike wrote

I would be far more worried about some asshat breaking the solar cells. Those things are delicate, and a clear plastic cover is a weak point for vandalism.

My first thought was, “how soon till this panel has a CD101 sticker over it?”

JonMyers wrote

Cyclist wrote

cab124 wrote

Solar panels? In Ohio?

I hope these things require VERY little juice to run.

The one I saw faces north too!

I was walking through the Arena District and noticed a private parking lot with a kiosk outfitted with solar panels on top and though the same thing.

Whenever I go by the Donatos on High in the SN – I keep thinking (for about 2 seconds) those window panels are solar panels.

The electronics in things like this (a timer, a cell transmitter, etc) probably use a few milliwatts of power at most. The cell transmitter perhaps uses the most (probably ~250milliwatts but only in bursts). Things like this (or, something I’m more into, scientific instruments that get deployed in remote places) usually just use the solar panel to charge a battery. Typically they design ‘em so that even in total darkness they could run on battery for a few days. It doesn’t take much solar to keep up with a small load like that even facing north, indirect light should do it.

I would be far more worried about some asshat breaking the solar cells. Those things are delicate, and a clear plastic cover is a weak point for vandalism.

Speaking of this you might be surprised to know that some of the BP gas stations have rooftop solar panels. Lots of them.

Cyclist wrote

cab124 wrote

Cyclist wrote Saw these last night in front of Tip Top, locked the bike up to one. They are just fitted onto the older meters. They look made of plastic, but are in fact very metal. They have solar panels on the side opposite the part with buttons. They don’t take AMEX, but they do take VISA, Mastercard, and Discover. There are on/off and volume buttons too.

Solar panels? In Ohio?

I hope these things require VERY little juice to run.

The one I saw faces north too!

I was walking through the Arena District and noticed a private parking lot with a kiosk outfitted with solar panels on top and though the same thing.

Whenever I go by the Donatos on High in the SN – I keep thinking (for about 2 seconds) those window panels are solar panels.

cab124 wrote

Cyclist wrote Saw these last night in front of Tip Top, locked the bike up to one. They are just fitted onto the older meters. They look made of plastic, but are in fact very metal. They have solar panels on the side opposite the part with buttons. They don’t take AMEX, but they do take VISA, Mastercard, and Discover. There are on/off and volume buttons too.

Solar panels? In Ohio?

I hope these things require VERY little juice to run.

The one I saw faces north too!

http://xingcolumbus.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/a-fare-solution/

Cyclist wrote Saw these last night in front of Tip Top, locked the bike up to one. They are just fitted onto the older meters. They look made of plastic, but are in fact very metal. They have solar panels on the side opposite the part with buttons. They don’t take AMEX, but they do take VISA, Mastercard, and Discover. There are on/off and volume buttons too.

Solar panels? In Ohio?

I hope these things require VERY little juice to run.

kessler wrote

Cyclist wrote ………….. There are on/off and volume buttons too.

ehhh? for blind drivers… I don’t understand.

I think they have an iPod jack, speakers and roll out cardboard for break dancing.