A good question for Mayor Becker: Did you get the receipt?
Paying $15 million in tax payer money to Siemens Corporation for the new parking meters in downtown Salt Lake City— the past week the meters have been on the fritz. Deputy Director of Communications Art Raymond said that the parking meters were suffering from a combination of heat exhaustion and software malfunctions.
Utah Stories spoke to the parking meter known as MRPO152, he said that he feels bad that elderly people are venting their anger at because he is so hard to use. “Look, I’m just doing my job, I wasn’t engineered to be a monster” but just an effective payment collection system.” MRPO152 went on to say, “One day people will look back and wonder how they ever concluded we are the bad guys or the equivalent of local business killing drones.” When asked if the meters were revolting or perhaps trying to reverse the image crisis they are suffering, MRPO152 said, “You have no idea how hot it is out there. This little solar panel on our head is all the shade we get. It’s a joke. At least invest in a misting system.”
The hiatus the parking meters have taken over the past week has been a welcome break for business owners such as Mike Page of Cinegrill, which has suffered a forty percent decline in business since the “big blue monster” was installed in front of his business.
Read our previous story on the parking meters and their impact on local businesses in downtown Salt Lake City. Or check out the specs on MRBPO
