This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Count me as one who used to hate Salt Lake's new parking meter system. I hated that even for a short, in-and-out errand, I had to pay $1. I hated that I had to return from the blue kiosk to my car to place the receipt on the dashboard.
But then, last week, I was with a friend, and she used a quarter for a quick stop. Why didn't I think of that? I still have quarters in my ashtray for the old system.
And she didn't return to the car to place the receipt where it was visible. Turns out you don't have to — it says so, right on the receipt! I'd foolishly assumed you had to, like in other cities. Why didn't I ever read the damn receipt?
And you can skip the pay kiosk altogether and pay using your cellphone.
Now, with quarters and the receipt in my pocket, I like the new system. I like that I can use a credit card if I don't have change. Seems people like me just want to hate anything different, even when we'd like it if we'd just give it a chance.
Mitch Downs
Salt Lake City