The new parking meters downtown are a step backwards

I mean, the old ones just took coins and had a big green button to print your ticket. The new touchscreen ones they installed in Springfield last fall make you pick your car type, enter your license plate, then choose a payment method from like six options before you can even pay. It took me over two minutes to park yesterday, and the person behind me was just staring. Why make a simple thing so complicated? Has anyone else had to deal with these?

2 comments

2 Comments

viola_henderson14d ago

Wasn't the whole point of new tech to make things faster? I used to defend these upgrades, figured they must be better somehow. But after fumbling with one in the rain last week, I get it now. They added a bunch of steps nobody asked for and just made a simple task stressful.

martin.tyler13d ago

The Springfield meters feel like they were designed by someone who has never actually parked a car. I counted seven taps just to tell it I was a sedan, like it's going to judge my life choices. At this point, I'm half expecting the next update to ask for my blood type and a short essay on urban planning. They took a thirty second job and turned it into a public tech support call.