Thanks for stopping by and taking time out to read KK's Commentary. Today's comments concern each and every one of us in nearly every city across the U.S. Of course, it could be nothing other than Parking Meters. If you drive a car, and have visited ANY fair-sized city, then you have more than likely dealt with the parking meter. Funny shaped box. On a pole. Have a little window in them. Can't miss 'em. They stick out like an erection at an all girl's choir. (Where'd that come from?)

Anyway, these bandits, which aren't even one-armed bandits, continue to wreak havoc to many fine citizens. Maybe you were one of them? Pulling into town. Looking for a place to park. Then you see one open space. Your heart beat raises as you look around to see if anyone else may be able to beat you to the spot. You position yourself to park at this only meter available. Anxious to get to that job interview, meeting, appointment, lunch date, you maneuver the vehicle in and beam with pride at the fine placement of your vehicle in between two other vehicles and set just that perfect distance from the curb too.

Then you get out, walk up to the meter only to see that it's a twenty or thirty minute meter and you just know that you'll be in there longer than that. Deep release of breath. Oh well, what are you going to do? Feed it and move on? Now my trick these days is to leave a quarter in the slot and just maybe I'll catch a cool meter patrol that turns the handle. But that might not always work.

Another thing, you never know when the meter patrol is coming around. They are slick. At one time, I actually thought they were following me around town. I kid you not, two tickets in one day. I honestly started becoming paranoid when parking downtown. One I truly deserved - parking in a truck loading zone in my car. But I was actually unloading. It was a contract needing signed and really, I was only in there fifteen minutes. However, the law is the law. Figured we were even: $12.00us for the ticket and I got a signature on a contract worth just a little more than that.

And the officer, so very nice. Smiling the entire time like he got a cut from the deal. Could it be possible that meter patrols get paid by commission? And what is all this paying stuff anyway?

Correct me if I'm wrong here. I'm going to run down a list of some things and if they aren't correct then please tell me. Don't streets get built because WE pay to have them built and WE actually do the work to get them done? Okay, so bear with me for a minute more

Because we pay for the streets and the sidewalks we in essence, own them. Then we have some folks that WE elect to just kind of take care of things while we work doing other stuff we think is more interesting - like writing for example! They, and the fine handy work of the guy that invented the coin-fed meter on a pole idea, had us believe that it would be a fine idea to place these things along the streets in town. Fine Idea! *Best Andy Griffith*

Not discounting the fact that we the people probably even voted this into effect at one point, somewhere when this all got started back then. And why would we do that? I know, I know - because people hogged all the good spots. Yes, pulled right up and parked their car all day. In front of your store, or the store you stop at often. Very inconsiderate.

But maybe it's some sort of public penance system. A financial flagellant, perhaps. Feed the meter and resolve yourself from sins against the state. But wouldn't that violate seperation of church and state?

If you get ticketed for allowing the meter to lapse then greater pride can be taken in knowing you gave to the system. *Ahhh Big deep breath of air* Public repenting in the financial age? Gotta love it!

I know were running out of time here, but there's just one more little note about these darn things. It's a conspiracy theory for sure. You see, little did anyone know but when whoever contrived those convenient little slots in your car for your coins, (normally only the silver coins for some reason though *scratching head*), it actually was in cohoots with the parking meter people.

They all came up with this idea that if you had a place to keep loose change readily available, there would be less complaining about paying the meters. And, you would pay upfront and not through a ticket which pays a judge and a clerk and a prosecutor, to name a few. Whereby they may actually end up losing money after overhead is taken out.

On behalf of them, I would tell you "...please pay the meter. We even cut a deal with the car people to get you a place to keep change. How could we make it any easier?"

But when you are standing in front of the judge, or writing a check for that expired meter, remind yourself that you actually helped, along with everybody else, to pay for the street, and the sidewalk, and the pole, and the meter, and the wages for the guy that installed the meter, and the guy that collects the money from the meter, and for the guy that tickets you when you don't pay the meter.

But remember, KK's commentaries are always free!