Roadguy video: Parking tips for downtown Minneapolis
Posted on July 13th, 2009 – 8:42 AMBy Roadguy
Summer events bring a lot of drivers into the city, so here’s a quick video of things to watch out for when you’re deciding where to park. (If you missed last week’s video about the ever-changing lanes in the Crosstown construction zone, it’s here.) And please add your own parking advice below.
Oh, and that PDF map of Minneapolis parking meters is here.
5 Responses to "Roadguy video: Parking tips for downtown Minneapolis"
Several of my friends and I heard from a Minneapolis parking enforcement officer last year (while parking prior to a football game at the Metrodome)that you will not be ticketed at a meter if it becomes “Dead” or “Fail”s while you are feeding it. So maybe you don’t need to move after all.
Of course, that was on the weekend and it wasn’t going to get fixed before Monday…
Interesting. One of the reasons I included that reference is that I once had a meter “fail” and moved my car one space ahead. When I came back an hour or so later, the “fail” meter had apparently reset itself — and was expired. I couldn’t imagine trying to explain that to the nice court person.
I’m hopeful that whatever new meters the city gets will eliminate these kinds of problems.
Regarding meters switching from Fail to Expired. Take a photo with your camera cell phone showing the meter and your vehicle. Maybe that could be some sort of evidence if the photo was date and time stamped. Which is usually isn’t as far as I know. Still, might help.
Indeed the ability to take throwaway photos or to always have a camera on hand was one of my primary criteria for choosing the cell phone I purchased.
I got a parking ticket in St. Paul for parking in an area which required a residential permit (but the signs were missing). I took a photo when I came back and saw the ticket. Set up an appointment with a hearing clerk or whatever. Went to downtown St. Paul, got the ticket revoked. Still had to pay $5 for some reason. Still had to waste an hour of my time and the hassle of going to downtown St. Paul before work. I should have just paid the $25, but then again they should have just had their sign in the proper place!
