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Remember? Parking Meters? Searcy AR. Arch St. Years ago. Stotts.

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Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

searcy ar parking meters remember

Look hard.  Parking meters!

And look at those favorite businesses, some that remain today.  Quattlebaum Music, Stotts!  According to this old picture showing the car on the right, the parking here must have been at an angle.

My memory about how they worked was you'd park and go to the parking meter and put in change like pennies, nickels or dimes and buy your parking for a set amount of time, maybe an hour, and the meter would show if you had time reserved.  Parking attendants from the city walked around checking and giving tickets for overparking your time.

The penalty was not so bad in small towns but I had a son who overparked in California while going to college at UCLA and the price was high!

Do you still miss parking meters?

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Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Retired Real Estate Broker

In our area, the meters have been replaced by a ticket box, where one prepays for marking based on how long they think they will be there and it has a color and a meter person will come by and after they look at the ticket, they may well issue a fine.

Dec 06, 2025 07:06 AM
Barbara S. Duncan

That sounds complex.  Where do you live?

Dec 06, 2025 10:00 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Barbara - I remember when parking meters meant remembering to keep some spare coins in the car.  Things of many sorts "change" - and the evolution of parking in and around UCLA as well as other parts of Los Angeles are not exempt.  

Dec 06, 2025 07:41 AM
Barbara S. Duncan

Things do change!  I am having trouble keeping up!

Dec 06, 2025 10:01 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

How about the jobs for women parking meters created. The parking attendants were known as Meter Maids. Many of them walked their routes while checking meters. They also had little 3 wheel vehicles they drove.

It is generally true that many major U.S. cities generate more revenue from parking violation fines than from parking meter fees. In some cases, fines exceed meter revenue by a significant margin. 
This varies by city and year, and the amount of net profit depends heavily on enforcement costs and uncollected fines.
San Francisco, CA: In 2012, San Francisco reported approximately $87.3 million in revenue from paid citations compared to about $47.1 million from meter fees. In a different fiscal year (ending June 30, 2010), meter revenue was reported as $38 million, while fines for expired meters brought in almost $29 million.
The only way to avoid paying parking fees is to have a Handicap Parking Permit placard.
Dec 06, 2025 09:08 AM
Barbara S. Duncan

Don, are you saying that there are still lots of parking meters out there?  I figured they were a thing of the past.  Guess I am still small town.

Dec 06, 2025 10:04 AM
GilbertRealtor BillSalvatore
Arizona Elite Properties - Chandler, AZ
Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net

A nice blast from the past, Thanks for sharing, make it a great Saturday and enjoy your weekend! Bill

 

Bill Salvatore, Realtor- Arizona Elite Properties

Dec 06, 2025 10:35 AM
Barbara S. Duncan

Thank you and have a good weekend also!

Dec 06, 2025 11:42 AM
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

Yes, parking meters are still in use in the larger cities in CA.

Dec 06, 2025 05:34 PM
Barbara S. Duncan

Larger cities don't have much parking anyway, I guess, so it is a way to make money.  Searcy is the perfect sized town.  Move back to here, Don!!

Dec 07, 2025 05:09 AM
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