MEET THE NEW "SMART" PARKING METER, IT WILL CHARGE YOU MORE $ WHEN THERE ARE LESS SPACES...

Get ready for the new "smart" parking meters which will adjust your rate based on supply and demand. San Francisco has just rolled them out, replacing 5,000 older meters with the new "smarter" ones. With the new meters, you can pay anywhere from $0.25 to $6.00 an hour depending on how many spaces are available. This is determined by the meter's sensors that keep a constant watch on the spaces. The plus side of this is that you can check for available spaces from your phone or home computer before arriving at your destination. Though, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be there when you arrive (duh!). The meter company is based in California so you can bet your last dollar that they'll hit L.A. too. The city is in financial turmoil, so any way they can get more money out of us, they will. [Source]