SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Have you ever seen a broken parking meter with a brown paper bag placed over it? That used to be the way a motorist informed a parking officer that the meter was broken and they couldn't pay. Can you still do that today with "smart meters" and not get a ticket?
If you take a close look at a San Francisco parking meters, there are directions, rules and explanations They even come in different colors: red, yellow, green and metal-colored. San Francisco's smart parking meters may be smart, but that doesn't mean they are easy to understand.
I met Jack Chen as he was parking Fisherman's Wharf. The meter he was at takes coins, credit or debit cards, "Pay by Phone" or a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Parking Card.
I offer to pay using one of those cards. "I just got this to try it, so let's see if it works," I say.
Jack says okay, and we insert the card like a credit card.
And nothing happens.
We try it again. Nothing.
We try it a half dozen times, even turning it upside down. It did not work.
So do we have to pay?
"So if it won't take my card, I need come up with coins," I ask San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency spokesperson Paul Rose.
"If it won't take your card, you should have coins. You should always have a plan B if you are trying to park in San Francisco," he tells me. "Just because there is a bag or the light is flashing indicating one form of payment isn't available. You should have a plan B: credit card, parking card or coins."
Does that seem fair? I ask Jack. He doesn't have a problem with it.
"It is no big deal," he tells me, "Most people pay with credit cards today... So, I am okay with that."
San Francisco is banning cashless stores, so I asked: isn't this also cashless? How is this any different? I was told it isn't cashless since you can buy a parking card with cash.
Seven On Your Side intern Desirae Zuniga spot checked around the Bay and found nearly the same policy in every city.
All the cities checked say if the meter is broken, the posted time limits still apply.
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.