“[The parking meter is] just another way of getting money out of people…”
Sugar Ray Robinson, on New York’s first meter
In 1932, Carl Magee, lawyer, newspaper publisher, and newly appointed chair of the Oklahoma traffic committee, was asked to develop a solution to the problem of traffic congestion in the city. He observed that many people were driving into town and parking their cars all day, blocking up the streets. This slowed trade in shops, because people could not park nearby, and there was no turnover of custom. As a solution to this problem, Magee struck upon the idea of the parking meter. He designed a crude prototype and then joined with the Oklahoma State University to develop the idea. The result of this was the first coin-operated parking meter, dubbed the "Black Maria," and it was installed on July 16,1935.
The Reverend C. H. North was the first recipient of a parking ticket for being parked by an expired meter. Like many since, he argued in court that he had only stopped for a moment to go to a shop, and like many since, his case was dismissed.
The invention soon spread from Oklahoma and was introduced in New York ^September 1951. With a geared and sprung mechanism, early meters operated like wind-up clocks. In fact, the early meters had to be wound once a week, although later models had a self- regulated mechanism. As technology has improved, almost all meters have been replaced with digital models, which are more reliable and less easily vandalized. Recent developments include alternative payment methods and solar-powered meters. Although Magee's original clockwork technology has been replaced, his invention has continued to thrive and expand as car ownership has increased.
