New parking meters stump Jerusalemites

Super-sophisticated new parking meters are being introduced in Jerusalem. The sleek computerized machines feature an informative electric screen with data on when you have to pay for parking, how much you’ve paid, the current time and more. The machines even take credit cards, and offer touch-screen buttons to process the payments.

All most impressive and ultra-modern. Just one problem: The machines are obviously default-designed for use in the United States, and not all the programming adjustments have been completed. As of Thursday afternoon along the line of sleek meters on Hatzfira Street in the German Colony, for instance, the on-screen electronic texts were in English, the pricing was in dollars, and the helpful guidance stated that parking had to be paid for anytime “MON-SAT 8:00-19:00.” In fact, parking in the city is free on Saturdays (Shabbat) and emphatically not free on Sundays.

All day, puzzled motorists were seen contemplating the new contraptions — which replaced their old-fashioned predecessors a few days ago — with a mixture of dismay and amusement.

At the city’s 106 helpline, staffers knew the new machines were being deployed, but not that they were operational. “I think they’re still meant to be under nylon covers,” one staffer ventured.

Some drivers, evidently assuming that the meters aren’t really in service yet, were risking parking without paying. No parking tickets were in evidence, so the gamble appeared to be paying off.

Others, though, honest souls, were dutifully feeding the meters. The programmers may not have got around to changing the language from English to Hebrew on-screen, but they had adjusted the machines to accept shekels, not dollars.