Is meter-"feeding" illegal in Chicago?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
September 22, 2012

Earlier this week I had a telephone conversation with a friend who was driving into Chicago and planning to park at a meter. I was glad I was sitting down, when she told me how much she expected to pay at the meter. How about $3.50 per hour? How much???

And she planned to pay to park for two hours, so that she wouldn't get a $50.00 parking ticket. How much???

In other cities in which I've lived, it was illegal to "feed" the meter; i.e., to just go back to the meter and stuff in more coin of the realm and not move your car. That made me wonder about laws in Chicago.

Today I found information about meter "feeding".

"Q. Can I be ticketed even if there was time on the meter? How is that possible?

A. If you are parked at a two-hour meter, for example, you are not allowed to feed the meter after the two hours are over. You must move your car so that other motorists may park. Even if you put more quarters in the meter, if you have parked there over the stated limit, you can get a ticket."

Where is this information? It's on the City of Chicago website section on Finance, under the FAQs.

Of course, in Chicago you need not even have the "coin of the realm" with you, but you'd better have a valid credit card. Don't get caught without money or credit to feed the meter when you park. If you leave your car to fetch change and the meter maid comes by, you will be out-of-luck and out a bunch of money for the parking ticket.