Coins: How much longer do we have?

dpoole

Within the last four months, our city has replaced coin-operated parking meters downtown with credit/debit card operated ones. At the airport, I noticed the last few times I was there the new credit/debit card operated vending machines. Parking meters and vending machines had struck me as two of the last bastions of exclusive coin use.

It's getting so the only use for coins any more is to make change for the increasingly-rare cash purchases. No wonder our billion-mintage coins are piling up in fed vaults.

This is all moving faster than I'd imagined! Will we all be considering coins an uncommon curiosity in a few years?

cladking

Card operated parking meters!!! So it's illegal to park if you don't have a card.

It sounds like a ploy by the credit card companies to marginalize anyone who isn't
willing to abide by their arbitrary rules.

It might happen a lot sooner than I figured.

clw54

Great, now the government can track everybody's movements.

LanLord

<< <i>Card operated parking meters!!! So it's illegal to park if you don't have a card.

It sounds like a ploy by the credit card companies to marginalize anyone who isn't
willing to abide by their arbitrary rules.

It might happen a lot sooner than I figured. >>

I can't believe they would have "dread it" oops, credit only meters.

Marauderrt10

<< <i>Within the last four months, our city has replaced coin-operated parking meters downtown with credit/debit card operated ones. At the airport, I noticed the last few times I was there the new credit/debit card operated vending machines. Parking meters and vending machines had struck me as two of the last bastions of exclusive coin use.

It's getting so the only use for coins any more is to make change for the increasingly-rare cash purchases. No wonder our billion-mintage coins are piling up in fed vaults.

This is all moving faster than I'd imagined! Will we all be considering coins an uncommon curiosity in a few years? >>



your leaving out one small detail, they still accept coins at those meters.

291fifth

The use of card only meters allows municipalities to eliminate the jobs of the people who used to collect the money.

Gemineye

In this electronic age of credit card fraud and manipulation it's a shame that these venues extend to the electronic media...Bank cards and mass transit cards are subject to a counterfeit card scam and there is no way to track it....you read about this fraud in the news media from time to time but no one seems to care...!!

clw54

Do the meters reset when the car drives away?

ricko

If the meters take ONLY credit cards..(some discussion about this above), would that not be discrimination against those who do not have CC's? I know several people who do not have CC's - purposely, since they cannot control them. Cheers, RickO

ocon4008

Big borther is watching you; things are getting scary....

COALPORTER

I only use CC at places that tend to raise my FICO score.
Everything else is 100% cash.

dpoole

<< <i>your leaving out one small detail, they still accept coins at those meters. >>




Yes, they do. And so do the vending machines.

The point of the post was that cuturally, coins appear to be being used less and less.






<< <i>Do the meters reset when the car drives away? >>



No, but the meters print out a little ticket you're supposed to put on your dashboard. And if you drive away with yours, well, the next guy has to start over.

Of course, it's a nice way to meet chicks if you're coming back to drive off, you have time on your ticket, and she is getting ready to park there....

yellowkid

I'm not a "black helicopters" type, but between GPS on the cell phones, credit card purchases and the likes of coinless meters, they certainly do know where you are, and what you're doing. I won't get a speedpass for the turnpike because I don't like the idea.

Walmann

From the municipality's point of view it will reduce loss of revenues from theft and vandalism. Theft by the city employee's included.

Don't like the trend myself, but coupled with the fact that most people driving vehicles have a debit or credit card on them but not change that is of the correct denominations , it makes sense.

RYK

When my brother-in-law decides to stop using his credit card and pay for everything with cash, it will be all over for circulating coinage.

Gemineye

<< <i>I'm not a "black helicopters" type, but between GPS on the cell phones, credit card purchases and the likes of coinless meters, they certainly do know where you are, and what you're doing. I won't get a speedpass for the turnpike because I don't like the idea. >>


.........Wow....!!!....that's paranoia...!!!...I use my mobile phone with VZ Navigator with turn by turn directions and drive right thru the tolls with my E-Zee Pass........Zip-a-Dee Do.....!!!!.........
edit ....all charged to my CC.......!!!!!

Weiss

Our city has little plastic key-shaped thingies that store parking meter credit electronically. You keep it on your keychain, "charge" it up every so often, and when you park, you insert the key into the meter. The smallest increment on that particular machine is added to your time on the meter with each insertion. You just push the key in and out however many times you need to bump your time up, and the corresponding amount is deducted from your balance.