[Wyseguy]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Sometimes it does (sort of...)

Back in the day, as a Junior at a Minnesota University, I was sort of idealistic. Also sort of ill-informed. I decided to stage a one-person protest over parking tickets, which at the time were a $1 payment if paid within 3 days, $3 if over that, on the premise that parking tickets amounted to double taxation. Anyway in the space of several months I accumulated a pile of 133 unpaid parking tickets. Well, the inevitable happened. I received a summons to appear in court over the unpaid tickets, though in all honesty I think what provoked the summons was my other habit of grabbing a pile of nickels and sauntering on down the sidewalk about a half-block ahead of the meter maid (yep, we called 'em that back then) and dropping a nickel into every parking meter with a car parked in the spot, that had an expired meter. She didn't like that at all (though I don't think it is illegal).

Anyway...court. I pled "guilty--with an explanation". The judge let me expound on my reason for not paying the ticket, then sentenced me to a $100 fine or 20 days in jail, $33 less than I would have paid had I paid every ticket on time. Suffice it to say I paid the fine.

Is it illegal to pay someones meter?