I looked at one of the parking meters yesterday. Independence Day was listed as one of the holidays for free parking. I would say that today one should pay. Guess that means at least some enforcement staff will be working.

With the city charging on Sundays, I would not assume that the 5th is a no charge day.

I asked the mayor via Twitter; am waiting for him to get back to me...

Don't worry - it's been a little confusing from the beginning. Here's what John Adams wrote his wife, Abigail, the day after the vote:

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

As Maxwell Smart would later say, "Missed it by that much."

As far as Portland Parking my advice is to pay no matter what, even if it's outside the hours listed on the machine. Even if you're just walking by the meter.

If you do park and the machine is broken and there are no other spots anywhere in the city, skip the nice note. That will only irritate them more.

You might try sawing off a piece of your flesh and leaving it under the windshield wiper.

I don't think you can safely say "most" people get the day off. Service sector jobs -- which make up a large portion of the economy -- didn't even get the actual Independence Day off. Safeway, Fred Meyer, and any number of other retail establishments were open yesterday ( and today) along with a lot of restaurants. I picked up a purchase from City Liquidators yesterday; they weren't busy but they were open. It's just another Columbus Day if you're not an office worker.

BTW the electronic parking meters are supposed to not take money outside of designated hours. If you try to put too much time on at end of day for instance, it will limit the purchase. At least that's what they're supposed to do.

BTW the electronic parking meters are supposed to not take money outside of designated hours. If you try to put too much time on at end of day for instance, it will limit the purchase. At least that's what they're supposed to do.

so does that mean if someone pulls out of a parking spot(at the end of the day or any other time for that matter) with time remaining that the next car will not have to pay?

in this day of taxation without representation (or as they call them "fees") i think not.

so does that mean if someone pulls out of a parking spot(at the end of the day or any other time for that matter) with time remaining that the next car will not have to pay?

No, the new meters give you a sticker which you keep in your car. So you pay for your car to park there, but you don't pay for the spot itself. Once you leave, the space is open and unpaid-for. Of course, if you have extra time you can choose to leave the sticker on the ticket machine for the next person who comes along, which is what I often do.

I was parked downtown a couple of weeks ago, about to put in my credit card for about an hours worth of time.

A man came up to me an gave me his parking receipt, saying there was time left on it and he didn't want to waste it.

He said it made his day to be able to do that. It certainly made mine.

Pay it forward.

Feed the green monster...the parking meter holiday was Sunday. No mail delivery today. But garbage will be delivered.

A man came up to me an gave me his parking receipt, saying there was time left on it and he didn't want to waste it.

A nice thing to do. But isnt it illegal in Portland?

emailed you about this a couple of days ago. Our company checked with the city. Sunday, no pay. Monday, pay or be ticketed.

I pity all you Portlanders. Here is capital city, the daily fish wrap has a handy little info box on the front of the local section every holiday telling us what is open/closed.

No parking meters today in Salem. Come on down and enjoy the sights.

My wife went to the Pearl District this morning, and the meter wouldn't take her card because it said it's a holiday.

When you work for a tourism-driven company in a tourism-driven area, there are no holidays. Hence, yesterday was an office day, as was today. :-/

in this day of taxation without representation (or as they call them "fees") i think not.

I don't know. Even little towns have parking meters. I can't get all "Cool Hand Luke" about them. I don't think I'm going to underestimate the amount of time I'm going to stay downtown by a matter of more than half an hour, and if I'm not sure how long I'll be I just go to a garage.

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34799&#Q13

Q13: What days and hours are the parking meters enforced?
A13:
In the Downtown District, parking meters operate 8 am to 7 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 1pm-7pm Sunday unless otherwise posted.

In the Lloyd District, meters operate 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, unless otherwise posted. Note: meters on Grand Avenue and west operate 8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Saturday.

In the OHSU District, meters operate 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise posted.

Parking is free on Sundays in the Lloyd and OHSU Districts. In all districts parking is free at meters on the following nine (9) holidays, as specified on each meter: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

The parking meters in the Pearl are all messed up. Despite saying they won't charge unless they've printed and dispensed a ticket they do charge with no printed ticket (whoever tested this stuff did a bad job) because if they are out of paper or have other malfunctions you will get charged. And try calling the help number during normal business hours. Forgettaboutit. And try finding a machine that will take your coins.... it's cards they want.... how that is an improvement over the old meters is beyond me.... but at least my credit company made challenging the overpayment a breeze.... (under $5 they don't want to waste time on it).

Darrelplant,
You had to do it, didn't you? You had to tear the scab off an old wound just as it was healing:

"Note: meters on Grand Avenue and west operate 8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Saturday."

Yes, that was posted on a pole around 8 feet high. But let's say - hypothetically - that you didn't see that as you approached the machine to pay. And let's say that you read the DIFFERENT information on the machine itself and it said no parking fees after 6 p.m.

Let's say you were attending an event at the Rose Garden - not just any event - an actual event to help our schools. Darrelplant, you do know the children are our future, don't you? Let's say you had volunteered your services for 4 or 5 years to help this event. The Mayor is there, some city commissioners are there, media types are there.

You come out and you've got a ticket because the commissioners who run this city can't even get the information right on a PARKING METER. And what really gets you is that one year you even donated your services to write comedy for one of the commissioners! You helped them - they screwed you!

If this hypothetically happened to you, you may make a high-def video presentation of your case and take it to the courthouse where you'll learn it will take several HOURS to clear it up so you'll pay your fine and walk out vowing that this is not over and if you ever get a chance to complain about it - on a blog for example - then that is what you will do from now 'til the end of time.

I parked outside the abandoned Adidas store on 11th at 9:30 this morning, tried to pay the robot and it said I didn't have to. So at least that spot was free today.

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson....
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"... and the CoP did not even exist back then..... go by ridiculousness..

Okay, Bill, you've changed my mind. I'll get the bolt cutters and a ladder, you get the sledge hammer, and let's go Paul Newman on some meters and signs.