You've packed the sun block and beach towels for your Labor Day weekend excursion. But did you remember to get a roll of quarters?
A generous supply of coins, and a good watch, are sometimes vital to spending a day at one of Southern California's beaches, where the parking meters are notoriously expensive and tightly timed, and where parking lot attendants extract $5 or more from long lines of cars idling at an entrance.
But now, thanks to improving technology, seaside parking soon may be getting almost as user-friendly as it is scarce on summer's last big weekend.
From Santa Monica to Oceanside, beach cities are using automated pay systems aimed at making parking--and, of course, collections and enforcement--easier, while balancing the often conflicting needs of swimmers, surfers, merchants and residents.
The latest generation of parking meters and automated pay boxes beginning to appear at beach parking lots and along seaside streets can accept bills and credit cards, make change, allow for greater flexibility in parking times and guard against fraud. Many run on solar power. Their manufacturers say they hold up well against the ravages of sand, salt air and vandals and, should trouble strike, can signal a malfunction to human monitors many miles away. They can even, in theory at least, force a parking space hog to move on when time is up.
Sliding dollar bills into one of the new machines at Dockweiler Beach near Los Angeles International Airport last week, surfer Mike Patterson was pleased not to have to come up with quarters.
"This is pretty easy. I'll take this deal any time," the West Los Angeles resident said as the device quickly spit out an all-day parking receipt for him to put on his dashboard.
Not everybody is thrilled, however. Newport Beach recently dumped its "smart meters" after deciding they weren't worth the hassle. Manhattan Beach has decided to switch to a different brand of device at its downtown pier lot after frequent malfunctions of its current automated pay machines.
Nonetheless, high-tech parking devices are the wave of the future at most beaches, parking officials agree. Though the devices also are increasingly being used at parks, campgrounds, downtown lots and other places, they are especially attractive to those who oversee that especially scarce commodity: room to park at the region's crowded beaches.
