Just found a site that catalogs every broken parking meter in Chicago

I stumbled on this page called 'Meter Watch Chicago' that lists each broken meter by street and ward. It's just a flat HTML table updated once a month, no frills at all. Someone actually takes the time to walk blocks and note them down. Has anyone else found a hyperlocal site that's this dull but oddly useful?

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.phoenix1d ago

Hate seeing stuff like this get overlooked. That person is doing real work for their community, even if it's just a boring list. Think about it - nobody's gonna click that link for fun, but the people who need it probably save so much headache knowing exactly where to park. Respect to anyone who puts in that kind of legwork without asking for anything back. Feels like the kind of website that should get a little spotlight, even if it's never gonna go viral.

hannahs7117h ago

Yeah, "boring list" really nails it. I remember when we moved to a new city a while back and I spent like two whole days trying to figure out where I could park near the library for story time without getting a ticket. It was such a headache. Stuff like that is so easy to take for granted until you're the one desperately needing it. Even if it's just a simple list with no bells and whistles, that person probably saved someone a ton of frustration and maybe even a parking fine.