Some people tell me it is smarter to pay the occasional parking ticket than it is to put money in the meter every time. Economists would probably agree. The logic goes like this. Imagine that you will get a $20 ticket less than once a week. The meter for an afternoon costs $4. So in the long run it will be cheaper to pay a ticket every couple weeks than it is to pay the meter every afternoon. That’s looking at the problem in purely economic terms.

I see it differently. To continue to enjoy all the marvelous benefits of a civilized society, I should play by society’s rules...whenever I can. If it is not too irksome, I should pay taxes, stop when the traffic light turns amber, and shovel the snow from my walk.

Putting money in the parking meter is one of the small things I can do to help prevent the collapse of civilization and to keep the lawless barbarians away from the gates. So, I do. You’re welcome.

My friend, Batman, could easily justify free parking in Metropolis, but instead he does his part.

Don

PS: Batman might be my most popular t-shirt on Threadless.