I was lucky enough to find on-street, metered parking right out front without a problem. My only "problem" was that I did not have any quarters or other change on me.
Luckily for me, Providence parking meters take credit cards. I tried to finagle the meter for a bit to pay for only 15 minutes, knowing that my errand would not take very long. I could not get the duration to change from the two-hour maximum.
I asked a passerby if it was a requirement to pay for the full two hours while using a credit card. He seemed to be from out of town and did not know the answer. I thanked him anyway as he shrugged his shoulders and continued on his way.
I messed around with the meter a bit more, and was just about to bite the bullet and pay for the two hours, which would have cost me a whopping $2.50, when a gentleman in a Providence Street Team yellow jacket came walking towards me.
(Not actual man I saw.)
I asked him the question of the hour, the same question that I asked the initial passerby. He said that the meters in the city assumed the maximum time duration when dealing with cards.
That's when he completely shocked me. He pulled out a quarter from his pocket and put it in the machine for me. 12 minutes for free.
I realize that this is such a small gesture, but it really meant a lot to me. He could have just said "too bad, lady" and walked away. Instead, he went above and beyond to be kind and generous to a complete stranger.
Thank you, Mr. Yellow Jacket for your good deed.
