# "Embezzling" from parking meters **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675 "2008-03-25T13:47:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/1 "2008-03-25T13:47:16Z")
I’ve seen the people who collect the quarters from parking meters (the traditional kind) in the early morning. They open the meter, and pour the quarters in a box that they pull around on wheels. If one of them were to just grab a couple quarters every few meters when no on is looking, they could boost their hourly wage considerably. How would the boss know if the intake were a little short. I realize they have to have a place to hide the quarters, but that wouldn’t be too hard. What’s to stop them from doing this? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/2 "2008-03-25T13:53:46Z")
Decency? There are all sorts of jobs you can steal from if you’re willing to do that sort of thing. In retail, they call this “shrink” or “shrinkage”, and a certain amount of inventory loss is expected in a given period. (not all shrink is attributable to employee theft; it includes customer theft and shipping errors and pretty much anything that might result in you having less stuff at the end of the day than you ought) ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/3 "2008-03-25T13:56:02Z")
I’m sure you could get away with it for a while, but eventually, you’d get greedy, and get caught. It happens all the time if you watch the papers. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/4 "2008-03-25T14:00:46Z")
For one part, it’s decency; after all, the money from parking meters goes to the municipality; in other words, embezzling money from them would be stealing from the community, and there still is a general sense that this is wrong (stealing from private individuals is, of course, just as wrong, but the taboo of stealing is stronger if it is to the detriment of the general public). Another aspect is a certain disproportion between the risk of embezzling coins from the meters and the advantages to be gained. If the collector keeps a quarter here and there, the probability of being caught is slim, but then again he won’t make too much money doing this, and in any case not enough to be worth risking all the nasty consequences in case he really gets caught. If he does it on a more regular basis, he might be able to make a sizable side profit from this; but every time he does it, he runs an additional risk of being uncovered, and one day, me might really get caught. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/5 "2008-03-25T14:14:36Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I’ve seen the people who collect the quarters from parking meters (the traditional kind) in the early morning. They open the meter, and pour the quarters in a box that they pull around on wheels. If one of them were to just grab a couple quarters every few meters when no on is looking, they could boost their hourly wage considerably. How would the boss know if the intake were a little short. I realize they have to have a place to hide the quarters, but that wouldn’t be too hard. What’s to stop them from doing this? [/QUOTE] One of the important lessons we hope you’ve learned in life by the time you become an adult is that morality is based not upon what you won’t do for fear of getting caught, but rather _what you won’t do regardless of whether you might get caught or not_. Fortunately, most of our society learns this lesson fairly well. Mind you, it would be nice if we learned it with respect to things like speed limits and paying taxes. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/6 "2008-03-25T14:20:25Z")
There is also security available to prevent pilferage. From [POM](http://www.pom.com/) > [@](#): > > POM understands the importance of security in your meter collections system. That is why we designed our entire line of collection components to provide the best possible protection from pilferage. Our collection systems are fully “sealed”, eliminating access to the money collected. It is your assurance that all meter revenue will make it to the bank. The coins are in a sealed container, which only unlocks when inserted into the collection cart, which can only be unlocked at the depot. These guys also sell a “smart key”, the collector inserts a card into the electronic meter, which releases the box, and audits the meter at the same time. If you pilfer, the amount in the cart won’t match the amount listed on the card. They can also rotate shifts. Unless everyone on staff pilfers the exact same amount, you’re going to get variances in the amount collected that will be obvious in the most rudimentary analysis. You can also do a “ride along” with an auditor, significant changes to the take will become obvious then as well. I also found this [report](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Joint/PERD/perdrep/parkingmet.html) showing some pretty heavy pilferage from a decade ago, so it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/7 "2008-03-25T15:16:47Z")
What **Cheesesteak** said. In the absense of a more high tech approach many areas rotate their collection staff through multiple zones. So a location that averages $500 a day drops to $400 while one person or team is on duty that week is going to raise a flag. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/8 "2008-03-25T15:37:47Z")
Here is an anecdote: I used to be one of those guys. My partner and I were collecting and he spotted a silver dime. He had no coins in his pocket, so I put a quarter in for him and he took the dime out. By the time we had gotten back to the office someone had reported him for stealing. You’d be amazed at how closely people watch. As others pointed out too, they pretty much know how much a lot or a row of meters will yield. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/9 "2008-03-25T18:46:54Z")
I always thought the meter had a… meter… that measured the number of turns or something so you could compare it to the cash pull. On the other hand, I’ve never seen a parking meter in real life so I might be thinking too hard. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/10 "2008-03-25T19:15:12Z")
Someone here in Grand Rapids was busted for skimming from meters because he kept going to the same store to use the Coinstar machine. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/11 "2008-03-25T19:29:25Z")
From the Globe & Mail circa 1996: "Edmonton, Alberta, transit worker Salim Kara, 44, was sentenced to four years in prison in March for a 13-year scheme of stealing coins from fare machines. Using a rod with a magnet on the end, he had patiently amassed $2.3 million (Cdn). No one suspected Kara until he bought an $800,000 house on a salary of $38,000. " I remember it was a very nice house. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/12 "2008-03-25T19:53:49Z")
For state of the art in parking meter tech see: [http://www.ionet.net/~luttrell/current.html](http://www.ionet.net/~luttrell/current.html) ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/13 "2008-03-25T22:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=kezami] From the Globe & Mail circa 1996: "Edmonton, Alberta, transit worker Salim Kara, 44, was sentenced to four years in prison in March for a 13-year scheme of stealing coins from fare machines. Using a rod with a magnet on the end, he had patiently amassed $2.3 million (Cdn). No one suspected Kara until he bought an $800,000 house on a salary of $38,000. " I remember it was a very nice house. [/QUOTE] $2.3 million Canadian? What’s that, like 50 real dollars? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/14 "2008-03-25T22:26:09Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] One of the important lessons we hope you’ve learned in life by the time you become an adult is that morality is based not upon what you won’t do for fear of getting caught, but rather what you won’t do regardless of whether you might get caught or not. [/QUOTE] Well, thank you for the sermon pastor Young. I’ve been an adult for 15 years, and I don’t need any lessons in morality, thank you. I’m talking about _other_ people who might want to take advantage of the situation. Actually, I was asking if the employers had a system to prevent it. [QUOTE=butler1850] I’m sure you could get away with it for a while, but eventually, you’d get greedy, and get caught. It happens all the time if you watch the papers. [/QUOTE] I read the papers every day, and I’ve never seen any news about parking meter workers getting busted. [QUOTE=Cheesesteak] The coins are in a sealed container, which only unlocks when inserted into the collection cart, which can only be unlocked at the depot. [/QUOTE] Not in L.A. Not in San Diego. [QUOTE=Projammer] What Cheesesteak said. In the absense of a more high tech approach many areas rotate their collection staff through multiple zones. So a location that averages $500 a day drops to $400 while one person or team is on duty that week is going to raise a flag. [/QUOTE] That makes sense to me, but how could they prove it? I guess they would just observe that person on the job. [QUOTE=Wheeljack] I always thought the meter had a… meter… that measured the number of turns or something so you could compare it to the cash pull. [/QUOTE] Mechanical meters don’t store data, and even so, most municipalities don’t have the resources to check every meter separately. ---
**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/15 "2008-03-25T22:39:23Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] $2.3 million Canadian? What’s that, like 50 real dollars? 😃 [/QUOTE] So, it would be like 5 EURO in real money. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/16 "2008-03-25T23:28:56Z")
I run a couple carwashes for the owner of the business, and one of my jobs is doing deposits. We have several change machines there and the bills need to be removed and included in the deposits with our wash sales revenue. The change machines have mechanical counters in them that tell you how many dollars have been taken in against how many quarters have been dispensed, numbers which I have to include on my deposit reports. I suppose I always assumed parking meters had a coin counter in them that a “meter manager” could look at to verify the take. Change machines and meters are pretty simple devices, and a counting mechanism is a pretty simple device, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/17 "2008-03-25T23:58:57Z")
Well, I’ll be damned. I always thought the coins fell into a vacuum tube and were whisked straight into the safe in the mayor’s office. ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/18 "2008-03-26T00:55:29Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] $2.3 million Canadian? What’s that, like 50 real dollars? 😃 [/QUOTE] Wasn’t long ago our dollar was worth _more_ than your ‘real’ dollar. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/19 "2008-03-26T00:59:47Z")
There was a case in Houston in the early 80’s I believe (sorry, no cite) where the embezzler was caught because the city had raised the cost of the parking meters but the amounts being collected didn’t go up. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675/20 "2008-03-26T01:02:24Z")
[QUOTE=kezami] Wasn’t long ago our dollar was worth _more_ than your ‘real’ dollar. 😃 [/QUOTE] It **is** worth more than the yankee dollar today. Checking CBC.ca, I see that Cdn$1=US$0.9839. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embezzling-from-parking-meters/442675.md?page=2)