Karate Kids Show Meters No Quarter

Sat., Nov. 9, 1996

From Staff And Wire Reports

Kung fu fighting has a different twist on the streets of Spokane.

And the victims can’t fight back.

Using karate kicks, young Bruce Lee wannabes have damaged 300 parking meter heads in the downtown area, costing the city more than $51,000 this year.

As many as five meters a day are damaged by vandals’ kicks, according to officer Rick Albin.

Albin said Second and Howard and Main and Howard are the hardest-hit areas.

Many meters have been replaced with reinforced models to resist the kicks, but repairs are costly.

The coin insert mechanisms cost $135 apiece, meter domes are $18, meter timers are $270, and the piece that houses everything costs $115. The posts cost $7.50.

The city also has to pay $17 per hour for city workers to repair the meters. So far, 110 hours have been spent repairing meters, putting labor costs at just under $2,000.

Anyone with information about parking meter vandals is asked to call Spokane police, 625-4448.

, DataTimes

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