What is this???

Does anyone from Ohio know what this contraption is??? Believe it or not, this is a parking meter. I parked outside Barnes & Noble in Georgetown and was excited when I didn't see a meter to pay. Then I read a sign posted on the lamp post that said "Pay to Park." So, I looked around and didn't see anyone taking money (like a parking attendant) and then noticed someone else standing by this so-called green box meter thing. I read it and realized this was in fact where I pay to park. But is it as easy as dropping in a few quarters and watching my time increase? No! It wants a credit card and it's not, I repeat NOT, a simple process to pay at this dumb box. Here's the gist - insert credit card, push 1 of 2 green buttons (instructions said to push green button but not which one, so I did eeny-menie-miney-mo and hoped for the best), then push the tan button to add minutes to the card (what the heck?! I'm not adding minutes to my credit card, I'm BUYING parking minutes), but actually instead of seeing 15 minutes/30 minutes/etc. it actually increases the time on a clock (took me a couple seconds to realize 2:00 didn't mean I had 2 hours but rather my time will be up at 2:00 PM - it didn't say PM, just 2:00), and finally the green box spits out a ticket and my credit card at which point I have to walk back to my car, unlock it, and specifically place it on my front dashboard on the sidewalk side. Whew!

Now I ask you, what is wrong with the time honored tradition of dropping coins in a meter and turning a little metal crank precisely showing the number of minutes remaining?? Nothing! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that method and no need to confuse people just trying to run into Barnes & Noble and purchase a book. Hmph! And for those of you laughing right now at my midwestern attempt to use a parking meter, I assure you, I'm not the first nor the last to be confounded by a contraption that should NOT be called a parking meter.