Created: 7/5/2009 1:24:57 AM 
Chapel Hill, NC -- Chapel Hill is no longer writing tickets for people who let their parking meters run out for the first time. Instead, The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the city is leaving them a note saying: "Thank you for visiting downtown Chapel Hill." Town officials say they approved the idea after a consultant and citizen panel said it could help the parking situation downtown. Officers will issue one courtesy ticket per vehicle each year. Tickets cost about $15 each, and one in three tickets issued are for first-time violators, so the city could lose about $12,300 per year. Becky Broun got one of the tickets as she rushed from a hardware store this week. She says it's good for visitors who might not understand Chapel Hill's parking rules.
Associated Press
