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So I have been in Wrightsville Beach for the last week and for the last few days - 24 hours a day - every single one of the big parking pay stations all along every point on the beach have all been totally wrapped in plastic. No signs, no information, nothing on the website(s) - nothing. So with the lack of any new information, I continued to both get up at 5am and make sure I was gone by 9am and then sit around all afternoon waiting for 6pm so I could park. Well this morning, I got tired of the total lack of any information so I called the parking office and spoke with someone who did not know what I was talking about then told me that I didn't have to worry about it today. I explained that I would have the same question tomorrow, and every day that the situation remained as it is now - so what was I supposed to do - call back every day and ask the same thing? (I was joking) - and her answer was, "yes". Give me a break. If the town is that bad about having anyone proficient in communications for something this basic, they really need to either train or hire someone who actually can provide updates and information regarding changes to the public when something like this is going on. I only call as a last resort after checking Facebook, Twitter, the town's websites, the local media - and of course what should have been the very first thing they did - which would have been to post a sign explaining the change, what it was for and what it meant. My initial assumption was that it was to protect the pay stations from water damage from the storm but who knows.
So I have been in Wrightsville Beach for the last week and for the last few days - 24 hours a day - every single one of the big parking pay stations all along every point on the beach have all been totally wrapped in plastic. No signs, no information, nothing on the website(s) - nothing. So with the lack of any new information, I continued to both get up at 5am and make sure I was gone by 9am and then sit around all afternoon waiting for 6pm so I could park. Well this morning, I got tired of the total lack of any information so I called the parking office and spoke with someone who did not know what I was talking about then told me that I didn't have to worry about it today. I explained that I would have the same question tomorrow, and every day that the situation remained as it is now - so what was I supposed to do - call back every day and ask the same thing? (I was joking) - and her answer was, "yes". Give me a break. If the town is that bad about having anyone proficient in communications for something this basic, they really need to either train or hire someone who actually can provide updates and information regarding changes to the public when something like this is going on. I only call as a last resort after checking Facebook, Twitter, the town's websites, the local media - and of course what should have been the very first thing they did - which would have been to post a sign explaining the change, what it was for and what it meant. My initial assumption was that it was to protect the pay stations from water damage from the storm but who knows.
Sounds like you may have answered your own question. Those machines are all electronic, and with the path of the hurricane originally being projected to hit NC, I'm sure they wanted to protect the machines as best they could from the damaging winds & rain.
Seriously though, why is this really a huge deal (which it seems to be for you)? Are you unable to pay to park because of the plastic and you're worried about getting a ticket? I would assume that if they are all wrapped in plastic and you don't have access to pay, the "meter maids" would not be able to write any tickets or check on the validity of the parking meters.
I'm guessing either a) it was to protect them [although we get thunderstorms that bad in the summer time] or b) something has malfunctioned and whether it's a or b, they don't want to promote the fact that it's free to park right now.
Typically after Labor Day in most tourist towns, parking is free. Also, wrapping them in plastic keeps sand from blowing into the crevices and destroying the inside....just my opinion tho!
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