Question: where do the coins in a parking meter go

title: Parking meter
text: Other advances with parking meters include vehicle detection technology , which allows the pay by space meters to know when there is a car parked in a space . This opens the door for benefits for parking managers , including providing way - finding ( directing drivers to unoccupied spaces via the web or via street signs ) , enabling remote violation detection , and gathering vital statistics about parking supply and demand . Some meters allow payment for additional time by phone , and notify drivers when they are about to expire . Parking meters in Santa Monica use vehicle detectors to prevent drivers from `` feeding the meter '' indefinitely , and to delete remaining time when a car departs so the next car can not take any time without paying . Meters in Madrid give discounted and free parking to drivers of hybrid and electric vehicles , respectively . Drivers can reserve meters spots in Los Angeles by cellphone .