Does the UAE Own Chicago's Parking Meters? A Tale of Two Cities
Who Would Have Thought?
So, you’ve heard the rumor, huh? That the United Arab Emirates, a place synonymous with luxury and skyscrapers, actually owns the humble parking meters of the Windy City? Well, let’s dive into this peculiar tale of transcontinental ownership.
A Deal Gone Awry
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It’s true, folks. In a move that can only be described as ‘interesting’, Chicago decided to sell the rights to its parking meters to a private company in 2008. And guess who one of the big investors was? You guessed it, the UAE. For a cool $1.2 billion, they secured a 75-year lease to collect parking meter revenue.
A Meter-Made Million
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Now, on the surface, this might seem like a sweet deal for Chicago. A big lump sum of cash to solve their financial woes, right? Well, not exactly. It turns out that parking meter rates have skyrocketed since the deal, leaving drivers feeling like they’re being fleeced more than a sheep in shearing season.
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The Desert and the Deep Dish
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It’s a strange partnership, to say the least. The UAE, with its oil-rich economy and opulent lifestyle, now has a stake in the daily grind of Chicagoans trying to find a parking spot. It’s like the ultimate case of opposites attract, or maybe more accurately, opposites exploit.
The Verdict?
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So, does the UAE own Chicago’s parking meters? Technically, no. They own the rights to collect revenue from them. But let’s be real, when you’re calling the shots on how much people pay to park, it’s pretty close to ownership.
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| Does The Uae Own Chicago Parking Meters |
How to...
- How to avoid getting a parking ticket: This one is tricky, even for the locals. Your best bet is to park in a garage or find free street parking in the outer reaches of the city.
- How to understand the parking meter rates: Good luck with that. Even Chicagoans struggle. Just be prepared to pay through the nose.
- How to complain about the parking situation: You can try contacting the city, but don’t expect miracles. Venting to your friends about it might be more therapeutic.
- How to make money off the parking meter situation: Become a parking garage owner. Or, if you’re feeling entrepreneurial, invent a self-driving car that can magically find free parking.
- How to appreciate the irony of the whole thing: This one’s easy. Just chuckle at the thought of sheiks in Dubai counting their pennies from Chicago parking meters.
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