Except in a period of emergency as determined by an officer of the fire or police
department or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control
device or signal, when any vehicle is parked in any parking space alongside or next
to which a parking meter is located the operator of such vehicle shall, upon entering
the parking meter space immediately deposit or cause to be deposited in such meter
such proper coin of the United States as is required for such parking meter and as
is designated by proper instructions on the meter. When required by the directions
on the meter, the operator of such vehicle, after the deposit of the proper coin,
shall also set in operation the timing mechanism on such meter in accordance with
directions on the meter. Failure to deposit such proper coin and to set the timing
mechanism in operation when so required shall constitute a violation of this section.
Upon the deposit of such coin and the setting of the time of the mechanism in operation
when so required, the parking space may lawfully be occupied by such vehicle during
the period of time that has been prescribed for the parking meter zone in which the
parking space is located. Any person placing a vehicle in a parking meter space adjacent
to meter which indicates that unused time has been left in the meter by the previous
occupant of the space shall not be required to deposit a coin so long as occupancy
of such space does not exceed the indicated unused parking time.
