SURREY (NEWS1130) – Lower Mainland thieves are so desperate for coins, they have found a new way to pilfer money from parking meters.

The thieves stuff the meters with paper or plastic straws. Someone comes along, feeds money into the meter, and finds the ticket doesn’t come out.
    
The thief returns, unplugs the meter, and out comes the money.

On Friday, Transit Police managed to arrest one man caught in the act. They watched as the suspect pulled stuffing out of a parking meter at the Scott Road Park and Ride in Surrey.

Anne Drennan with Transit Police explains that the man had put the stuffing in there earlier in the day, blocking the ticket purchaser from getting a ticket.

“When the suspect returns, he pulls the stuffing out with a knife, usually, and the inserted money drops out.”

In this case, the man was in the middle of extracting $18 in coins when he was approached by police.
    
Drennan says meter stuffing is becoming very common and that an untold number of people have fallen victim.

“You just have no idea how many people have lost money, because what happens is, you put your money in and you don’t get your ticket out and you move to another meter and buy a ticket that apparently works.”

She points out the New Westminster man police arrested had already been picked up for the same crime in July.