It's also illegal to park on a meter without depositing enough coins to cover the time you need for an errand.
I guess most Americans are criminals then.
Most Americans do make sure they follow the law, and yes most Americans make sure there is enough money in the meter. If someone does not put money in the meter, and does not face the penalties for failure to do so, then they will eventually be arrested and jailed until they face the penalties for non-paid parking. Yes even for parking violations, people who don't respond to the consequences by paying the penalty will face bigger consequences later.