In the 1950’s my home town Chamber of Commerce ran a similar campaign.
The note read:
The meter turned red
We knew you’d be blue
So we put in a nickel for you.
The City’s response: make “topping off” a meter a crime.
Milwaukee solved the problem by making a 2 hour meter a pure 2 hour zone whether or not the meter was paid. Car isn’t moved in 1:59:59, you’re getting a ticket even if the meter is plugged.
...and they use GPS and computer terminals to know which cars are about to expire so they can write tickets seconds after the meter expires or the time limit passes.
One day, I was downtown and parked at a meter in a pay until 6 p.m. zone at 5:50. Saw the parking checker, who stopped and said “Don’t bother with the meter, it’s just ten minutes.” He drove around the corner and I plugged the meter — just in case.