Just because the meter's broken doesn't mean you can't get ticketed

Inoperable parking meters in downtown Phoenix may have you wondering whether you're allowed to park by them. The answer is: Park with caution.

State of play: A battery problem is affecting some parking meters downtown and the city is working to fix it, per Street Transportation Department spokesperson John Trierweiler.

We've observed whole blocks of non-functioning meters in recent weeks, leaving drivers with no way to pay in some areas.

Yes, but: That hasn't dissuaded people from parking at the broken meters, so we reached out to Phoenix Police to find out what the rules are.

Zoom in: The city warns "that parking at an inoperable meter may result in a ticket" and advises people to move their cars to avoid citations.

Officers have discretion in whether to issue citations in most cases, Phoenix Police spokesperson Robert Scherer told Axios.

You can be cited for parking at a broken meter, he said, but "an officer would have to establish that a driver did not pay the correct amount."

"The primary focus of any parking citation is to improve compliance. If an officer uses discretion … then one will not be issued," Scherer said

My thought bubble: During several recent trips downtown, the meter was broken where I wanted to park.

The first time, I got paranoid and moved my car to a garage.

But I decided to risk it at the meter several other times after noticing all the other cars parked at inoperable meters with no tickets on their windows. I wasn't cited, either.

The bottom line: Park at your own risk.