A Winnipeg woman wants the city to change the signage on its parking meters because they are misleading and costing taxpayers money, she said.

When Laurie Toback first read a parking meter, she thought it read $2 for two hours. So she put in her money and waited for her ticket.

“While it was printing up the ticket I started reading, realized it was $2 an hour,” she said. “So I put in another $2, ‘cause I wanted two hours.”

Toback took the two receipts and laid them out on her dashboard so the parking attendant could see she had paid for two hours’ time. When she came back, there was a ticket on the windshield, even though the two hours were not yet up.

She went straight to the parking authority and was told it's not the attendant's job to check multiple tickets and do the math to see if the right amount was paid. Toback was forgiven the fine, but warned to pay closer attention to the meters in the future.

“Why does it matter how many tickets you have on the dashboard, as long as you're paying for the allotted time? I don't get it,” said Toback.

CTV called the city to find out and were told it's not the amount of money paid that's the issue, it’s the time. Even if you plugged 100 toonies into a meter and got 100 individual tickets, they would still expire around the same time. The only way around it is to come back before your time is up and buy another ticket.

“I learned the hard way too at Health Sciences Centre,” said Jeff Guenther.

Guenther mistook the sign and ended up paying a $30 fine for what should have been a $4 parking ticket.

“I just assumed when it says $2, I'm getting the two hours,” said Toback.

Toback said the city needs to take the guessing game out of its parking meters, instead of slapping taxpayers with hefty fines if they don't read the fine print.

The city said it's important Winnipegers pay attention to each meter because, depending on what area you are in, the maximum times you are allowed to park and the rates may vary.

- With a report by Caroline Barghout