SANTA MONICA, Calif. — It is a ritual known by tourists and residents alike: circling the blocks looking for an open parking spot and noticing that the meter still has plenty of time left on it? Why, what a lucky day.

In this city of sunny skies and sandy beaches, there will be no more lucky days of that sort.

Using new technology, the city has adapted a system that resets the time on each parking meter to zero the moment a car pulls out of a space. And if a sign shows a parking limit of one hour, that is exactly what it means — once the meter runs out, it is done. Trying to fill it up with more quarters or another swipe of the credit card is just an exercise in futility.

City officials say the changes are devised to make street parking more efficient by turning over spaces more quickly. But critics, including residents and visitors from near and far, say the tactic appears to be simply a way to squeeze more money out of the parking meters.