Abstract: A coin operated parking meter which includes a meter housing having a coin receiving slot and spaced transparent closure windows. A time dial is provided with time indicia thereon and the dial is mounted in the housing between the windows. A translucent time indicating pointer is pivotally movable from one end through an arc relative to the time dial in the housing. The translucent pointer is visible on a short range basis to the naked human eye when a motorist is positioned near the meter for advising time available for parking and with the translucent time indicating pointer being relatively invisible to the naked human eye when viewed by a person on a longer range basis such as from an adjacent street by a cruising motorist. A swingable violation flag is swingably mounted to arcuate movement when the translucent time indicating pointer falls to a zero time position.