U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry was running late at the airport.

And just like any Congressman on the go, McHenry decided to create his own parking space at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport to save time, the Gaston Gazette reports, including a full-size image of the offending Ford.

It probably wasn't the best thing for him that his SUV was sporting not only his Congressional license plate, but also a McHenry for Congress sticker, which would save any passerby with a camera phone the effort of looking up which member of Congress represents the 10th district.

On Monday, spokesman Brock McCleary e-mailed a Gazette reporter to say the 10^th District Republican was running late and couldn’t find a parking place ("He made a mistake in not leaving the vehicle in a proper parking spot … It has been moved.").

Granted, we’re not exactly dealing with Watergate here. The fact is, though, a car without government plates might not last an hour parked illegally at an airport. This thought probably occurred to at least some of the people who toted their luggage past a four-wheeled double standard.

Previously: U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's VW "Thing" and its questionable parking spaces develops a paparazzi following.

While 400 state employees are on a waiting list to get a parking space in Raleigh, 18 spaces are not assigned to anyone, according to an audit report released last week.

The report, a financial control audit of the Department of Administration, found that the department's parking division was not regularly reviewing and re-allocating spaces. The department is supposed to re-assign a space that is vacant for two months.

A December 2008 report found that 43 spaces had been vacant for three to 15 months.

The agency noted that since February 2006, 1,100 spaces have been lost because of downtown development. Those losses meant that the department could not accurately re-allocate space.

The Department says it can now return to its previously scheduled review of parking spaces. Also it notes that departments are responsible for paying for empty spaces and that since each agency keeps its own waiting list, the auditors figures may be inaccurate.

Drivers without spare change will soon be allowed to park in downtown Raleigh and Chapel Hill, provided they have their Visa or MasterCard on them.

The Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that would let the cities install parking meters that can be paid by credit card or other electronic means, instead of change.

The Senate, which approved an ealier version of the bill, had to concur with an amendment made in the House to include Chapel Hill.

Car owners who find no coins in their cupholders could resort to a Mastercard or Visa to pay their parking meter in Raleigh and Chapel Hill under a bill approved by the House Monday night.

House members voted 112 to 5 to approve a bill that would allow the cities to install parking meters that can be paid by credit card or other electronic means.

Raleigh officials intend to eliminate free parking downtown, but lawmakers pushing the credit card-friendly parking meters bill said there is no connection between the two actions. The bill goes back to the Senate for agreement on a House amendment.

A bill that would allow Raleigh and Chapel Hill to use credit card based parking meters cleared the House Tuesday.

The bill also applies to Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, Ben Niolet reports.

The city of Raleigh intends to eliminate free parking downtown.

Rep. Grier Martin, a Wake County Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors, made a point of mentioning that the bill didn't eliminate free parking. It simply allows those cities and towns  to install parking meters that accept credit cards.

The bill passed 113 to 0. It now heads to the Senate.