Happy holidays! Here is your $50 ticket

I shopped locally today - at Try and Buy and Aardvark pets - spent $100+ with local merchants.  Returned to my car - at the municipal/train lot (I do not commute from there), which was parked at a meter COVERED WITH A GREEN BAG STATING "HAPPY HOLIDAYS!", to discover a $50 parking ticket for non-permitted parking.  Happy holidays indeed.  On what planet must one fear a ticket while patronizing local vendors and parking at a covered meter.  This is predatory and just the sort of shennanigans that will take money from local merchants and drive the flight to the mall.  Disgusting.  Three other shoppers received identical tickets.  One of them accompanied me to the Clerk's office where we were told nothing could be done - go to court.  I will go on 1/14, and merchants are welcome to add to my outrage