A grainy clip, said to have been filmed by someone who has never once aimed a camera at the right thing, appears to show a parking meter wearing a tiny cap and standing with the air of a man who has rehearsed a monologue to an empty bus stop.
Within minutes, observers declared the meter was ‘clearly’ preparing for a breakout role in local community drama, possibly as a stern mayor, a haunted postman, or a gentleman who says very little but means it.
One witness, speaking entirely as a joke and possibly while drinking tea, said the meter had ‘the sort of face that could sell out a modestly sized village hall’.
The clip also features a passing cyclist, who is almost certainly not part of the plan, though the internet has already assigned them the role of rival understudy.
At press time, the parking meter remained upright, enigmatic, and deeply committed to the bit.