Last week we regaled readers with stories of residents converting highly coveted parking spots into parks, offices, and even nudist camps. Perhaps that's where Bennett Austin, a local advertising student, got the idea to turn metered spots in the Haight District into beds for the homeless.

All week, Austin has been hauling in a twin-size bed — pillows, blankets, and all — to a parking spot on the corner of Haight and Cole streets. He keeps the meter running from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., giving homeless residents a place to crash for a few hours without getting busted by the cops.

“I was thinking about ways to circumvent the sit/lie law,” Austin says.