Which action is considered unlawful regarding metered parking?

Parking after the meter time has expired is considered unlawful because it violates local parking regulations by not adhering to the time limits enforced by the parking meter. When a vehicle is parked in a metered space, the driver is expected to pay for the duration of their stay. Once that time has elapsed without payment being renewed, the vehicle is technically considered illegally parked, which can lead to penalties such as fines or towing.

The other actions listed, while potentially problematic or regulated by law, do not specifically pertain to metered parking regulations. For instance, parking in a yellow loading zone is an issue of curtailing loading and unloading operations, which is a different aspect of parking enforcement. Consuming alcohol in public and discharging firearms within city limits involve public safety and nuisance laws rather than parking regulations.