Parking Wars

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I'm currently watching this new show on A&E in which they follow parking enforcers around as they ticket folks and such.

It's like SC central, this one guy is swearing and ranting.

Reminds me of being at work!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Wow they are really running out of ideas, aren't they..?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Wow, that writer's strike is really hitting hard, innit?

[trunks2k]

I was watching it last night because it's about the Philadelphia Parkin Authority. I like watching shows filmed in Philly because I can go "I know where that is!" Also, I despise the PPA, they once gave me a $100 parking ticket for not having my emissions up to date - except my car was registered in Connecticut (so they can't ticket me for that), and Connecticut hadn't had emissions for 2 years, that why the sticker was expired. Unfortunately, Comcast had technical difficulties at the first commercial break resulting in all but 10 channels being lost.

[Becks]

I like watching shows filmed in Philly because I can go "I know where that is!"

That happens when watching Cops sometimes.

Even sadder is when you know one of the people on there.

[crazylegs]

It's like SC central, this one guy is swearing and ranting.

Reminds me of being at work!

Giving out parking tickets is like refusing a refund and not letting a SC buy something on sale with a coupon and another offer all at the same time. Its pretty interesting (have given out my fair share of tickets although its not my primary job role)

[ringo]

I like the guy who try to use the excuse of "Well, the sign is upside down".. after the fact he try to say something about having money in the meter.

[trunks2k]

In somewhat of a defense of the people on the show, the PPA does do an extraordinarily good job of giving people tickets they didn't deserve and making it a pain in the butt to get the ticket dropped.

With the ticket I mentioned above, I called the PPA, and the girl on the phone was nice and just said to go down to a certain address and tell someone there what happened and the ticket will be dropped. So I take time out of my day to go down to the address she gave and talk to a person at the front desk.

Me: Hi, I got this ticket for an expired emissions sticker and my car is not registered in PA, and the state it is registered in doesn't even have emissions. I was told to come here about it.
Guy: Well what the hell do you want me to do about?
Me: I was told on the phone to come here and someone would drop the ticket, I have a reference number.
Guy: I don't care about the reference number. We don't work like that. You weren't supposed to come here.
Me: Well, where am I supposed to go?
Guy: You need to go next door.

So I go next door, the address I was given is where they hold the ticket hearings. The place "next door" was where you scheduled a hearing. I wait in line for a long time, and get to a rep.

Me: Hi, I got this ticket for an expired emissions sticker and my car is not registered in PA, and the state it is registered in doesn't even have emissions testing.
Him: So you're disputing the ticket?
Me: Yes, there's no reason I shoulda gotten this ticket. I was told over the phone to come down here to get the ticket dropped.
Him: I'll have to schedule you for a hearing. *types* Your hearing is scheduled for <some inconvient time 4 months in the future>.
Me: FOUR MONTHS?! I have was told over the phone this could get taken care of today. I have a reference number and the girls name if that helps.
Him: No, that won't help. Everyone has to have a hearing if they dispute the ticket.
Me: Then what is this number for?
Him: I have no idea.
Me: Out of curiousity, what about people that are from out of state and something like this happens to them? I happen to go to school here, so I'll be around. But what about the people that aren't?
Him: They have to go to a hearing too.
Me: *confuddled* fine. whatever.
Him: Just come back here on the hearing date and time.

*fast forward four months, taking time off of work to dispute this by the way*

Judge: Hi. So why are you disputing this ticket.
me: Because my car is registered in CT, not PA.
Judge: Aaaaaand?
Me: Huh? Shouldn't that be enough? The car is not a PA car, shouldn't be bound by the emissions rules that PA has*.
Judge: I don't know really.
Me: (thinking: what? You're the freaking judge!) And CT hasn't had emissions for a couple years while it revamps the program. it's not possible for my car to have an up-to-date emissions.
Judge: Do you have proof that CT doesn't have emission testing?

Thankfully, I DID, and he agreed to drop the ticket.

I've also gotten mail from the PPA saying that I hadn't paid a ticket. The ticket was issued over 2 and half years ago. I didn't even know I HAD a ticket. Normally, the PPA will send notice that a ticket hasn't been paid yet when it gets close to the due date, and then send notice every three months or so. So I don't know why it took almost three years to get a notice about that ticket.

A friend of mine also parked in a metered zone, which was two hour parking from 8AM to 12AM. So between 8AM and 12AM, parking is free. We parked the car exactly at 10PM and put in two hours worth of money. So that would cover us for the rest of the night. We came back to the car at 2AM to find a ticket, issued at 12:30AM. She didn't have time to deal with disputing the ticket and paid anyways.

*which, btw, does have more stringent rules and penalties than CT does.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

They would have gotten quite a bit of funny footage if they'd done something like this in the Kinko's lot when I worked there and was in charge of towing.

Although I don't know if there's an upper limit on the number of times a show is allowed to use the word "bitch" on the air. If so, there might have been a problem.

[protege]

Ah, the PPA. Several years ago, we got a ticket while visiting relatives just outside of Philly. We'd taken 2 cars into downtown...and when we came back, our station wagon had a ticket on it. Did we pay it? Hell no. My uncle said not to bother--at that time, their system was so far behind it would be impossible for them to do anything. Several months after that, the car got sold. Didn't stop the PPA from sending us a reminder letter about the fine, which promptly went into the trash.

BTW, not areas in PA are subject to the emissions tests. Several counties do not test for it at all--my grandmother's car (Greene County, south of Pittsburgh) was not subject to the test, yet mine, registered in Allegheny County (basically the city of Pittsburgh) was.

[Rahmota]

I'll agree that writer's strike must be hitting them hard if their scraping the barrel and following the parking patrol around....

Oh well the meter maids need their 15 minutes of fame too I guess. At least for doing sometthing other than being overzealous in drumming up fines and all to meet their quotas and steal money for the city.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I was just watching the two new episodes tonight, man what a great show. That smartass dude that ticketed the FedEx driver was great!

Also the lady bitching about getting a ticket for being BLATANTLY double parked!

It's a little slice of the greatness found on this site...in TV form.

[mattm04]

A few years ago some network had a similar show. They only had like two or three episodes. They booted a guy and he tried to drive off with the boot attached. He was able to grove about 10 feet, pedal floored the whole time before the car died.

[trunks2k]

I kinda liked the one from last week with the lady trying to get her car out of the impound lot but couldn't get the paper work right.

*bit about her owing money for a parking ticket that she said got dismissed. not sure who to believe on that one*
ParkingAuthortity: We need you license, registration, and proof of insurance.
Lady: here.
PA: This isn't a valid registration.
L: Yes it is, it said I have 60 days to renew it so it's valid.
PA: It says right here that it's expired.
L: It's not expired!
PA: Yes it is. It says right here "expires on april XX. It's july now".
L: Well that's not the new registration.
PA: Well I need to see the new registration.
L: Why?
PA: Because I need a VALID registration before i can give you the car.
Lady's Husband: I'll go home and get it.
*insert lady bitching about it. L comes back an hour later*
L: Here's the registration.
PA: This isn't a registration, this is [some other form]. I need a valid registration. The registration will say "Pennsylvania Vehicle Registration" in big letters across the top.
L: Well we just moved from NJ and haven't registered the car here yet.
PA: Well, your registration from NJ is expired, and you have no valid PA registration. The 60 days you were talking about earlier meant how long you have to register the car in this state after you move here. Since your NJ registration has been expired for a couple months now, you need to go down the street and register your car.
L: But why do I have to go all the way down there?
PA: BECAUSE YOU NEED A VALID REGISTRATION, WHICH YOU DO NOT HAVE FOR THIS VEHICLE.

I'm sorry, but am I the only person who keeps their proof of insurance and a valid registration in the glove box?

[Rahmota]

trunks: Maybe her registration wasnt expired it was just pining for the fjords.