We've all gotten one.
Walking from a distance towards your car, you squint to see a little blue envelope under your windshield whipper.
Most likely, you think, whisper, or shout a profanity, grab the ticket and see what your harsh debt to society is for your heinous crime and try to carry on with your day after this mentally and financially draining set back.
Eventually, you return to your home and park, safe in Roxborough or Manayunk, away from the craziness of city life that includes "parking wars."
In our neighborhood, we pride ourselves on being friendly, owning small businesses, being close to nature and living a more carefree life than our fellow citizens 4 miles down Kelly Drive. While to some, bringing the PPA into our neighborhood would symbolize progress, this change would not fit into our standard of living.
1. A PPA officer would be walking around your street all the time
A main staple of Center City living is seeing a PPA officer walking around . . . pretty much everywhere. You fear parking, you hate walking around your own neighborhood and you're just in a constant state of worry. Even if you're obeying their laws, there are countless tickets given out "by accident" for doing things like parking in front of broken hydrants, parking some arbitrary distance from a bike lane, etc. Do you want to be outside, playing with your children or walking your dog and have to avoid the "Ticket (Wo)Man?"
2. Ticketing doesn't solve the problem
You've committed a parking violation. Usually, these are done by accident. You are then forced to pay $20+ to the state and PPA. Where does that money go? Does it solve the problem? With parking, it is important to think about these things. Would all the money paid in fines be worth it if it went to actually create parking lots for neighborhoods? Often, a ticket can be a huge struggle to pay for people in financial pickles. And why does your hard earned money go right into the pocket of a PPA officer who is only leeching from society? This system does not make sense.
3. Neighborhoods don't need permit parking
I have lived in many parts of Philadelphia. As neighborhoods become more popular, yes, parking for residents gets harder. But this is not a problem that permits can solve. It is simply a space problem. If you are complaining about "frat parties and college kids," parties usually take place after permit parking remains affective. 2 hour limits mean nothing at 10PM, usually. Your best bet is finding the best time to get home and park when the most spots are available. Otherwise, it is just a fact of life that you may have to drive around a bit to find a spot. The government can't erase residents or magically create more spots for you.
4. Small businesses suffer from the PPA
Imagine it's Sunday. Free parking (if the PPA allows it). Chaos in the streets? Mass mayhem? In fact, quite the opposite! Many people enjoy going out and supporting small businesses when the parking is free and easy. Drive down Main Street during a weekday when parking is pay only and they are often open. Why does paying for parking matter? Who is benefiting but the PPA? I could see limits, but why must we pay for them? Again, it simply does not make sense.
5. Our area has a parking "culture"
Our streets are narrow, hilly and downright nutty. Following parking regulations to a T is nearly impossible and sometimes even creates more hazards. Thinking about a hilly road near you -- do cars sometimes park a little on the sidewalks to create more room for moving cars? Does a narrow street sometimes have cars parked on both sides of the road in the same direction? Does the world end? No! If the PPA were to come to our area, sure, they'd make a ton of money, but it just wouldn't fit in with our way of life.
These are just a few points regarding the PPA and why it might be a bit of a slippery slope with beckoning them to our area. If you have a serious problem with parking in your neighborhood, look into vacant lots and see if it is possible to create a new parking lot with a few neighbors. Since many residents do not have parking problems on our streets in the less dense areas, it is not the nicest gesture to make our lives worse with unneccesarry PPA officers.
I am interested to hear your thoughts, stories and suggessions concerning parking and looking forward to reading the comments.
Too many cars and not enough spots seem like a planning/over saturation/logistical problem. Do we just keep ticketing people in the area until they leave? Is the PPA going to create lots?
And to Kevin, if someone is parked in the center of Ridge Ave, let the cops ticket, not the PPA.
And It actually made things worst for businesses as well... Kevin, this is the 5th district...last I checked serious crime is not rampant and really some of the violations you mentioned are serious and should be ticket by the police. If it creates an unsafe situation I would want the police involved.
And Michael, yes, in the 5th we are spared much of the crime that the rest of the city has had to endure. And I want my tax dollars paying our cops to KEEP IT THAT WAY. Good luck telling a 20 year police vet that they will now spend their shift handing out parking violations. Heck, why not firefighters too?
1) what if someone is blocking a hydrant If someone is completely blocking a hydrant with their car, it means that they are close by because they... drive their car. This means that in the rare case that there is a fire, it would mean they would probably notice this even before the fire trucks came by. Thus it’s likely they'd move it in time. I don't know about you, but fires in houses and businesses don't actually happen that often. Probably in the 1950s, when houses were cheap and used oil lamps for lighting... Today, you don’t hear about someone’s house catching on fire. Also realize that when a person is parked next to a fire hydrant, it’s never completely blocking it. Most of the time, people do it unknowingly or they need to park somewhere to do something really quick and blocking a fire hydrant when fires are not that common isn’t going to cause the world to end. In most cases, the fire fighter can still easily find where the hydrant is because they know where all the hydrants are in the city. Moreover, the hydrant is always at least 2 feet from the curb. So, there’s always room to still use the hydrant. The simple hose can still fit. Point is, safety is not compromised! Unless a person actually makes an attempt to block it by parking up the sidewalk jamming their car into the hydrant opening, then perhaps it can be blocked. It would take extreme effort to literally block it to render it unusable.
If a car is parked 2 feet from the curb, then the driver obviously wants their car to be hit by oncoming traffic. People don’t do this because they usually value their car. Most people freak out from their car getting minor scratches. Point is, most people don’t do this, and it’s extremely rare for this to happen. Considering this rare case… the ultimate worst case scenario is that the car driver who parked like an idiot would move their car within a day. A person who parks like an idiot still uses their car believe it or not, so it probably will be moved within an hour or less in most cases. 3) double/triple parked Again, the same argument can be made when someone parks 2 feet from the curb. It would mean that they don’t value their cars and are risking damage. Usually a note from a person would have the same affect, if not more than a ticket, to teach or to deter someone from parking like an idiot. 4) parked in a cross walk blocking egress Again, this is very rare. However, let’s consider it because you think that it is a valid point. If someone is literally parking on a cross walk blocking people from walking… The worst case scenario would be that people would walk around it.
If the person is handicapped to the point where they cannot drive, then you have a non-handicap person driving for them. In which case, handicap spots don’t really make sense, because the driver is perfectly capable of parking a little farther away. In the case when a non-handicap person parks in a handicap spot, it doesn’t make a difference! Take this example, “What happens when a real handicap person takes a handicap spot and there are no more handicap spots?” The handicap person can’t park in the handicap spot because it’s taken by a handicap person too! SO what do we DO?? Aah, let's ticket the handicap person! This solves the problem right? 6) parked diagonally on the corner? Same argument still applies from points 2) and 3). To add on, ticking the types of drivers who are inconsiderate doesn’t deter them from doing it anyway! It takes their car getting damaged for them to realize parking in such an idiotic way is a bad thing. For the most part, ticking harms the considerate people who do it by accident and they will not be blocking something for an extended period of time to really cause any trouble. Most cases are ticketing for some stupid technicalities of parking 1 ft too close or too far from blurry drawn line.
Cops giving out parking tix? Good luck with that
Cops giving out parking tix? Good luck with that
that said, illegally parked cars in FRONT of hydrants, blocking driveways etc...should be ticketed by POLICE
If you've ever been to other cities, countries, etc., parking, even in totally unregulated areas, is not a disaster. The PPA makes money for the PPA, that is correct. And it seems as if Kevin believes that fining people will deter them from doing things that are "wrong," but historically, people are still going to do those things. Again, ticketing doesn't solve the problem. Personal responsibility and the fact that you car may be relocated or damaged is a better deterrent. And parking rules are not necessarily black book law. The PPA can create any arbitrary rules it wants and the city is just like, "Ok." Often this creates less viable spots for drivers and creates more problems. The PPA acts like it is trying its hardest to create spots, but having us pay to park in order to pay PPA workers who simply cannot find productive jobs that help society . . . ? How does that make sense! /rant done.
I also believe that the PPA should do ANYTHING within its power to make our streets friendlier and safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. If that means making new rules then so be it. You don't get to make the rules. They do. If you want to change the parking rules, then run for office or apply to become the head honcho at the PPA. Otherwise, you have to follow the same rules as the rest of us. Whether or not the rules are "fair" is another issue entirely, as we learn from childhood that not all rules can be fair. "...cannot find productive jobs that help society" Seriously? This is just mean. Not everyone can afford a college degree, nor does everyone desire to get one. PPA workers/meter maids/ticket jockeys are just doing a job for an honest paycheck. Don't hate the player; hate the game. /friendly rebuttal done.
Please tell me, where are these PPA lots in Roxborough? And good luck telling a police officer to do his or her job???
The same reason why its ridiculous to be charged, let's say 26 dollars, for crossing the street when it was red, when there ARE NO CARS... You can look either side and can see no cars for many blocks and you cross the street. If a police officer saw you do that, should you be charged for the sole reason that its ILLEGAL? Throwing around the word, "ILLEGAL" in caps doesn't serve as justification for things that shouldn't BE ILLEGAL. Don't kid me and say "I'M JUST FOLLOWING THE RULES... so, I'm never wrong" The point here really is that the rules sometimes don't make sense and the PPA crosses that line many many many many times. Its probably likely that you've never gotten a ticket before, and if you did, its seems like you happily pay it for some reason when you don't think it makes any sense.
The problem is when honest people get ticketed and the PPA assumed them to be these idiot people who park terribly. The point is that more HONEST people that do not block traffic and do not compromise safety are hurt more than the people who really do.
Also - I've only ever seen a cop giving a ticket ONCE, for a car illegally parked partly in my neighbor's handicapped spot, and they had obviously called about it (the same people who called the cops at 10pm on a saturday while I was having a dinner party...but whatever) I see the PPA all over Manayunk and especially in my old neighborhood (up the hill), I'd see them every day. Except not in the rain, because the PPA doesn't ticket in the rain.
As you and others have pointed out, the street parking around here stinks. It will only continue to get worse unless something is done. Doing nothing or continuing to do what we've been doing doesn't work.The PPA has a job to do. I say let them do their job. Roxborough shouldn't be any different than Old City or SP when it comes to enforcing the rules... Rules aren't rules, unless they apply to EVERYONE. It isn't my problem or your neighbor's problem or the the city's problem where you park your vehicle. It's your problem. If you refuse to take responsibility for yourself and your vehicle then you should pay the consequences. Can't find lot parking in Rox? Idk, maybe put an add out on CL? Or the paper? Go to a civic meeting, introduce yourself and ask around there? I'm sure someone near you would be more than happy to take your money in exchange for a parking space or garage. There is a big PPA lot on main. Too far to walk, Michael? Don't feel like taking on that hill every day and night?? Too bad! You chose to live here