Staff Blog
PPA to Fairmount residents: Happy July 4th, suckers!
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| Jim Pavlock |
| Ticketed cars along 22nd Street. The No Parking signs went up at 9 a.m. The tickets came at noon. |
Jim Pavlock was not happy.
While other Philadelphians stocked up on burgers and beer for Independence Day weekend, Pavlock and many of his neighbors were distracted by another issue: $51 tickets for parking on a street that had transformed suddenly from legal to illegal.
Pavlock, along with more than 30 others, received tickets from the Philadelphia Parking Authority on Friday July 3rd for parking along 22nd Street between Spring Garden St and Fairmount Ave. The Police Department posted “No Parking†signs on the street Friday morning, in anticipation of the upcoming celebration, but neglected to notify residents. The PPA received a request to enforce the “No Parking†zone, which they did, about three hours after the signs went up. Those who had legally parked Thursday night and Friday morning received tickets around noon on Friday.
“That, to me, is a stunt,†says Pavlock.
Pavlock, who has lived at 22nd and Brandywine Streets for 15 years, is used to the street being blocked off from parking on July 4. Typically, he says, “No Parking†signs go up on July 3, but are enforced the next day. For some reason, this year was different.
After legally parking his car late Thursday night, the Philadelphia lawyer was surprised to find a ticket the next day.
“For the PPA to begin ticketing lawfully parked cars only three hours after signs went up to clear the streets for Saturday's festivities is outrageous,†Pavlock says. “Why can't the PPA exercise some common sense in ticketing?â€
Soon after receiving his ticket, Pavlock followed up on the issue, speaking with both the PPA and the 9th District Police Department. The police informed him that the signs had, in fact, been posted Friday morning. The PPA confirmed that the cars were ticketed about three hours later. Pavlock spoke with the ticketing officer, and was surprised to find that the officer was somewhat sympathetic, but refused to back down. Pavlock says the officer was not aware of any rule for notifying motorists of new “No Parking†signs before they receive tickets. He said that he was simply enforcing the posted signs.
“[The officer] reinforced my long-held impression that the only thing PPA does well is make money and drive residents and visitors out,†says Pavlock.
Though Pavlock protested his ticket, he, like many others, simply does not have the time to drag on a fight. He spoke to officials and left messages for PPA supervisor Cleveland Ferron, but received no response.
City Paper contacted the PPA and spoke with PPA official Rick Dickson. Dickson confirmed that the tickets had been handed out on Friday in response to a Police Department request to enforce the “No Parking†zone. Tickets are handed out in such temporary zones at the request of the police, says Dickson. Due to a misunderstanding about when the signs were posted, he says, the PPA acted too soon on Friday's request. As a result, Dickson adds, the issued tickets will be canceled.
This is news to Pavlock — despite his calls and messages, as of today, he still hasn't heard anything from the PPA. He's waiting patiently for a phone call.
UPDATE: Pavlock called the PPA and was told that his ticket was indeed canceled; he double-checked online, it appears to have been.
So my girlfriend got ticketed yesterday.. and she is normally a super nice and kind person, but apparently the smugness of the “ppa scum-twat” issuing her ticket drove her to the point where she wanted to “spit in the bitch’s face” or “smack her little ticket machine out her hand and then drive away with it.”
wow! PPA, you have truly ascended to a new level of assholery. Congrats!!
[...] PPA to Fairmount residents: Happy July 4th, suckers! :: The Clog … By Morgan Davis One Response to “PPA to Fairmount residents: Happy July 4th, suckers!†So my girlfriend got ticketed yesterday.. and she is normally a super nice and kind person, but apparently the smugness of the “ppa scum-twat†issuing her ticket … The Clog – http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/ [...]
Philly parking wars! It’s so funny when people freak out on the PPA. Personally, I have been drilled diligently by the wrath of the PPA for quite some time. I never had the “brass” to get in their face though. I have lots of respect for people who try and shake em up. The PPA probably get off on people getting pissed off though.