Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Today's gripe
I've often complained about the parking meters here in Washington. Don't let me do that again. This past weekend, we were in Philadelphia, where the predatory meter people patrol seven days a week, until 8 p.m. You get all of 7 and a half minutes for a quarter in Philadelphia meters. So, if you're planning on visiting the Old City and maybe having lunch, be prepared with a roll of quarters, because you'll need 24 of them for three hours!
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8 comments:
The missus and I went to Philly for an art exhibit last year, and I the first time I used a parking meter, I thought the damn thing was broken when I got so little time. Then, it got worse. We went down to South Street to get a cheesesteak and wander around for a bit, and I thought, damned if I'm going to park at a meter and have to scrounge under the car seats for enough quarters, so we parked in a city lot. We were away from the car for probably two hours. When I checked out of the lot, I thought the lady in the booth said $4.50. I thought, that's more like it. Well, I was lucky I gave her a twenty, because it was really $14.50. And we think we get raped in Pittsburgh.
There is a show on TLC (or the travel channel... or something else... ok, I don't know what the hell channel it's on) called Parking Wars (or something like that... ok, I don't know what it's called, either)...
Anyway, it's basically a reality show (Cops-style) that is based on the adventures of the PPA- Philadelphia Parking Authority. It is a fantastically interesting show.
Maybe next time you will appreciate the meters in good Ol' Washington. Doesn't pay to complain.
I'm so old I remember when the parking meters in my hometown took pennies. Yikes.
That's better than being old enough to remember when the meters were actually hitching posts.
Philly is ridiculous. Cost me $40 this year to park my car at my hotel there for the Steelers' game in September. I was parked there all of 12 hours.
"Parking Wars" is on A&E. It has convinced me never to visit Philadephia -- at least by car.
Parking for two hours in New York in 1975 cost me $15. I can't imagine what it costs now.
That reminds me of a Joke...
A hot, rich blonde walks into a bank in Manhattan. She tells the loan guy that she needs a short term loan for $3,000. The guy finds it odd that such a well-to-do woman would need a loan for such a rather small amount. He knows better than to ask questions, though... He asks if she has anything for collateral, and she says that all she has on her is the key to her Rolls Royce, but since she will be out of town, she wouldn't need the car so he could take that as collateral. The banker agrees and sends someone to park the car in the lot beneath the bank, for safe keeping.
The woman goes on vacation for 2 weeks. When she returns, she pays back the $3,000 principal and the 17 dollars interest that accrued. The banker can't help but ask why she would take a loan out for 3 grand when she obviously had the money... and why she would put a 250,000 dollar car up for collateral for a 3k loan. She replies "Where else can you park for two weeks in Manhattan and it only costs 17 dollars?"
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