The spot in question is 913 Filbert Street in beautiful downtown Philadelphia. It's the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and I was there on business. Actually, it was the final day to pay my $26 ticket and I wanted to do it in person. If you pay by credit card over the web, they charge you an extra $2.50. It was an amazing experience (and it only cost me $26.00).
When I arrived there were approximately seventy people in line to pay their tickets. I asked the guy in charge how long it would take to pay my ticket and for whatever reason, he was not all that receptive. His answer was a tad unfriendly..."Hey pal, how the hell would I know that. Get in line or just get out".
You do go through the metal detector which is probably a good thing, and the crowd is
a bit tense. This is not a party and I don't think the Phillie Fanatic could help these people. These folks are basically pissed off, and one guy was almost out of control. He did a ten-minute stand-up on the evils of the Parking Authority. I was the only one laughing and I must mention this... I was the only one wearing a tie. This is not the crowd from the Radnor Hunt Club, and for whatever reason, I didn't feel all that welcome.
I believe everyone should share this experience at least once in your life. It's another world, and almost a reminder of the State Stores of the 1970's before the beautification process. You can stand in line and not even have a ticket. You will see the Parking Authority for what it is... A license to steal. By the way, the Flower Show just opened and my guess is that this particular crowd will pay the extra two-fifty.
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