I read in the Inquirer that only a few complaints had been made regarding the kiosks. I'm certain that the number of complaints made is small only because there's no way to complain -- there are no phone numbers posted anywhere for people to make a complaint. I am only able to write because one of the people who commented on the article gave this website as a place to write.
After spending a lot of money on 9th Street, I drove to 5th & South Streets on Tuesday, 12/22/09. I drove my 75-year-old neighbor there because she wanted to purchase some art supplies for a relative she visited over Christmas. Since she was leaving for MD the next day, that was the only day we could go (Monday was out of the question due to snow). The area was hardly plowed, but I had to pull over since the traffic on South Street was clogged up and not moving. I was just barley able to pull into a spot due to all the snow; we parked on 5th Street just south of South Street . The kiosk did not accept my credit card. Because of all the snow on the streets and sidewalks, my neighbor did not feel safe walking across the street alone. I walked my neighbor across the street (she held onto my arm as we crossed first across South, then across 5th) so that she could enter the store. They did not have what she was looking for, so we immediately returned to my car, crossing both streets again. By the time we returned (5 minutes approximately), there was a ticket on my windsheild. The parking attendant was in the process of cancelling a ticket for the person who parked behind me, but said that she could not cancel mine as it had already been written. She advised me to call the number on the ticket to complain / see if the fine could be waived. I did that but the phone number was for an automated system with no way to speak to a person.
This kiosk system is very bad. I paid the $36 ticket but do not intend to do any shopping in Philadlephia ever again -- I can just drive to my local stores and malls and park in a plowed parking space, safely walk to the stores, and not have to be ticketed! My neighbor of course has no interest in returning either.
Sincerely,
Susan VanCola
