PPA to Transition to Honor System

City Council’s Streets and Services Committee on Wednesday advanced a bill aimed at switching Philadelphia’s Parking Authority into an honor system.

“It’s about taking Philadelphia back to its roots, “ explained Council President Darrell L. Clarke at a press conference. “Philadelphia was founded with Quaker values, so we have decided to take a cue from local institutions such as Haverford College to transition to an honor system.”

The bill will replace all parking kiosks with collection boxes and a suggested donation. The PPA’s enforcement officers will no longer have authority to write tickets, but will instead greet parking customers with a smile and “some brotherly love.”

The bill is an effort to try to repair public relations for the arm of city government which has always been the bane of Philadelphians, added Clarke. The PPA has had an approval rating of less than 8% every year since its inception in 1950, with one notable exception of a 10% rating in 2008 due to the popularity of the reality TV show Parking Wars.

The Mayor’s Office of Communications estimates a 97% drop in parking revenue as a result of the bill.