Sign of the Times

Despite what you may have seen or heard recently, the Parking Authority has never used the F-word on one of its signs.

That's part of the reason the street sign at 13th and Chancellor was so amusing. A small crowd of passers-by, including some members of the Philadelphia Police Department, couldn't help but laugh at the red and white vinyl sticker that someone had placed over the "No Parking" sign.

"UNFAIR," reads the sticker. "Another Fucking Ticket." And below that, "The Parking Authority works for you." It is printed with the same typeface and color scheme as a real No Parking sign.

Identical signs have been spotted elsewhere downtown, primarily in Old City. They seem to have sprouted up just in time for the First Friday crowd to laugh at en route to the galleries.

One Philadelphia Parking Authority officer, however, didn't find it very funny. "I think it's a disgrace. We're out here doing our job. We're here to serve the city," she said. "I'm not just out here to give out tickets—I'm here to ensure that traffic keeps flowing and that pedestrians get around safely."

What should the penalty be for the unknown signmaker, then? "I don't even want to say what I think should happen to that person," said the officer.

While the person behind the signs remains a mystery, his or her sentiment seems pretty clear.

"Somebody must've been really pissed off," observed an anonymous street cleaner. How pissed off? One local sign company estimated the prank probably cost around $3 a sign, depending on how many were made.

It's difficult to estimate the actual number of UNFAIR signs since some have been ripped down and more still might yet be hung. As few as five and many as 15 may have been spotted in the last week.

Some people, like the owner of a little blue Honda on Third Street, were smiling for a more personal reason—the Parking Authority can't very well issue tickets in areas where No Parking signs are obstructed. And if citations are given, they're certainly contestable.

One police officer worked on tiptoes to remove the sign on 13th Street, as her superior, Officer Irving Riley, observed, "People have a crazy sense of humor. They're upset about parking tickets? If you're upset, there are other ways to express yourself."

When the other officer was unable to rip down the UNFAIR part of the sign, Riley said, "I want you to get the F-word off, that's all I really care about."

Contacted on Monday, the Parking Authority had yet to respond by press time.

-Patrick Rapa