Anyone watch this on A&E? I thought it would be unbearable; but they did some cheesy creative editing and it's actually pretty good. Definitely worth a check-out on hulu.

12/3/2010 2:33:59 AM

i used to watch it a little, they've got to be on season 3 at least by now, it was enjoyable enough to pass some time

12/3/2010 3:19:44 AM

i like it. it's pretty damn hilarious how stupid people can be. it does get a little frustrating sometimes.

12/3/2010 7:09:14 AM

My wife and I couldn't go to sleep one night a few months ago and this was on a marathon late night and we watched it for like 3 hours... It was great. The stupidity of some people makes the show worthwhile.

12/3/2010 9:43:38 AM

I generally like to laugh at the people getting tickets and getting booted, but the part at the impound lot usually brings out my dislike for lazy uncaring government workers holding people's cars for ransom and not giving two shits about anything except dotted i's and crossed t's. in one episode they were holding a lady's car because a computer glitch said her registration was expired, and even though she had paperwork proving it wasn't they didn't care, they just went on about their business of being shitty people.

12/3/2010 10:08:43 PM

^so you're in that group of dumb people then. they're just doing their jobs. they can't release the car until everything matches up in the computer. it's not that person's fault, it's not your fault, but you're going to have to deal with it until it gets straightened out. that's how the system works.

12/3/2010 10:44:28 PM

I agree with Rufus. I too think it just shows how mindless most of these govt employees are, that they cant think or use common sense. "The computer says"...crap is why their job wont be needed once our computers get smarter.

12/4/2010 9:29:44 AM

jesus. they cannot do one person a favor, bc then they'd have to cut everybody a break. if they don't do their job correctly, they get yelled at or fired or whatever. they're doing their job the way they are SUPPOSED to.

bottom line is that they are not out to get you, they're not lazy, they're just doing what they're instructed. why is that so hard to understand?

[Edited on December 4, 2010 at 11:23 AM. Reason : ]

12/4/2010 11:22:30 AM

ITT we cheer for the bottom feeders.

12/4/2010 12:21:17 PM

haha - just saw episode 16 from season 1 on hulu last night - the russel wilson radar lines had me BUSTIN out laughing. Over-the-top editing definitely makes this show.

12/4/2010 12:24:34 PM

^^^ yes, i realize they operate because that's how they have to, otherwise it would be unfair. i can still sympathize with the people trying to get their car back though when they pay their fines and then realize that they don't have a registration card with them and the employees are all like "nope sorry we're still gonna hold your car here.....and still charge you storage fees out the ass hahahahaha".

12/4/2010 3:06:15 PM

I don't know why the City of Philadelphia let's them expose the racket that is the parking authority in that city.

A&E must pony up a fair chunk of cash I imagine.

12/4/2010 6:01:44 PM

^why do you call it a racket?

The spots are clearly marked and are properly enforced. If you don't like it vote someone else in. This is the essence of government.

In honesty I really like it - parking enforcement is one of the few government branches that comes close to being self sustaining while providing a valuable service.

12/5/2010 12:09:42 AM

pretty easy to stay self sustaining when you ransom personal property

12/5/2010 7:28:11 AM

Quote :

"they cannot do one person a favor"

On some, I wouldnt call it a favor at all...just using your head. On one they had something entered wrong in their system and had to wait for an insurance fax to come in to prove they had made the mistake. It was edited to make it look like it was a rush to get it in before 5 bc, as the man said, at 5 they all leave. Just crap like that.

12/5/2010 9:51:09 AM

I don't think the government comes out favorably in this. The 5 hours to get your car back shit is shameful. If someone doesn't have the registration card, why not just fucking look it up in a computer instead of making someone grab it from somewhere? That's a bureaucratic nightmare. Wait in this line, get a paper, then wait in that line and get that paper.

This is why the DMV and all government offices are some of the worst places to be in the world.

I was incredulous when the government low life at the end of one episode was miffed when the person didn't give her thanks for getting her car back....... AFTER SPENDING THE WHOLE FUCKING DAY THERE. These lazy scumbags are actually proud of the job they are doing.

[Edited on December 5, 2010 at 1:30 PM. Reason : .]

12/5/2010 1:25:08 PM

I watch the show, not knocking it. It just puts PPA in a horrible light.

Garfield and Sheri rock.

[Edited on December 5, 2010 at 7:51 PM. Reason : ]

12/5/2010 7:51:16 PM

I'm curious: for fans of the show, have you ever actually been towed?

I was towed a few weeks ago. I misread a sign (which had in huge text 2 HOUR PARKING, but didn't start until noon) and parked there at 11:50am.

When I went back to read the sign there was NO FUCKING PHONE NUMBER. I had no transportation and no clue who to contact to get my car back. Awesome.

12/5/2010 9:45:43 PM

downtown fayetteville is almost as bad as the PPA. Those jokes are johnny-on-the-spot. This, too, is probably why I enjoy the show as much as I do. I've paid my share of tickets and getting towed .
(luckily getting towed in Fayetteville usually means they carry it to a lot just outside of down town. Pay your ticket and you can walk to get your car from the lot.)

12/5/2010 11:05:36 PM

Quote :

"(luckily getting towed in Fayetteville usually means they carry it to a lot just outside of down town. Pay your ticket and you can walk to get your car from the lot.)"

yea... maybe I wouldn't be so pissed if it was that easy. my experience was like this

1. car is towed
2. call a dozen numbers on city website
3. leave voicemails (never returned btw)
4. hitch a ride to a random towing company on the off chance they might have a clue
5. ride to police department to pay citation
6. ride to towing company... WOOPS, we only take cash
7. ride to atm
8. ride to towing company

why not just give me a $150 parking ticket?

12/5/2010 11:53:06 PM

Unfortunately, you are seeing the edited, 'lets make the parking people look good', show. The parking idiots I know routinely write tickets for people with unexpired meters, write you tickets when you are on your way to the booth to pay for your spot, and when they fuck up, tell you that you need to appeal their fuckup with the city.

If I was mayor, I'd fire ever damned one of them, and privatize the system that punishes them harshly for making mistakes.

[Edited on December 6, 2010 at 11:25 AM. Reason : .]

12/6/2010 11:24:18 AM

When I lived in Raleigh I got towed a couple times from my apartment complex. One was legit (even though there was plenty of parking), but the other one was cause my parking sticker had "begun to peel back" from my back windshield because of humidity, etc. It was clearly visible though... ugh.

I would have seriously considered vigilante action against the drivers... I don't know what, but I was so mad. I have seen them tow people, and they are far from gentle with the vehicles. I still don't understand how it is legal to seize someones property and make them pay to give it back, be it private property or not. If a girl comes over and leaves her purse at my house, I cannot legally keep it until she pays me a random fine of my choosing.... gah, this subject makes me angry.

12/6/2010 5:56:45 PM

Quote :

"privatize the system that punishes them harshly for making mistakes"

Doesn't Raleigh have a private companies doing some of their parking enforcement?

McLaurin comes to mind.

12/6/2010 6:21:59 PM