Parking in Center City

Classic Philadelphia

Parking aide charged with DUI

By CATHERINE LUCEY & MARK McDONALD

luceyc@phillynews.com


A senior Philadelphia Parking Authority official was charged with drunken driving Sunday after he backed his city vehicle into two parked cars, police said.

( ), 47, who heads the Parking Authority's on-street parking unit, was suspended yesterday for "conduct unbecoming a Parking Authority employee," said Parking Authority official Linda Miller.

Joseph Egan, who heads the authority, said he didn't have all the facts, but he was saddened by the news.

"He's one of my senior staff members and an excellent human being. He knows parking and loves the authority," Egan said. "We are all heartsick about this. This is one of those days when you don't want to be a manager."

Police were called to Pine Street near 13th about 7:40 p.m. Sunday. Witnesses told cops ( )backed his car into two parked cars. An officer said he smelled alcohol on ( )'s breath and took him into custody. ( )s white 2000 Ford was a Parking Authority car, officials said.

( )refused to take a Breathalyzer test, police said. That means his license will automatically be suspended for a year, state police said.

He was arraigned and released yesterday afternoon, police said. He will appear in court May 12.

( )has been with the Parking Authority for 20 years, Miller said.

Egan said ( ) was the key official in instituting the red-light camera program, and played a key role in developing a three-year plan.

Asked what the authority would do if ( )is found guilty of drunken driving, Egan said: "I don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

 

"He knows parking and loves the authority".


HA! If he knew parking, he wouldn't have smashed in to two parked cars!!!

unless of course, he had the authority to do it, since he is a member of the Parking Authority.

 

i hate the Parking authority. we watch them outside building actuall writing up tickets before the meters expired. it is too bad that they would use capital punishment on this knuckle head.

 

What you should do when you see them doing that is go down and act like they are writing a ticket for your car, and ask what they are doing and snap a picture of the meter with time left and get the attendant's name/badge#.
They'll crap their pants.....
Either that, or the more costly option of running ahead of the attendant and feed the machines that are close to expiring with quarters... good-deed-of-the-day.