My nice experience with the MPA

I had a very interesting and nice experience with the Miami Parking Authority (MPA) that I would like to share with you. I am always bitching about them, but this was nice.

Last week, I tried to put money in the meter in front of the post office. As usual, the meter did not work. I tried a credit card and a dollar bill and coins, but the meter said, "Out of Order." So I just left the car and ran to The Ivy, I was picking up a prize for Saturday's Casino night.

When I got back, about 20 minutes later, there was an $18.00 ticket on the windshield. I should have known better since I saw the meter girl down the block at Focaccia and knew she was working her way down. The guys at The Ivy are a hoot and once they engage you in conversation, you don't want to leave -- that dry British humor and all. Also, I ran into the new owners of Bombay Darbar, the new Indian place coming to Commodore Plaza, right next to The Ivy, so that held me up a bit, too with conversation. They are hoping for an opening date in a month or so.

Anyway, I grabbed the ticket, mumbled under my breath and drove away. As I turned the corner, there was the girl from the MPA writing tickets on McDonald Street, next to the post office. I pulled the car over and wanted to explain that they need to get the meter fixed because even though they want people to search around the village for meters that work, it is not going to happen, and people are sitting ducks.

She didn't even let me finish a sentence, she said, "Give me the ticket, I'll void it out." I told her that isn't what I was asking and that I would pay it. She insisted I give it to her and she said, to come with her to the meter, that it was working now. She told me to put a dollar in and pay for parking, it would show good faith and she would void the ticket.

She took my dollar bill and tried it. It did not work. We tried coins. It did not work. Finally, we put a credit card in, and it worked. I got the $1.00 worth of parking and she took that and the parking ticket and she said she would void out the $18.00 ticket. It was a pleasant surprise and not expected at all.

I have a new faith in the MPA. I was told that they are changing their ways.That little nice gesture got me on her side. She acted human, was polite, did the right thing and actually made a fan out of me. That's all I have ever asked for. Decency. We know we have to pay for parking, we just want to be treated with respect.

Of course the machine was doing the same thing the next day (see photo), but this time I moved the car to another spot.