Parking Wars
Encyclopedia
Parking Wars is a reality television
series which airs on the A&E
television network. The program follows traffic enforcement employees as they ticket
, "boot,"
and tow
cars as part of their parking enforcement duties.
The show began airing on January 8, 2008. Its latest season, the fifth, was broadcast on A&E from April 16 through June 18, 2011.
(PPA) and their daily work: ticketing, booting (via wheel clamp
), and towing
cars, and dealing with the issues that arise with the public when they try to retrieve their vehicles from the impound lots.
Each episode consists of three segments, shown either in chronological order of a car entering the PPA violation system (ticket, boot
/tow, impound) or reverse chronological order. Most of the "Booting" segments feature the team of Steve (better known by his last name, "Garfield"), a longtime PPA employee and self-professed "gadget geek," and his partner Sherry, who has "the fastest fingers on the Eastern Seaboard
" according to her partner, as they travel on their assigned beats to track down cars with three tickets or more, all at least six months old and "boot" them so that the owner cannot continue to drive the car until they pay the outstanding fines.
One of the PPA tow truck drivers featured in the series, Martin, died shortly before the show's debut. The show's official page at aetv.com has a section dedicated to his memory.
in Philadelphia. In the third season, Detroit's MPD (Municipal Parking Department) was added as a filming location as well, in addition to the PPA.
In 2010, the fourth season was filmed in Hoboken, New Jersey
, in addition to Detroit and Philadelphia. This season was seen on A&E Tuesday nights from October 12, 2010 to November 23, 2010; when the series returned in April 2011, it was broadcast on Saturday nights.
and auction
ing. When the series debuted seven years later in 2008, the narrator was dropped in favor of the employees telling the stories themselves, each episode had three separate segments, and the adjudication and auctioning aspects were no longer featured (with towing only featured very occasionally). Some of the staffers that appeared in the documentary, such as boot crew member Steve Garfield, would later be seen in the series. When this documentary was rebroadcast after the start of the series, it was listed in television listings as "The Lost Pilot".
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series which airs on the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
television network. The program follows traffic enforcement employees as they ticket
Traffic ticket
A traffic ticket is a notice issued by a law enforcement official to a motorist or other road user, accusing violation of traffic laws. Traffic tickets generally come in two forms, citing a moving violation, such as exceeding the speed limit, or a non-moving violation, such as a parking violation,...
, "boot,"
Wheel clamp
A wheel clamp, also known as wheel boot or Denver boot, is a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.In the United States, these devices...
and tow
Tow
In the composites industry, a tow is an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments, and it refers to man-made fibres, particularly carbon fibres ....
cars as part of their parking enforcement duties.
The show began airing on January 8, 2008. Its latest season, the fifth, was broadcast on A&E from April 16 through June 18, 2011.
Background
The series' original focus was on the employees of the Philadelphia Parking AuthorityPhiladelphia Parking Authority
The Philadelphia Parking Authority was created by a Philadelphia City Council ordinance adopted on January 11, 1950, as authorized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Parking Authority Law The Philadelphia Parking Authority was created by a Philadelphia City Council ordinance adopted on January 11,...
(PPA) and their daily work: ticketing, booting (via wheel clamp
Wheel clamp
A wheel clamp, also known as wheel boot or Denver boot, is a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.In the United States, these devices...
), and towing
Towing
Towing is the process of pulling or drawing behind a chain, line, bar or some other form of couplings. Towing is most visibly performed by road vehicles, but anything from waterborne vessels to tractors to people can tow cargo. Troop carrying and cargo carrying gliders were towed behind powered...
cars, and dealing with the issues that arise with the public when they try to retrieve their vehicles from the impound lots.
Each episode consists of three segments, shown either in chronological order of a car entering the PPA violation system (ticket, boot
Wheel clamp
A wheel clamp, also known as wheel boot or Denver boot, is a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.In the United States, these devices...
/tow, impound) or reverse chronological order. Most of the "Booting" segments feature the team of Steve (better known by his last name, "Garfield"), a longtime PPA employee and self-professed "gadget geek," and his partner Sherry, who has "the fastest fingers on the Eastern Seaboard
Seaboard
Seaboard is a synonym for coast.Seaboard can also refer to:* Seaboard, North Carolina* Seaboard Corporation, an international agribusiness company...
" according to her partner, as they travel on their assigned beats to track down cars with three tickets or more, all at least six months old and "boot" them so that the owner cannot continue to drive the car until they pay the outstanding fines.
One of the PPA tow truck drivers featured in the series, Martin, died shortly before the show's debut. The show's official page at aetv.com has a section dedicated to his memory.
Production
The first three seasons of Parking Wars were filmed on locationFilming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...
in Philadelphia. In the third season, Detroit's MPD (Municipal Parking Department) was added as a filming location as well, in addition to the PPA.
In 2010, the fourth season was filmed in Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, in addition to Detroit and Philadelphia. This season was seen on A&E Tuesday nights from October 12, 2010 to November 23, 2010; when the series returned in April 2011, it was broadcast on Saturday nights.
2001 documentary
The series was based on a 2001 documentary of the same name about the PPA, produced for A&E and Britain's Channel 5, about a day in the life of the PPA, from morning to late night, taped in April 2001. The documentary featured off-screen narration by Daniel Jenkins, as well as all elements of the PPA's operation—ticketing, booting, impounding, towing, adjudicationAdjudication
Adjudication is the legal process by which an arbiter or judge reviews evidence and argumentation including legal reasoning set forth by opposing parties or litigants to come to a decision which determines rights and obligations between the parties involved....
and auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
ing. When the series debuted seven years later in 2008, the narrator was dropped in favor of the employees telling the stories themselves, each episode had three separate segments, and the adjudication and auctioning aspects were no longer featured (with towing only featured very occasionally). Some of the staffers that appeared in the documentary, such as boot crew member Steve Garfield, would later be seen in the series. When this documentary was rebroadcast after the start of the series, it was listed in television listings as "The Lost Pilot".