Proposed Philadelphia bill aims to stop unfair use of 'barnacles' in private parking lots
A Philadelphia City Council member is pushing new limits on a controversial parking enforcement tactic that some drivers say is being used unfairly in private parking lots.
The proposal targets so-called "barnacles," large suction devices that attach to a vehicle's windshield and prevent drivers from seeing well enough to safely drive away.
Councilmember Cindy Bass recently introduced a bill that would ban the use of barnacles in situations where towing would already be illegal under city law.
A 2017 Philadelphia ordinance prohibits private parking lot owners from towing vehicles before police issue a parking ticket. Bass' proposal would apply that same restriction to barnacle devices.
Some residents say they've witnessed questionable enforcement practices in certain lots.
Jerry Ehrlich of the Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood said he saw a dispute last month at a shopping plaza at North 4th and Spring Garden streets after a barnacle was placed on a woman's windshield.
"She was upset and I stopped and I basically said to her, 'I got this,'" Ehrlich said. "We called the police, the police came, and they told them to take the boot off because what they did was illegal."
Ehrlich said he has seen similar incidents at the plaza, where drivers briefly leave their cars and return to find a barnacle attached and a fee required for removal.
In one case, he said, a driver with a company truck was initially charged $250 and was later offered a lower price if he paid in cash.
"This is predatory towing," Ehrlich said. "You have one price here and then they're asking a different price when you have the boot on the car."
Signs posted at the lot warn that the property is private and list fees for unauthorized vehicles, though no barnacles were visible there recently.
Some people say they understand the concern from the property owners and feel the frustration from drivers.
"I think you should respect the owner's private property," Yauheni Marchamka, who was visiting Philadelphia, said. "But at the same time, I don't think you should have been that rough on people for a five- or 10-minute delay."
If approved, Bass' bill would impose a $1,000 fine on violators.