By: Joe Sciulli, CAPP (Ret.)

Retiring from an industry that I “fell into” 36 years ago—as so many of you reading this did—I wanted to share as space allows some words of wisdom from my earliest mentors in parking. Call it Parking Philosophy 101.

“Know your numbers!” Repeated early and often by John Brophy and the late Alice Snow-Robinson of Brophy & Associates, Inc.--two individuals who shaped so much of what we take for granted today in municipal parking. This is the essential mantra for any parking person, regardless of station.

“Show me HOW!” Sage advice for PEOs from Bob Wiley--at the time director of enforcement at the Philadelphia Parking Authority--as to how a PEO should never under any circumstance hesitate ask to ask his/her supervisor to demonstrate a requested/required enforcement task. Bob’s simple example suffices, as in, Supervisor: “I want you to jump off that roof.” PEO: “Show me how.”

 “Plan your work, and work your plan.” Simple, essential guidance from Ed Booher, parking meter guru dating to the days of multi-coin, handle-cranking, single-space meters.

“Nothing beats a failure but a try.” Dee Starks, successively a PEO, squad supervisor, analyst and manager of the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s (PPA) ticket writing branch, on the importance of being willing to try new approaches to help improve parking operations and employee morale.

“Enforcement has to be thorough, fair, accurate, and consistent.” Another mantra from Dennis Rosen, then on-street director for the PPA, and with a little rearranging, that’s a good enforcement FACT: be Fair, Accurate, Consistent and Thorough.

But here’s the most important fact of all: my career has benefitted from very many tremendously good, wise and kind people. And I’m looking forward to making their wisdom more widely known in the future.

Adios (for now), my friends.