text: Brilliant!  Why'd I not thought of reviewing some of our wonderful local government entities?  Good thinking, Miles.\n\nThe Parking Authority (or Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh, PPAP) is pretty much the norm for Pittsburgh government: poorly run and really hard to deal with.  (I'm guessing corrupt, too, but that's conjecture.)  \n\nA.) It's 2011.  Why can't I conduct business with them over the web?  Seriously?  I have to physically go in to their office with closing papers or a lease?  I can't even send a .pdf?  Are you kidding?  I guess Pittsburgh would prefer that its residents not have jobs so that they can spend their days dealing with the crappy hours and bureaucratic inefficiency that comes with trying to live in this dysfunctional city.  \n\nB.) I had some contractors over, and I gave them my visitor's pass.  They still got harassed and ticketed until I called in for a waiver.  (Again, I can't do this online?  Really?  It was over the phone - they didn't need any proof of who I was or who the contractors were.  Good idea if you have friends staying long-term.)  When I did call in, all I got was an answering machine.  I left a message to call back, which didn't happen after 3-4 calls.  I finally received a return call after contacting my city councilman's office.  Message: PPAP doesn't work for Pittsburghers, but they move fast for city officials.\n\nC.) Residential permits are required during daylight hours and not at night?  What other f'ing city does this?  Who cares if someone's parked in the neighborhood at noon?  The street's almost completely empty during the day.  Most of the \"hardworking taxpayers\" are at work then!  What's really annoying is when I come home late in the evenings and have to cruise around to find parking.  Lo and behold we run a residential program like most of the others I've seen that restrict parking from 6 or 7 in the evening until the morning.  (We know the real reason for that: the enforcement guys would have to work at night.)\n\n\nOne plus: Despite all of the systemic problems with PPAP, the two employees I've seen the two times I had to go in to the office were friendly in that weird, gruff Pittsburgh-friendly way.\n\n\nNot that they're all that much better, but Fox Chapel and Cranberry look slightly appealing every time I interact with my city government.