Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pennsylvania

Car accident; No information about other driver.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:49:46 -0800

My mother got into an auto accident in Pennsylvania earlier today. She did not take down the other driver's information other than the license plate. What are her options? She was stopped behind a pickup truck at a traffic light. The pickup truck went out too far into the intersection, and then backed into her trying to clear the way for a tractor trailer.

She looked at the car and thought there was no damage, so she let him go without taking down any information. My grandmother, who was also in the car, wrote down the pickup truck's license plate (probably Pennsylvania, but not noted.)

Upon getting home, it was discovered that there is actually some damage to the front of the car -- scratches, a bent grill, and some missing parts of the grill.

My parents are going to contact their insurance company for advice on what to do and hopefully file a police report. I also told her to write down anything she can remember about it at this point, like the color of the truck, time, intersection where it happened, etc. Is there anything else they should be doing?

Philadelphia suburbs?

bluejayk — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:32:18 -0800

Where in the Philadelphia suburbs should I live for two months? So, here we go again, new temporary job posting, and I'm counting on mefites out there familiar with the Philly area to help me out. I'm going to be working two days a week at or very near Bryn Mawn College, and two days a week in Harrisburg, PA. Extra time working will probably be spent in as yet unknown parts of the Philadelphia suburbs. So I need to find housing, where is the coolest/best place to live for someone like me? Here's the consideration:

Employer's budget is not set in stone, but probably maxes out around $1500. I will have a car. I like to bike and to walk, access to parks is nice. I am not scared of any but the very worst neighborhoods. I am cool with an apartment, or a small house if they are available for cheap. I would like an area that would help me avoid heavy traffic on the commute to Harrisburg (which will occur near the evening rush hour). Access to trains would be a great bonus, but not necessary.

What neighborhoods should I look at? I've only been to Philadelphia once in my life and have no experience with the suburbs there, so I really have no idea.

Also, of course, any general advice for someone new to the area would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Oh baby, did I just blow it?

shiu mai baby — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:33:24 -0800

Are baby showers, by default, supposed to be surprises? A few weeks ago a few friends threw a lovely baby shower for me. It was supposed to be a surprise, but several out-of-town family members ruined the surprise for me. I was fairly peeved by their unintentional thoughtlessness until I found out that the organizers didn't actually specify that it was supposed to be a surprise. At the time, I just wrote it off to an oversight on the part of the planners, but now I'm not so sure.

Why? Because just now I was discussing baby showers with a pregnant friend of mine (one of the organizers of my party, btw), explaining that I might or might not be able to make hers, because I was totally going to try but that it's also just a few days after I'm supposed to have this kid, but I'm still going to do my very best to be there for her. She was perfectly gracious about it, but then she was like, "don't let anyone know you said anything to me!!"

Again: the shower invite said nothing about the party being a surprise, so I had no reason to keep mum about it, but somehow I feel like I've just committed a faux pas.

So: should one always assume that baby showers are surprises? Is this some sort of east coast/pennsylvania-area tradition? I consider myself fairly well-versed in all things etiquette, but in my mind if you're throwing a surprise party for a person, whether we're talking showers or birthdays or anniversaries or whatevers, YOU SAY EXPLICITLY ON THE INVITE THAT IT IS A SURPRISE. Am I wrong? Have I just completely stepped in it, or is it a simple case of regional culture clash?

What is a good route to avoid Pennsylvania mountain roads?

Lt. Bunny Wigglesworth — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:49:35 -0800

What is a good route to avoid Pennsylvania mountain roads? I recently got a job in Illinois, far west from my home state of New Jersey. I still like to drive home for special occasions and have usually used I-80 to do so. With each trip, however, I get more and more anxious about traveling this road in Pennsylvania, where there are large drops barricaded with only the merest suggestion of a guard rail for protection, and in some spots where they are doing work the guardrail has been removed. I am worried enough about this road in fair weather, but now each new trip seems to be adding to the ante (thunderstorms, icy roads, white-out conditions, no guardrails)....

There was a post here last year about avoiding icy, mountain roads in a trip from NY to NV, and someone suggested I-78. I think the OP was talking about avoiding the mountains in CO, so I am wondering if I-78 will help me avoid mountains on the east coast, too. I don't mind mountains per se, I just want a route that is a little less stressful, other mountain roads with higher, sturdier guardrails would be okay.

Thanks in advance!

Road trip suggestions?

obliquicity — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:46:48 -0800

Road trip! My mom and I are driving from Eastern Long Island to Stillwater, OK, via (tentatively) Harrisburg PA, Charleston WV, Mammoth Cave State Park KY, St Louis MO, and Bartlesville OK. I'd like suggestions of things we might do along the way, as this breaks down to only about 5 hours of driving per day, so we have some touristy time! So at the moment we have a night at the Price Tower in Bartlesville, OK, set in stone -- but apart from that, our itinerary is mostly flexible. The current list of stops is based on searching through AskMe archives for road trip suggestions, and then dividing the distances without recommended stops into 5-hour chunks to fill our time before arriving in Bartlesville. To give you an idea of what we like, when I googled Harrisburg and Charleston I made notes of the following intriguing-sounding tourist attractions:

Harrisburg: National Civil War Museum, Sunken Gardens at Riverfront Park
Charleston: Beckley exhibition coal mine, Craik-Patton house, South Charleston Indian Mound, New River Gorge National River

As I said, apart from Price Tower, nothing, including our route, is set in stone -- we've never driven through these parts of the country before, so we're open to all suggestions.

Oh, and bonus (for me!) if you have vegan dining suggestions along that route...

Inner-tubing near Philadelphia?

catesbie — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:19:54 -0800

Where can we go tubing near Philadelphia? We're looking for as little activity as possible this weekend, and lying in an inner tube drifting down a river sounds pretty much ideal. We live in Philadelphia. Any recommendations on inner-tubing establishments within a reasonable (hour and a half, say) drive of the city?

Many bonus points if any of these places will let us bring a cooler full of beer, though I'm beginning to suspect that there is a state law against it. (No idea about neighboring states, though...)

Road Construction PA Westbound I-80 vs Turnpike?

Chanther — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:44:15 -0800

At the moment, if one wants to drive westward through Pennsylvania, is it a better bet to take I-80 or the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-70/76) through the state? What's the construction like on those two routes? Under ordinary circumstances, I'd say I-80. But I don't know if there's a significant amount of construction on either interstate at the moment. Have you driven there recently, and can you clue me in?

The PA Department of Transportation has a map, but it's only available if you have IE, and I don't - and I'm leaving in six hours.

Thanks for your help.

Help for the Disabled in Pennsylvania

Danila — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:27:35 -0800

(Philadelphia) Pennsylvania filter: Tell me everything available to a poor disabled person in this state. I would exclude anything easily found on the HHS or DPW websites but nah, tell me about anything you think is nifty. My friend in Ohio told me that her state paid for a computer and a $10,000 sewing machine so she could start a business. Another Ohioan was put through a bachelor's program fully funded by the state. People in other cities get housing through "housing choice" programs (but that list is closed here in Philadelphia and has been for years as long as I've been checking).

I already have:

- medical assistance through medicaid and medicare (although dental options would be great since Keystone 65 Complete doesn't cover it)

- Last year I used a UESF grant for utilities and must wait another year to receive one

- a psychiatric nurse who comes to my home so mental health is covered

- enough in food stamps

I know I could use:

- housing! live with broke parents (one of whom is disabled) and most of my SSDI check goes toward household expenses, and it's still more than I can afford, I must get out of here, but even if I had first, last and security I get turned down for apartments due to income

- utility assistance (because I live with my parents and one of them has a job, so while I dream of things like LIHEAP, the household income is always just a few thousand too much)
When I got the other grant, I had a lease signed by my father that reflected all the money I put into the household as rent and the fact that the utilities, while not in my name, are solely my responsibility
However, any other time I try this, I am told the utilities need to be in my name. I don't want to put them in my name and be responsible forever.

- money to pay off student loans

- any help paying for the next two years of college (getting my associates on Saturday, transitioning to a bachelor's program this summer/fall)

But those are just the mundane things I know I'd like in a perfect world. I want to know about everything anyone else knows. My income is about $10,000 per year from SSDI, I have nothing else, and no assets.

Thanks if anyone knows anything at all.

Why are these trees sick?

Toekneesan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:54:00 -0800

A lot of the Black Walnut trees in the area are dying. I can't quite figure out why. Common trait, most lost a lot of bark just before they died or just after. Some locals blamed a wet spring last year but I'm looking for something more specific. At least 10 trees last year, most over 10 years old, many older, have died within our little village of less than a city block. Central Pennsylvania. Any ideas?

Misdemeanor Cleaner?

26.2 — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:37:31 -0800

Is there a process to have a misdemeanor expunged from someone's record in Pennsylvania? Some details about the guilty party. The offense happened two weeks after her 18th birthday. It's been 4 years; she's paid her fines, made full restitution and completed her community service and probation. She has stayed completely out of trouble and is now raising her son and daughter. She's also taking classes and working part-time. If it matters, she feels genuine remorse for the crime.

She's generally a good kid who made a very serious mistake for which she's paid a very high price. Is there any chance to get this expunged in PA? If so, what is the process?

I'd be willing to give her the money for lawyer's fees. However, I don't want to get her hopes up if there isn't a likelihood of success.

Rustbelt Roadtrip!

lunasol — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:13:27 -0800

Looking for tips for my upcoming Minneapolis - New York roadtrip. Specifically, where should I sleep, and are there cool things along the way I should check out? I'll be by myself and this will be in December. I've done variations on this trip several times, but never by myself and always in a rush. Since i'll be doing this trip alone, I plan on pacing myself: 19 hours over three or maybe even four days. Here's a map of the route I'm likely to take, with this route as an alternative.

Questions:

Where are good places to stay along this route? I'd like to try to stay in some cute towns, as opposed to a strip mall motel or spending 3 hours getting into and out of a city like Chicago. I'm really into old industrial towns, which there should be a lot of along this route. Or a college town could be good. Either way, a hotel/motel in town where I can walk to a nearby restaurant/coffee shop after a day of driving would be perfect, and I'd like to keep it under $100/night.

Any other good places to stop along the way? I'm looking for good places to eat (ie, great examples of local cuisine, exceptional road food, diners, etc) or cool historical spots, or really anything interesting along the way to break up the monotony of the road.

Also, I've read a lot of the other road trip questions, but I'll certainly take any general road trip advice you've got. I've never done such a long trip by myself!

To answer questions that might come up: I have a AAA membership, I plan on tuning up my car before I go, and yes, this trip does need to be made by car.

Reading Rainbow

Parasite Unseen — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:55:23 -0800

Help a friend survive in Reading, PA. Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, a friend of mine has been forced to move back in with her parents in Reading, PA. She's grateful that her parents are giving her a hand, but she's starting to go a little bit crazy and she feels very isolated. Her life prior to this was in Los Angeles and New Orleans, so she's away from her friends and experiencing a little bit of culture shock. Please help me find things nearby that will ease the ache of homesickness for her.

The lady in question is in her mid-twenties. She doesn't have drive, so anything will need to be within biking distance or easily reached via public transportation. Her interests veer towards the nerdy (roleplaying games, comic books, science fiction and fantasy), she has a strong artistic streak, and her previous social circles seemed inclined to gather in goth/fetish clubs. Local businesses, museums or groups that cater to that sort of crowd would be appreciated (also, let me know if any of them do gift certificates, as I may be in the market to send her a little something to increase her cheer level). Also, please keep in mind that her funds are very limited right now. This isn't to say that you shouldn't make a suggestion if something perfect happens to cost a bit, but cheaper is definitely better in this case.

I know that this is a bit of a long shot, Hive Mind, but I'd be really grateful if you could help me help her feel a little bit less cut off from the world that she loves.

Where-ever Shall We Go?

mmahaffie — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:59:22 -0800

What's cool to see/visit in western Pennsylvania? I'm considering organizing a family trip into central and western Pennsylvania. There's a family function (my lovely wife's family) near Johnstown and I have always wanted to visit Mahaffey, PA (founded, I think, by an ancestor). So I wonder of there are a few places out that way worth taking my teen and tween daughters to see.

Not-quite-unemployment insurance?

DoctorFedora — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:36:38 -0800

Just got cut down to 12 hours a week at my job (originally 40, then 24). Am I eligible for unemployment in Pennsylvania due to lost hours? And how would I apply for it, then?

52 * 25 * $50 * 1.5 = Windfall?

brandnew — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:17:47 -0800

I'm a software developer in Pennsylvania. Am I eligible for overtime? I haven't lived in Pennsylvania (PA) all that long. At past jobs, the state law on overtime always followed the federal law. That is, computer workers are not eligible for overtime.

Recently a friend of mine forwarded me to a page that describes the law in Pennsylvania:

http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?A=142&Q=214574

The language is somewhat obscure and ambiguous. At the top it states:

"However, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage Act do not require overtime pay for “any employee engaged in a bona-fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity” who is paid on a salaried basis instead of an hourly wage. (29 U.S.C. § 213a(1), 43 P.S. § 333.105a(5))."

But, then in a lower section it states:

"Pennsylvania employers must be aware that the federal or Pennsylvania overtime provision that provides for the greater benefit to the employee is the standard that will be enforced. An employer must pay overtime if the new Federal rules or Pennsylvania law requires overtime payment.

For example, the Federal rules do not require overtime for computer employees. However, Pennsylvania law currently requires overtime for computer employees. accordingly, overtime must be paid to computer employees if there are no other Pennsylvania laws excluding these employees from overtime."

Anyone have any ideas? It's ambiguous to me, because I'm salary. But, I'm also a computer worker, and I'm not a professional. But, then again no salaried computer worker working in PA that I know gets overtime. But, it's also a big deal, because it could be worth over $90k to me.

Where to eat & what to do in PGH

The Michael The — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:10:07 -0800

I'm going to be visiting Pittsburgh this weekend with four friends, staying downtown (I think City Center is the correct term?) near the Mellon Arena. We're already planning on visiting the Church Brew Works on Friday and seeing a Pirates game on Saturday. What can you recommend in terms of places to go and great eating options within walking distance of downtown/PNC Bank park? Two of us are vegetarians, and we're into cool record stores, bike shops, pubs, brunches, great independent restaurants and shops, and things unique to the city.

How can I get enough money to replace my car?

Alison — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:19:12 -0800

How do I get a fair settlement for my totaled car in Pennsylvania? The insurance adjuster insists that I am not owed the replacement value of my car and refuses to budge. My neighbor hit a patch of black ice a few weeks ago and struck my unoccupied, parked 1996 Mazda Protege. A few days ago the insurance adjuster (Traveler's insurance) came back with a settlement of about $3300 based on the NADA book value.

I looked around and the Kelley Blue Book value for my car starts at about $3500 and goes up to $4300, with my low mileage car (~49,000 miles) in the upper range. Even cars with twice the miles are retailing at $4000. I've been collecting sales ads for replacement cars due to the good advice in this thread.

The adjuster refuses to budge and insists that I am only owed the NADA value of my car and nothing more in the State of Pennsylvania, even if a replacement vehicle would cost much more. They won't even consider retail prices for equivalent vehicles and were very short with me when I brought up the option.

My insurance (Geico) has been absolutely no help and has left me to take care of this on my own. I'm considering retaining legal counsel, but I don't know how to sort through all of the ambulance chasers. I'm not even sure if it will be worth it for less than $1000 difference.

I've contacted the state insurance bureau, but it will take them a few days to answer my question.

So, how does this work for Pennsylvania? Am I not entitled to the cost of a replacement car? Is the insurance adjuster even telling me the truth about PA law? They're taking the rental car back on Friday so I'd like to have a course of action planned by then.

Pittsburgh as a grad student?

killdevil — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:31:52 -0800

What's it like to live in Pittsburgh as a grad student? I know virtually nothing about the city, and have only visited once. Please tell me about the ups and downs of living in Pittsburgh!

Beyond the basics, I'm a highly active, outdoorsy person and would be interested to learn whether the city, its surroundings and its climate are conducive to cycling, running, and other such activities.

Help me find information about Coatesville, Pa.

deafmute — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:46:25 -0800

I need to write a twenty page paper about the economic and social situation of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, a dying rust-belt steel town. Is there a Coatesville expert in the room? Someone who grew up there? Someone who spent time there or did business there? I need your expertise, or at the very least access to resources that might not be readily apparent to me. I've already got a visit to the National Iron & Steel Heritage Museum planned, and I have access to reams of census data, a car, and the Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project, but I'm looking to deeply massage the Mefi hivemind, to suss out any local experience or knowledge anyone might have.

I need to focus on the interface between global economic forces and local economies that eventually torpedoed this city, so if you have any expertise in that area, awesome.

PA Primary deadline?

furiousxgeorge — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:53:52 -0800

Is there a deadline to register as a Democrat to be eligible to vote in the upcoming primary in Pennsylvania? I'm registered as independent, and I'm used to the primary in PA not meaning much, but it is possible this time around it could be important. I feel pretty strongly Obama should get the nod and Hillary will be his toughest opponent, not the Republicans, so I'd like to give him a vote now if I have time to switch my party affiliation.

Locals in Southampton, PA: Good Hotel Near Russian Baths?

kalessin — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:33:51 -0800

For nearby natives, I want to know if there are good hotels you know of near the Southampton Spa in Southampton, Pennsylvania. I will of course also just call them and ask them.

I plan to take my sweetie on a well-after-the-holidays long weekend trip there for her holiday present (it's what she asked for) and I want to make the visit as painless and lovely as possible. Thanks in advance!

We may also take part of the weekend to visit nearby friends in Philadelphia, so we will probably have a car with us on the trip.

How long can I drive a car before turning it over to the insurance company?

tss — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:07:15 -0800

Someone hit my car. Their insurance company wants to total it. How long can I drive it before they take it away? I hope you'll bear with me. This will take some explaining:

Here in Pennsylvania, my '97 Nissan Sentra was fender-bent by a nice person who left a note under my wipers. As an older vehicle, the Nissan's repair costs are higher than its value... by a little bit. I had the car checked and it's mechanically sound, safe, and even capable of passing an ordinary PA state inspection. However, the insurance company wants to declare it a total loss and take it off my hands.

I could buy it back from the insurance company after they pay me for it, but then the car would be considered a "reconstructed vehicle". Here in PA that means a special, expensive, rigorous inspection designed to keep hucksters from selling totaled lemons to grannies. Passing that one could be hard for any ten year old car, I gather.

On the phone with the insurance company I've noticed that the representatives have been, well, coy about putting a date on when I have to decide what to do with my vehicle. I've been warned that waiting too long and building up mileage on the car will lower its value and hence diminish the eventual insurance payout. Which brought the question:

Me: So, ah, hypothetically speaking, what happens if I drive it around for, say, two years and then make up my mind?

Rep: I don't like to deal in hypotheticals...

She went on to say that the claim would be closed and reopened, and then repeated her warning about the car's value dropping with more mileage. But she didn't fit a deadline. Does this mean that, basically, I can drive my car around until I was planning to get rid of it anyway, and assuming I don't have an accident, the insurance company is obliged to buy it when I'm done with it for what it would be worth without the big dent? Here are the questions I need help with:

First, see question above. Then, assuming the answer is yes,

Is it ethical? Some thoughts about who's involved: the insurance company would be paying me anyway---now they can hold onto the money longer and invest it, then pay me less money in the end. The company might also choose not to raise the rates of the at-fault party until the payment---good for the at-fault party now, but perhaps an unexpected surprise later on. I'm owed money for my loss, but if my plans haven't really changed, how much of a loss is it? (Trade-in value, I suppose...)

Is it legal? This I can't answer... perhaps there's a statute of limitations? But the claim is already filed... it's just on hold. (YANAL, I know...)

Surely there's weirdness in NE PA?

killerinsideme — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:45:33 -0800

Some weekend this January or maybe February my boyfriend and I will be making our way from our home in Philly to Stroudsburg, PA to partake in some indoor go-karting activities (as a belated Xmas gift for him), and to get the hell out of town to a destination other than relatives. It's a bit of a hike and, like I said, we need to get out of the city for a bit. If we tried to make a weekend of it, is there some offbeat stuff we could do as we make our way along 476N to Allentown, 78E past Bethlehem to Easton, and 209N to Stroudsburg (and back)? I mean goofy museums, odd shopping, strange places to stay, weird photo ops. I saw a billboard for an Unclaimed Freight store and I'm checking roadsideamerica.com, but I'm not coming up with much as you can see and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Not saving a bunch of money on my car insurance...

kdar — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:08:07 -0800

Car in PA, registered in DC, now living (and insured) in NY. Geico wants a LOT of money from me. I don't want to pay NY rates. What can I do? I have Geico insurance. I moved to NYC in August and left my car at my girlfriend's parent's house in Pennsylvania. I have a DC license, a New York address, and DC tags on the car. (Yes, I realize that the DC tags and registration are probably illegal, as is the DC license technically. Please don't lecture me.)

The plan is, and has been for months, to get it out to California for my girlfriend to use while she's in graduate school. Unfortunately, until that happens, Geico picked up my change of address and is charging me for NYC insurance. I think they assume that I've registered the car in NY too. This costs $900/yr more than DC did, and this is something that I don't particularly want to spend money on, if possible. I can afford it, but just barely, and I don't want to spend extra money on insurance for a car that's not and never will be in the city it's insured in.

What are some good options -- other than selling the car, which I'm not prepared to do -- to deal with this insurance nightmare?

Bonus points for good suggestions for getting it out to Cali.

Help me find the best corn maze in SE PA!

jrossi4r — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:20:32 -0800

Help me find the best corn maze in SE PA! My favorite corn maze in Limerick closed down a few years ago and the ones we've tried since just aren't quite as good. Does anyone have any recommendations for good corn mazes in Bucks, Montgomery or Chester county?

I'm looking for a reasonably difficult maze and I prefer the kind with stations inside. I don't like the kind where you answer questions to determine which direction to go.

It would be extra awesome if there were other things to do at the maze like hay rides or a petting zoo. Thanks!