By John Loftus

Times Staff Writer

Going to a ball game already has its down sides.

There's the commute, of course. The cops have directing ballpark traffic down to military precision. But still, what's to like about the slow pace of getting to a parking lot, maybe blocks from the stadium, and the crawl out of that lot three hours later?

It's the penance for being a Phillies fan, and this weekend, that penance might get a lot harsher.

There's a good possibility that SEPTA's city transit workers will go on strike this weekend, just in time for the Phils' historic, almost-60-years-in-the-making World Series rematch with the New York Yankees.

So, if you already thought driving to Citizens Bank Park this weekend was bound to be a pain, factor in the roughly 5,300 people who might ordinarily use SEPTA to get to Pattison Avenue but won't be able to if there's a strike.

Also, there's an Eagles game on Sunday and the Spectrum's last concerts on Friday and Saturday, too.

SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney said Monday that the transit agency expected to announce its strike contingency plans later this week.

As the Times went to press, a transit strike was still a maybe, although a strong possibility. The transit agency and Transport Workers Union Local 234 have plenty to settle. Maloney said SEPTA and the union are still negotiating wages, health-care costs and pensions.

Union members - who pay just 1 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums - have been working without a new contract since March, and local 234's president, Willie Brown, said his members have authorized a strike for as early as the end of this week if there is no contract settlement.

No joke, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "it's going to happen."

"This is the last week we will work without a contract," said the local's vice president Allison Cooper. She said SEPTA's workweek is Sunday through Saturday.

If the union does strike, commuters should expect to see picket lines up at SEPTA facilities. And, yes, Cooper said, that includes the Frankford Transportation Center.

Cooper said she doesn't expect any trouble or arrests of union members. The police department was readying its plans earlier this week, too, as were 4,700 union members who might be doing anything but operating SEPTA vehicles this weekend.

Lt. Frank Vanore, of the police department's public affairs unit, said Tuesday said the force is coordinating its efforts with SEPTA police.

People are encouraged to carpool and arrive early. He said people are being asked to stay out of the sports complex area if they don't have tickets. Some people tailgate in the parking lots and don't go to the games, he said.

"If there's a strike, we're going to need those parking spaces," he said.

The last strike by city transit workers was in 2005. The job action lasted seven days. Buses, trolleys, subway and elevated trains didn't move.

And just like then, according to Maloney, the only SEPTA public transit operating this time around would be the regional rail lines. There are regional rail stations in the Northeast, but those lines get you to Center City, not to South Philly.

The Port Authority Transportation Co. lines will be operating, but even if you thought about driving to Camden, parking there and catching the PATCO to Philly, keep in mind those trains only go to Center City, too.

If there's a transit strike this weekend, the only way you're getting to the stadium is to drive, bike, skate or walk. The blimps that provide the overhead camera shots aren't known for picking up hitchhikers.

Reporter John Loftus can be reached at 215-354-3110 or jloftus@phillynews.com