How long til they tow??

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

So, there's now a booted Prius next door to my house. It's got a lovely 8.5x11 sign saying Do Not Move This Car due to too many unpaid parking tickets.

For a city that is short on parking and that bitches if you leave a car in the same spot for >2days, booting a car in to place really seems like they're laughing at the rest of us.

How long til they hand it over to the ever-despicable Pat's? (Yes, I think the parking regs are mostly crap, and I hate when my car gets towed, but really, making sure it doesn't ever move? Is that fair to the rest of us?)

[ETA, at 3:06pm: It's gone. I didn't notice a tow truck, but who knows... either it's been towed or a lot of money was just paid to the parking dept...]

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I wonder if one can buy fake boots and use them as a long-term parking strategy...

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I've had the same thought.. it's a risky one, though. :)

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

highly, highly unlikely.

these guys actually catch on to fake things pretty quickly, and you'd have to have the 8.5x11 sticker too, etc. and even then (see my other comment) that's a lot of work for three days ;)

Booted due to snow burial?

[djethan.livejournal.com]

Is it easily drivable? Or is it buried in snow? If the latter I wonder if it's booted to avoid damage from any towing attempt...

FWIW - there are several cars in the Union Square area that have sat there for weeks, buried in snow. The most city action I've seen is a single ticket stuffed in between the front and back door crack.

A side-gripe - as of this morning on Stone Ave there is a large SUV straddling two usable spots (i.e front end in one spot, back end in the other). Most inconsiderate given the current parking situation. I'm tempted to tape a note on the driver's window but don't want to get my head smashed in. Any other approaches people might recommend?

Re: Booted due to snow burial?

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

It was in a well cleared space and hadn't been there yesterday.

from IM the other night

[thespian.livejournal.com]

thespian: you know what I think we should do? empower the MBTA to ticket and tow people who park in bus stop areas, and keep the collected monies.
hammercock: fine by me
hammercock: I'd be all for more towing cars blocking the streets through poor parking right now if most of that money weren't going to fucking pat's tow.
hammercock: hate hate hate hate hate that place
thespian: we could start our own tow company.
thespian: make it more pleasant?
thespian: leave some roses when we take the car?
hammercock: the friendly towing company..
hammercock: hey, why the hell not? and I wouldn't buy a fucking hummer with the proceeds.
thespian: haiku messages! We apologize / Your car's destiny was sad / Calling will save it.
hammercock: heh
hammercock: 404 - car not found
thespian: oooh. we could give them the location of the tow yard in long/lat. like geocaching, but for your $17000 vehicle that you need for work the next morning.
hammercock: hey, they've surely got a GPS handy.
thespian: depends if they leave it in the car or not. that'll learn 'em.

Re: from IM the other night

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

I like this comment.

Re: from IM the other night

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

haha, I like the haiku

Re: from IM the other night

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I was having a similar idea, only I was thinking it could be volunteer run, with the proceeds going to charity. Or to improve the streets. Or something else that would make me feel less ripped off. Great minds, and all:)

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

So how long was it there, all in all? Presumably it had been there for longer than the hour or so between your post and your noticing that it was beng towed, but I'm wondering if it had been there for days or just since the morning?

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

as someone whose had their car booted more than once, it's 3 days before it gets towed, at least in cambridge. but even if you pay it, they can't always come right away to remove the boot. they only work x hours per day, basically out with a list of people that have more than x number of tickets. if you didn't notice anyone out there clanking around removing the boot, it might have gotten towed if it was already there for awhile.

though i feel like i've seen (and i think we all have) those cars that look like they've been booted for years in other places.

[leko.livejournal.com]

There was a silver vw bug (the new kind) booted on broadway near teele for what seemed like months a couple years ago.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

yeah see, i can't figure it out. i've definitely asked, and also the sticker you get (again, at least in cambridge) flat out says it will be towed in 72 hours. sometimes this flexes a little if they don't get to you that day, but that's pretty much it. so what's the difference between those cars and the ones that get completely drowned in leaves or snow or whatever and are essentially abandoned? hm.

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

There's a car on our street that's been in the same spot since last May, give or take, totally taking up a valuable parking real estate. Expired resident parking sticker, expired registration, now totally buried in snow. We were shocked to see it booted a few weeks ago (before the spate of crazy storms) but now the boot is gone and the car is still where it's been for almost a year. I know the people who live on the street own it, but it's mystifying to me why there are never any tickets on it and it remains with all sorts of expired everything. They never even moved it for street cleaning and I never saw a ticket on it. Meanwhile, last winter I got a ticket for the 48 hour rule on the third day it was parked in the same spot IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. None of it seems to make any sense. Very frustrating.

[ratheripped.livejournal.com]

What's the 48 hour rule? Even if you have a permit they can ticket you if you leave your car in the same spot for 2 days? WTF? I've definitely gone on vacation for 4-5 days and never got ticketed. There's definitely cars on my street that sit in the same spot for months with no ticket. Mind you I don't live in or near one of the squares where finding a resident spot is a bitch.... nor do the parking people rely patrol frequently on my street.