4 ms·

Good on them. Those metal brackets are legal extortion and utter BS. At least these women are fighting back against it, and I don't begrudge them making some

Good on them. Those metal brackets are legal extortion and utter BS. At least these women are fighting back against it, and I don't begrudge them making some money by undercutting the actual blackmailers. Although I fear it isn't long until law enforcement hires them just as a trap to arrest them.

netsharc 3y ago
FTA, it isn't LE booting the cars, but private parking enforcers hired by the lot owners.
- mustacheemperor 3y ago
  I read the commenter's point to be that eventually the private enforcers will go to LE to try and get them arrested. I won't opine on who the Atlanta PD is more likely to side with in that scenario.
  - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
    > I read the commenter's point to be that eventually the private enforcers will go to LE to try and get them arrested. That was exactly my point.
- prepend 3y ago
  Even worse, it’s usually third parties paying lot owners a percent of their take. It’s kind of weird how it’s set up and I hate every single boot placer. At least tow companies are regulated and have to post information. Getting towed sucks but the point isn’t revenue, but to clear spots. Booting is strange as they want to boot as many people as possible. There’s a lot in Atlanta that is private property and doesn’t allow or charge for parking. They boot your car immediately as you park and then threaten to damage your car unless you pay cash. And they do that as many times as they can. After falling victim, I flagged a car to stop them from parking and the boot operator yelled at me and keyed my car (after getting $85 from me to unboot). Any city that allows booting is a real jerk city.
  - kyleee 3y ago
    Can you share the location?
    - prepend 3y ago
      I don’t remember the exact location as it was many years ago but I think it was an unused business lot downtown near Luckie street before they put in the ferris wheel or in midtown near cypress street in a bank parking lot.
  - ryandrake 3y ago
    I had no idea this was a thing. A private party can just go up to someone's car, lock an immobilizer on it, and then hold that property ransom until the owner pays money. And this is not only legal, but apparently a cottage industry in these cities. Only in America.
    - fuzzfactor 3y ago
      In Houston it's common for towing companies to make deals with managers of apartment complexes to allow them to independently tow vehicles which are not considered fully compliant with some newly added terms the residents are informed about by issuing a memo. Memo crafted by the single "authorized" towing company in addition to strategically placing warning signs only on the limited number of spaces where non-resident visitors are actually allowed to park. Towing company given a gate pass especially intended for after-hours use on their own to scout for victims when everyone is asleep and more cars are present, especially in complexes where there is no shortage of spaces, without warning, and at times when there has been no complaint from law enforcement, residents or managers. I can only imagine there is some hidden compensation to the agreeing manager, perhaps per vehicle, and once that manager moves on, the agreement remains with no undue compensation for future managers unaware that the shady situation was not known to, or initiated by, the actual complex owner's policies.
    - rdtsc 3y ago
      It’s extortion, really. Like the article says, even legally it’s dubious: “You’re trespassing on my property! You’re not welcome here, so I will… immobilize your car so you can stay here longer”

netsharc 3y ago

FTA, it isn't LE booting the cars, but private parking enforcers hired by the lot owners.

mustacheemperor 3y ago
I read the commenter's point to be that eventually the private enforcers will go to LE to try and get them arrested. I won't opine on who the Atlanta PD is more likely to side with in that scenario.
- PrimeMcFly 3y ago
  > I read the commenter's point to be that eventually the private enforcers will go to LE to try and get them arrested. That was exactly my point.
prepend 3y ago
Even worse, it’s usually third parties paying lot owners a percent of their take. It’s kind of weird how it’s set up and I hate every single boot placer. At least tow companies are regulated and have to post information. Getting towed sucks but the point isn’t revenue, but to clear spots. Booting is strange as they want to boot as many people as possible. There’s a lot in Atlanta that is private property and doesn’t allow or charge for parking. They boot your car immediately as you park and then threaten to damage your car unless you pay cash. And they do that as many times as they can. After falling victim, I flagged a car to stop them from parking and the boot operator yelled at me and keyed my car (after getting $85 from me to unboot). Any city that allows booting is a real jerk city.
- kyleee 3y ago
  Can you share the location?
  - prepend 3y ago
    I don’t remember the exact location as it was many years ago but I think it was an unused business lot downtown near Luckie street before they put in the ferris wheel or in midtown near cypress street in a bank parking lot.
- ryandrake 3y ago
  I had no idea this was a thing. A private party can just go up to someone's car, lock an immobilizer on it, and then hold that property ransom until the owner pays money. And this is not only legal, but apparently a cottage industry in these cities. Only in America.
  - fuzzfactor 3y ago
    In Houston it's common for towing companies to make deals with managers of apartment complexes to allow them to independently tow vehicles which are not considered fully compliant with some newly added terms the residents are informed about by issuing a memo. Memo crafted by the single "authorized" towing company in addition to strategically placing warning signs only on the limited number of spaces where non-resident visitors are actually allowed to park. Towing company given a gate pass especially intended for after-hours use on their own to scout for victims when everyone is asleep and more cars are present, especially in complexes where there is no shortage of spaces, without warning, and at times when there has been no complaint from law enforcement, residents or managers. I can only imagine there is some hidden compensation to the agreeing manager, perhaps per vehicle, and once that manager moves on, the agreement remains with no undue compensation for future managers unaware that the shady situation was not known to, or initiated by, the actual complex owner's policies.
  - rdtsc 3y ago
    It’s extortion, really. Like the article says, even legally it’s dubious: “You’re trespassing on my property! You’re not welcome here, so I will… immobilize your car so you can stay here longer”