Wheel Clamp Parking Boot

[AlanJames]

Just now, in Atlanta, GA I was forced to pay $75 to remove a parking boot from my little ol' 50cc 2003 Zuma.

Apparently they can still do that to you, even though its only a freaking scooteR!

Has this ever happened to anyone else? I should have taken a picture, because it was so stupid. I had parked on a sidewalk, ran into chik-fil-a bought a spicy chicken deluxe sandwich. 5 minutes it took to get my sandwich, and upon return to the scoot. I see some guy walking away from it with a boot installed on the rear tire.

I am unsure about the legality of booting a scooter. But the guy yells at me that "ITSA A MOTER VEHICLE!" and i say whatever man, heres my plastic card now remove it.

Super freaking retarded.

[Old School]

Is there a local ordinance against parking motor vehicles on the sidewalk? Does the local gov consider a scooter to be a motor vehicle? You gotta look up your city/county/state codes and see.

[AlanJames]

The guy said it was a private sidewalk?

Looking back I should have just had it towed back to my house, then bought a serious metal-cutting saw and sawed the thing off. It would have only cost like 250$ more to do that than to pay the fine.

But I'll look up the laws.


I'm considering buying a pick-up truck and a metal-cutting saw. Then I can just park wherever I want, and If i ever get booted again- I'll just place my scooter into my pick-up truck, take it back to my place and saw the boot off.

It was acutally like a metal-claw. Imagine a simple metal claw around your back tire.

[Old School]

Sidewalks are often required by the local municipality but 'owned' by the business. That being said, I would check with the business and see if the guy was legit, or just bought himself a clamp and a card reader and is scamming people.

[Old School]

Oh, and in order for the law to be enforced, it has to have a sign posted a minimum of 24 hours prior to enforcement with details as to who to call if your vehicle is clamped.

[AlanJames]

Well, I'm calling and am asking for a refund. If I do not receive said refund- I will park there again, and this time their boot will be stolen. This will undoubtedly cost me more than paying the fine, but for the principle of the matter it will be well worth it.

I could easily steal their boot- I think they know this, so they better give me a refund.

If i invest my money in a saw- I could cause their company a lot of pain.

[AlanJames]

If this ever happens again to my scooter. I wont pay. Ill just tow and cut the thing off myself.

[mpathus]

Sorry to hear of your being "robbed" by grey ordinances. Any way to pick/defeat a wrongly applied clamp lock?

In the city of Baltimore Md. all motor vehicles must be registered, but the State of Maryland won't register 50cc scooters, so if the authorities are "peevish" they could give you a hard time.

That being said, I've seen 50cc untagged scoots parked within city limits, kids on untagged enduros, etc. - so I guess it's one of those discretionary enforcement issues where basically everyone is out of compliance with any host of regulations so the police can get you off the street.

Makes it hard for me to justify visiting the city on scoot, as they are so screwed up anyway - imo.

Best luck resolving your problem.

[AlanJames]

This was a private lot with a private company.

I'm thinking if i ever park there again, and get the boot- I can just disappear with it. I have no license they don't know who owns the scooter or anything like that. So, me walking away with my scooter is completely legal. It would then be their responsibility to get thier boot back from me.

I'm probably going to bate these motherF***ers in the comming weeks. I'm looking at a $50 electric metal saw that will do the trick. I'm also looking at scooter trailers that can attach to a car.

This could be an ongoing thing where I steal a ton of their boots.

[Old School]

Steal the boot, invest in a lock picking kit, get a collection of boots you can resell online...

[mpathus]

Oh, just remembered - In Maryland I've seen on the law books (COMAR) little known specific regulations that allow treble damages for towing companies that take cars illegally. If what Old School said about posting requirements is the same in Atlanta, then those persons giving you grief for doing something within your right might be liable for an infringement of sorts (unless you were asked to leave the lot for instance if there were no sign). I guess your remedy would be small claims Court if there were similar laws in GA?

I still like the idea of lock picks and reselling online though...

[Carlson]

AlanJames. Take if from an FOG. Find out what the law is before you do anything like stealing or cutting boots. If where you parked is against the law, you have no complaint. Use it as a learning experience. The law is the law no matter how ridiculous it may be. Whether its a law or not, destroying City Property could get you put in Jail and a criminal record. Not worth it!!!!!

[zeonsredcomet]

Im fairly certain taking the bike with the clamp or boot on will get you in trouble. If you destroy it by cutting it you will have to pay for it and it WON'T be cheap. Be careful next time and don't park on the sidewalk dude...use common sense. Only park on the sidewalk in places that DON'T have boot douches running around or just don't in the first place.

You aren't going to cut those easily AT ALL. I know since i've seen videos of the car ones trying to be driven off and they rip through everything.

[zeonsredcomet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKKmssEwJMs This video will make you feel better at least. What these scumbags do really is a raquet. Was he a cop or uniformed city worker OR was he a regular guy probably hiding out and waiting?

[AlanJames]

This was a boot from a Private Company. not city oriented in any way. They did have up signs- I just didn't see them.

Facts:
My scooter is not registered,has no license plate, no insurance.
My scooter could be towed without any damage being done to it or the boot.


I think that If i were to tow the scooter with the boot on it, then it would not be stealing- because technically I can do with my property whatever I want too. Of course, cutting the boot would be damage to the boot and I would be liable for that. But, thats only assuming that this PRIVATE COMPANY knew where I live- which they couldn't because they booted an unregistered vehicle.

From the booter's view: He boots a scooter, then leaves area to boot other cars. He returns after I have towed my scooter home, and he notices that the scooter and boot are gone. He has no actual record that be booted me, because there is no license plate. I could just have the boot on my scooter in my house- I mean I could call them to see if they want the boot back at that point, but I believe i would have become a shadow.

Hopefully, they just refund my money- so that they don't start loosing their boots.

this was similar to their boot, but this one is larger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvvCyzD4_s4

[mpathus]

If it wasn't clear that the lot was private property (not adequately posted nor with any reference to parking penalties), and one happens to miss any warning signs stating that a vehicle is in jeopardy of being booted (or towed), then If I were on a jury (fat chance), I'd say that there was a racket going on.

Infringement of your right to use your property (vehicle), seems just as (if not more) serious than briefly using private property that is offered for parking use under posted conditions.

Then there is always the helping spray paint can to alert others to the fact: "Beware the BOOT" - just in case the return for legal parking ($1) versus that of the unwary bootee ($75) creates unjust "opportunity" for the lot owner and booter so to be unclear in their efforts to inform would be "clients".

What a game...