Comments on: Goddamnit, I Got Booted!

By: Mike DeBonis

Mike DeBonis — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 21:22:50 +0000

True, jeff, but also hard to put a price tag on being able to take off and go wherevers pretty much whenevers you want.

I am an American, after all. The open road is my birthright!

By: jeff

jeff — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:40:42 +0000

Not trying to be preachy about owning a car, but its not as cheap as you think, despite being paid off. Look at your $400 worth of parking tickets for example. As you said, you could easily just use zipcar. I’m betting you come out cheaper at the end of the year, not to mention the aggravation and trouble of parking tickets, taking it to get service, inspection, etc. etc. Hard to put a price tag on that.

By: Jonathan Rees

Jonathan Rees — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:00:25 +0000

Don’t feel bad Mike.

About three months ago, I was parked in front of my home on Wisconsin Ave where I am suppose to move my car by 7 AM or risk a ticket.

Well, It 6:54 AM and my car had already been booted and towed.

When I went to get my car out, I refused to pay. Why?

It appeared that I had three tickets for the same offense.

I mean.

Ticket 1 7:01 AM $100.00 DPW
Ticket 2 7:05 AM $100.00 DPW
Ticket 3 7:09 AM $100.00 MPD

I got am immediate hearing that morning at Traffic Adjudication and brought two witnesses that it was not even 7 AM when we were out there and the car had been booted.

The adjudicator was shocked that I got 3 tickets for the same offense that not only did he agree to cancel all of them but he got on the horn and got DPW to release my car without cost to me.

Also the two tickets issued by DPW was issued by the same lady.

By: NWboy

NWboy — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:53:12 +0000

Very nice find, Eaton. A buddy of mine found a boot on his car in DC, but they lazily did not even close the lock. Maybe Mike should check to see if it is even locked?

By: Eaton

Eaton — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:37:54 +0000

Check this method out:
http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/www/Info/boot.html

By: Joe Warminsky

Joe Warminsky — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:18:00 +0000

I wouldn’t want to get a torch anywhere near tire rubber. Otherwise you’d have some “Kenyan pro-democracy protester” fires burnin’ on ur wheelz.

By: NWboy

NWboy — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:14:59 +0000

Eaton, you might have to drill out the cylinder on the padlock, the way those boots are built a torch might not get to the shackle.

By: Eaton

Eaton — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:35:24 +0000

Oxygen acetylene torch costs way less than $400.

By: Mike DeBonis

Mike DeBonis — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:30:22 +0000

Ugh. Here come the bike absolutists…

For the record: I have a bike. I ride it most places I go in the city. (I know several staffers and commenters can vouch for that.) About to head down to the Wilson building on my bike right now, in fact.

I also have a car. There are some things, as I reporter, that I need a car for. I use it about twice a week on average. Could I get a Zipcar account? Yeah, but I already have the car, it’s paid off, and the insurance is next to nothing at this point. So sue me.

By: NWboy

NWboy — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:23:41 +0000

Don’t fight the tickets unless you have pictures or some “proof.” I went down years ago and got a snow emergency ticket undone because I took a picture (which they kept) of the only sunbleached Snow Emergency sign on the block that was also like 15 to 20 feet off the ground. Everyone else at the adjudication hearing, and I mean everyone, got screwed and had to pay as well as wasting their day.

And to the others, I am a native and, since it was opened in 1976, Metro has always been too unreliable for me not to own a car. This ain’t NYC.

By: Ronald

Ronald — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:19:50 +0000

You live in the heart of the CITY! As Laura says, get rid of the car. I live in FAR SOUTHEAST and could easily park in front of my house. But passing inspection was about to cost me some $1500.00 (repairs, new tires, etc.). I was gathering the cash while also getting ticketed for a dead inspection sticker. At the same time property taxes were coming due on my house.

Had to decide whether I wanted a ROOF over my head or a SUNROOF.

I now keep a nice sum of money on my METROCHECK CARD!

By: jeff

jeff — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:17:45 +0000

Seriously, donate the car to WABA and spend the $400 on a bike up the block at city bikes. Why you’d want to own a car in the city is beyond me.

By: laura

laura — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:07:12 +0000

dump the car. ride a bike.

By: sara.h

sara.h — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:02:46 +0000

“wanna” ??

really debonis, is that the proper language to be using in this forum?

my vote is to fight the tickets!