Are booters out of control?
I’ll never forget the day I got booted. In a big, white Atlanta Journal-Constitution truck.
I was sent to cover a story outside the Fulton County jail and I decided to take a company vehicle. My colleagues in television thought nothing of jumping the curb in their monstrous trucks and hopping out. The TV trucks were lined up, on the curb, as if to say “Yeah? So?”
But not me. I’m a reporter, not a stunt driver. And I wasn’t sure the trusty AJC truck could handle the off-road heroics of jumping up onto a curb. Instead, I parked across the street from the jail in front of a small building housing a bail bondsman and some other company I can’t remember. Then I walked across the street and interviewed people who had just been released from jail, along with their supporters.
By the time one of my colleagues pointed out the AJC truck was getting booted, it was too late. I got booted. I paid my $75 to have the ugly metal removed, and no, I didn’t ask the company to reimburse me for my mistake. But I fumed about it, and I learned my lesson, I guess.
My AJC colleague Jeremiah McWilliams has recently written about the tactics employed by booters. Do you think they are out of control, providing a vital service or both?
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51 comments Add your comment
Edward Hodges
August 27th, 2012
12:57 pm
Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay the fine.
Enough
August 27th, 2012
1:32 pm
The lot owners, boot company owners, and employees should be made to fear for their lives until this criminal practice is outlawed.
Honest Citizen
August 27th, 2012
1:32 pm
I think booting companies are run by leeches they prey on everyday citizens.
The companies that contract with them probably get a kickback of the 75 dollars.
Just inform the companies that you will no longer do business with them unless they kick the booting companies to the curb.
Mr Bean
August 27th, 2012
1:35 pm
I no longer go into Atlanta due to the booting problems. Just shop and go out to eat in the burbs.
John
August 27th, 2012
1:38 pm
Where the parking lots and spaces are resrved or private, i.e., for the use of property owners/tenants/customer, and have signs announcing as much, it’s tough to work up any sympathy for some whiny scofflaw who thinks it’s his god-given right to park wherever the heck he feels like without consequence. Do booters provide a “vital service?” Of course not. But does that justify feeling free to ignore clearly marked parking restrictions? Again, of course not.
Wrongful Blame
August 27th, 2012
1:45 pm
Just more examples of people wanting something for nothing. Booting companies are doing as instructed by property owners/managers. Don’t break the property owners rules and expect them to cut you a break.
Greed is the word
August 27th, 2012
1:57 pm
It’s not about cutting people breaks, it is about common decency and fostering a sense of community instead of greedy individualism. If signage was concise and sufficient and you didn’t have predatory kick-back incentives, people who are booted wouldn’t be so put out. It is the principle of it. But again, pricinple and decency are easily overlooked when greed gets involved.
Greed is the word
August 27th, 2012
2:06 pm
So much for the booting companies and private property owners doing everything above board and having nothing to hide. Not to mention freedom of speech. Apparently the comment I posted highlighting the place I experienced an improper booting was requested removed. Probably because there was something to hide, too many details that I attested to. But to the person that requested my post be removed, It is okay, I have submitted all of the pictures, including those of the police officers that thought the whole thing was funny, and the boot driver transacting with the officers, to many officials both state and city. Maybe if you ran a viable business where you made money on the merit of your product or service you wouldn’t have to defend yourselves so much.
MakeAWay
August 27th, 2012
2:13 pm
I got booted but thank goodness there was a “crack” head nearby. He took it off in no time for a measly 10 bucks! I gave him 20 and we were both happy campers.
mike
August 27th, 2012
2:18 pm
I don’t see what the problem is. Stop parking in places where you are not suppose to park. I guess people feel they are entitled to park where ever they so desire.
Martin
August 27th, 2012
2:22 pm
If you think booting is so awful, would you rather have your vehicle towed, where you have to figure out where it is and pay 3 times as much to get it back? Why not consider whether you have the right to leave your car any damn where you please, before you use up someone’s parking spaces? Is it ok if I park on your lawn? How about being responsible and accepting responsibility for your own actions?
RA
August 27th, 2012
2:33 pm
Don’t shop in Atlanta city. Take public Transportation. Voice your opinions to the merchants supporting these leeches. Carry a boot “key” if you insist on violating the parking rules. There are options. Quit yer whining.
SAWB
August 27th, 2012
2:48 pm
So, people are upset that they parked illegally and got booted? I guess they were too busy downloading a song they did not pay for onto their laptop running that stolen operating system. Our society is losing respect for private property and it is evident in all this irresponsible unethical behavior. The answer to this issue is pretty simple – don’t park illegally!
count_schemula
August 27th, 2012
2:50 pm
The signs are often, if not usually unclear. The “boot guys” are paid to boot, so, the incentive is not on proper parking, it’s on setting traps that people fall into and have to pay $75 cash to get out of. I went to a restaurant, could not get my car over the foot high speed bump designed to slow down large SUVs. Parked in the lot adjacent. Boot guy watched me go to the restaurant where they quickly warned me about the booting situation, I returned to my car in less than 5 minutes to find a boot. No signs, just a boot guy and his boots. So, I’m paying him his cash and he’s taking off the boot, I warn off 3 other people and now me and boot buy are toe to toe since I’m running of his business. So, you people who are used to front row parking at your local strip malls saying “just park legally” should realize that it’s not about the parking, or safety or anything like that, it’s about cash money. C.R.E.A.M. Anyhow, After I paid boot guy I left, the restaurant did not get the $75 and frankly, I do go out a lot less, and when I do it’s to places I can walk to or ride my bike. Business owners are the ones who are suffering this ill will and if the question is “out of control?” The answer is yes. An unregulated business built on traps and $75 cash payouts? How could it be otherwise?
Bobby
August 27th, 2012
2:52 pm
I rarely come into Atlanta anymore specifically due to the parking problems in Atlanta. I don’t object to Park Atlanta so much, but the booting companies are definitely dishonest and unethical in their behavior. Cobb county did what was correct in banning them. For Starbucks to permit booting companies to boot their customers who go “in and out” is arrogance on their part.
count_schemula
August 27th, 2012
2:52 pm
You “park legal” or “property rights or death” people should denote where you live and why you have so little vested interest in the issue.
Midtown mama
August 27th, 2012
2:57 pm
I don’t know about other places around Atlanta, but the booters are necessary for both the midtown Trader Joe’s parking lot and the 14th St Starbucks. If not for the booters, every time there’s an event at the park, the businesses in that shopping center would have no customers because their parking lot would be full. And as for Starbucks, I have no sympathy for people who park at one of the few spaces at a very busy Starbucks and then walk over to Starbucks’ direct competitor Einstein’s. Both Starbucks and Trader Joes have MANY, easily visible signs posted so people that get booted at either of these lots have no excuse.
ajl
August 27th, 2012
2:59 pm
Booters are completely out of control. We paid $12 to park in a lot advertised for $3 on Friday to come back and find a boot. The booter refused to remove the boot so we had to pay $75 for it to be taken off of the car. He said he had no record of payment even though we entered in our license plate and there was no way to confirm the payment. It is absolutely fraud.
Bobby
August 27th, 2012
3:00 pm
It appears we have a lot of boot employees posting on here. Tickets for fines are one thing. And booting would be fine if the booting companies clearly posted their signs and followed the laws. But they don’t. And I will still argue arrogance on the part of the 14th Street Starbucks for having their customers cars booted.
James
August 27th, 2012
3:13 pm
Sure are a lot of blind people on here who drive. I didn’t think the State of Georgia issued drivers licenses to the blind but apparently that’s the case because they always have some excuse for why they didn’t see a sign. Hope they’re better at seeing traffic lights and stop signs. Not sure why anyone would just assume that because they don’t see a sign that the property of someone else is their’s to park on.
It’s pretty simple: if you don’t own the property and you don’t see a sign granting you permission to park there, then don’t park there. The only people I feel sorry for are those who pay at one of those “fold your dollar” lots that don’t give a receipt and get booted by an unethical owner. But for the other 99.9999% of those getting booted, well, you sound just like to people complaining that they can’t get away with hogging parking spaces on the street for free anymore.
Property costs money. If you don’t want to buy it, you have to rent it or have permission to use it for free. Didn’t they teach that around second or third grade?
ABC
August 27th, 2012
3:17 pm
It’s very simple. I don’t patronize establishments that employe these people. I don’t go anywhere where there isn’t t proper parking. If everyone would do this, the “private” properties will be out of business.
Laurie
August 27th, 2012
3:17 pm
Most of the complaints I’ve seen have been where people paid for parking at one of those cash only slot boards, only to find that their car has been booted, and have no recoarse since the cash slots do not provide receipts. If the Starbucks on 14th want to boot people for parking on their private lot, so be it. Don’t continue to spend your money there if you don’t like it. But this business of booting cars in paid parking spaces when someone legitimately paid, that crap needs to stop.
Tag
August 27th, 2012
3:27 pm
I no where and where not to park.
NotYourTypicalAtlantan
August 27th, 2012
3:29 pm
Was booted visiting the Vortex on Peachtree Street 7years ago with NO signage that stated not to on a weekend costing me 90 bucks for boot removal!
Never been back to any Vortex establishments since.
Was almost fraudulently ticketed by Park Atlanta 2 years with time still left on my meter while trying to patronize a restaurant in Virginia Highlands, never went back into Atlanta since.
My family and I live in Cobb, where we also work, worship, shop, and play……
We have no need to go into Atlanta for Atlanta’s foolishness, corruption and chaos-
City Of Atlanta, is it’s own worst enemy-
Citizen
August 27th, 2012
3:32 pm
Just quit shopping and eating out in Atlanta.
The business owners will get the message when they start showing losses on their income statements.
There are plenty of parking places in the mall areas of the burbs and no boot leeches.
Stop your whining
August 27th, 2012
3:33 pm
Here’s a simple solution – standardize the signage and take away the scape goat. While I will agree that not all booting situations are on the up-and-up, there are also a lot of people with a serious sense of entitlement who try and play dumb. I live in Atlanta, and there are a lot of businesses with vastly undersized parking lots. Does that mean you park in the lot for the neighboring business (or residence) that also has a vastly undersized parking lot? NO! It means that you either wait for a spot, find legal street parking, or choose to do business with another retailer.
With respect to parking lots where people claim to have paid money for the spots, but discovered a boot upon returning to your vehicle, did you get a receipt? Better yet, did you read the rules? There is a lot in Buckhead off of Roswell Road that has a clearly stated “No Overnight Parking” policy. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen pitch fits when they come to retreive their car the NEXT day and discover a boot has been placed on their vehicle. Is that the lot owner’s fault? I think not.
Concerned Citizen
August 27th, 2012
3:43 pm
Several years ago I went to pick up a friend at the Atlanta Greyhound Bus Station. There was a private parking lot next to the station that had payment boxes so I put my money in the box that I was parked in. When I came out there was a boot on my car. The person that put the boot on my car told I had to pay to have it removed. I flagged down a policeman and the policeman had the person open the box. There was no money in the box. I ended up having to pay but without a reciept I had to pay $75 plus the $5 parking fee. It companies like that that give them a bad name.
Greg
August 27th, 2012
3:43 pm
I’ve been downtown to 3 recent events that attracted large crowds. Each time I’ve decline to park in a lot because machine was out of paper and I couldn’t get a reciept.I went to the jazz fest in Piedmont Park. I tired to park on the street but the machine kept malfunctioning so I went a lot on Ptree and paid to park. When I got home I checked by credit card and found I had been charged for space on the street.
I’m not inclinded to back into Atlanta anytime soon because of all these issues.
count_schemula
August 27th, 2012
3:52 pm
In my situation, I could have street parked for free only 50 feet away, so, it’s not like I would not have done that. It was just an old lot with no signs that I noticed and boot guy knew it and had me booted in less than 5 minutes. Then several other people parked there in the amount of time it took him to unboot my car and boot guy was pissed at me for running off $225 in boot fees in about 10 minutes. No, that’s not a scam, it’s just a sense of entitlement. Riiiiiiiiiiight.
ATLBRAVE
August 27th, 2012
3:54 pm
Let’s all be honest! This booting is a problem that takes place in most all major cities. Parking confusion creates or shall I say = $$$. I pay very close attention and detail to all signs and laws when I park having worked downtown the past 7 years and I STILL got a boot one night because the electronic ticket machine changed the parking time from 3am to Midnight. I came out at 2am with a $50 boot because I failed to study the parking ticket the one time they decide to decrease the parking time. This problem will not go away anytime soon. They make way to much money off of each boot/ticket they issue. Rule of thumb for those of you that live outside the city. When you come into the city and park in any LOT you should be paying either a machine or a person before you walk away. If you park on the street read all signs up close because they ALL are made to confuse you by changing the parking times from block to block. In other words don’t ever assume anything and of course don’t ever feel like your car is above getting the boot!
SAWB
August 27th, 2012
4:20 pm
Wow, based on all these folks that are “never going back to Atlanta” we won’t need T-SPLOST after all.
Sumo
August 27th, 2012
4:33 pm
I bought and paid for the property, I built the parking lot and the associated retail space. I pay the mortgage, taxes, insurance, landscaping, clean up and security. My tenants pay me rent to cover the cost of these services, they are entitled to have parking for their customers. When you enter my property and park but do not visit one of my tenants you are stealing from me and my tenants. It does not matter that it was for only a second. Something the violators are missing is this private property my rights to my property are superior to yours and I make the rules.
midtown mom
August 27th, 2012
4:35 pm
I have lived in Midtown for 7 years and have never gotten a boot or a parking ticket. If you are going to come into the city, please know the rules. I have a favorite restaurant that from time to time has “tourists” fill up the lot. I have on several occasions missed out on a meal there because the spaces are all taken by non-customers. I can tell, when the restaurant looks almost empty. I have witnessed this act and actually pointed out the signs, only to receive little or no response (yeah just keep on walking). I don’t know enough about the “pay slot” issues to comment other than if it looks sketchy…it probably is.
midtown mom
August 27th, 2012
4:36 pm
Funny SAWB!
People with Integrity
August 27th, 2012
4:47 pm
These boot companies are horrible. They make money preying on city residents and visitors to this city. There is NO accountability the have to abide by. Hopefully, the city will change the rules making it harder to boot people because the police don’t do anything at all.
Place new rules on boot companies with signage requirements, phone number to contact a normal employee, guaranteed receipt for payment to park, and lower the boot fee to $30.
Tony
August 27th, 2012
5:05 pm
Leave early, get there on time and park where you are supposed to park. Poor planning is going to get you into trouble. The fine is so you don’t do it again,duh.
dave
August 27th, 2012
5:19 pm
I work on the 12th floor of a building in downtown Atlanta. My window overlooks a parking lot. One of my habits is to look for the guy who does the booting. He comes by every hour checking on the cars. If they are legit they get a chalk mark on one of the tires. My guess is he gets 2 or 3 cars a day.
honest worker
August 27th, 2012
5:30 pm
I am a lawyer and parked in a crummy downtown lot at 8:30 a.m. for work. I paid the full flat rate day fee at an electronic box, got the receipt and placed it in plain view on my window shield. When I came out to go home at 6:30 that evening, I had a boot. The boot creep said I had gone “in and out” which I did not. I did not leave my office even eating lunch at my desk. I called the police and also called my boss who saw me at my desk the entire day. When I threatened to prove that the boot creep was lying because he was paid on commission, he took the boot off and left before the police arrived. Eliminate the commissions/bonuses and the illegal booting will probably go away.
Jean
August 27th, 2012
5:41 pm
I refuse to go into Atlanta, unless it is a necessity, I will not pay these outrageous parking fees. So, their business do no want my money. The parking lot owners who allow people to take over their lots for special events/plays at the Fox, do not want my money. Why should I pay $20-30 to see a play or to go to a Braves game. No thanks, I’ll stay out here in the Burbs and keepy my money. If everyone did the same thing, they would have to rethink the outrageous fees.
Citizen
August 27th, 2012
6:09 pm
Son’t get your panties in a wad Sumo.
We won’t be patronizing your business or any other Atlanta business anymore until booting is prohibited by the City of Atlanta.
Shopping and dining in the burbs is just as nice and you don’t have panhandlers.
ja
August 27th, 2012
7:28 pm
While booting may have its place if done properly and fairly, there is obviously a problem in ATL that only our feet and dollars will eventually solve. Parking is a PR nightmare for the city that needs to be addressed. Overall it is not that bad. But, these incidences of booting, and ParkAtlanta, and lack of standards is not good for the overall business health and enjoyment of the city. Come on ATL and business owners, you created it,fix it now.
Melody
August 27th, 2012
8:01 pm
I got booted and have since booted Atlanta from my shopping and dining list. I went to girl’s night out birthday dinner and made the mistake of going across the street to get flowers for the birthday girl. We got back to the parking lot after dinner and I had to pay $75 to get the boot removed. I had a receipt for $187 from the restaurant and was told that since I left the premisses I violated the parking lot “rules” I had to pay. There is a easy way to avoid the booting fee, do not park in Atlanta. There is a wealth of great restaurants, theaters and attractions outside of I285 and the parking is usually free. Girl’s night out is no longer anywhere in Atlanta for us.
Booting is illegal
August 27th, 2012
8:24 pm
Booting a car is an illegal act under the tort law. You cannot prevent possession of someone’s property. It is known as conversion. I know an attorney who has sued and settled for $1500 just so he wouldn’t go public and make known the illegal booting companies.
Online Merchants NEVER Boot Your Vehicle
August 27th, 2012
8:24 pm
Several years ago I was booted in the CompUSA parking lot on Peachtree Road. I parked, went directly into CompUSA and bought something, and returned directly to my car where it was just booted. I was even carrying a CompUSA shopping bag.
I was fuming, told the idiot to remove the boot, and called the CompUSA store manager who apologized and said that he didn’t like it either but that the property management company had a contract with the idiot booting company. He even offered me a freebie but I declined saying I didn’t want a freebie, I wanted justice–which he could not provide.
Within a year or so CompUSA went out of business.
The store manager was a nice fellow but the idiot booting companies and the folks who hire them do wrong.
And it’s not like we need another reason NOT to shop at a bricks-and-mortar store.
Steve
August 27th, 2012
8:31 pm
Those areas are restricted or fee based parking for a reason.
Put simply, you sorry, cheap, lazy people that think you are above the law DESERVE to have your car booted. And don’t give me this ‘just write me a ticket instead and I will pay it, but please don’t make me wait’ nonsense. Put simply, if you can’t be trusted to OBEY THE LAW, then you certainly are not the type that would pay a parking ticket.
All this uproar just shows me how pathetic so many Americans have become. Spoiled, rotten, childish adults running around all over the place.
BootMe
August 27th, 2012
9:11 pm
I was once booted at a buckhead restaurant because the tow company said I had stayed inside “too long” and they figured I left. In fact, I was meeting a group of business associates there and we were inside for 3 hours. I had to pay to get the boot removed, since you have no legal argument against it and it costs too much to go to court. The restaurant manager–could not care less. Needless to say, I never went back to that place again with my group. They lost a lot of high dollar business. That’s capitalism!
Online Merchants NEVER Boot Your Vehicle
August 27th, 2012
9:14 pm
Too bad folks such as Steve @ 5:31 and “mike” earlier can’t read my comments along with those of “BootMe”.
It’s true: You just can’t fix stupid.
altanta resident
August 28th, 2012
1:29 am
Boot companies are abusing the permits issued by the city. The city should make new rules on how/when to boot cars and then maybe these greedy crooks will get their act together. They are inaccessble to contact and make it extremely hard to speak with in case you want to discuss a particular situation. After 24 hours, they know people will forget about the $75 boot fee so they cheat people. Atlanta should BAN BOOTING but if not, make the rules very explicit about how they can operate. Advanced Booting Services and EPS are CROOKS.
Steve
August 28th, 2012
8:38 pm
I own a small parking lot in Atlanta. I pay my taxes, keep it well lit, provide an automated pay system that issues receipts and very informative, clear, concise signage. I’ve been on my lot at least 5 different times and stopped people from walking off my property without paying. Most people say “I won’t be parking here all day” and feel they shouldn’t have to pay. One person even said they knew they would return before a tow truck could get there and tow away their vehicle. Much to their surprise I called my booting company. I waited in my car when they came back and saw their car booted. They told the booter that they tried to pay but the machine was down. At this time, I stepped out of my vehicle and told the booter the truth. They paid the $75.00 and didn’t so much as look up at either on of us. Point being no matter how easy you make it for people some still feel they shouldn’t have to obey the rules. My margins on the parking after I pay my mortgage, taxes and amortize the electronic pay station are slim. I count on my booting company to make sure that everyone pays. To date I haven’t had one person call me and say they paid and were booted. I’ve heard every story, lie and reason they shouldn’t of been booted but the bottom line is they parked on private property, ignored the very informative signs, and didn’t pay. These people are no different from the person stealing items from retail stores…. Except we flack for protecting what is rightfully ours. This Country has become so PC sensitive and the overwhelming entitlement programs have rotted the value system to the CORE!
John
August 29th, 2012
6:36 pm
I had surgery and was still groggy when my kids took me to lunch. They were paying attention to me and none of us saw the sign. When we returned, we saw the boot. The kid that put the boot on said he saw us park and walk across the street? Why not at least say “Hey!, if you leave the lot your car will get booted”….we would have moved for sure! He was rude when and lied about how he got paid. He is paid on commission for each boot he puts on. Another guy, his supervisor also happened to be there. He claimed to be the “Acting owner”. I called and the owner never returned my call. I place a complaint with the BBB and he never responded….that’s the type of people running these companies.
OldGold1964
September 6th, 2012
1:33 pm
Let’s not be too quick to place blame on the “booters”. Drivers need to be aware of where they are and notice posted parking rules. Some do not pay attention; Some blatantly ignore warnings. (either thinking they won’t get caught or they are somehow too good to obey rules.) Gather all the acts before blaming either side.