Impound Idiots, or "Now I can safely say I've seen part of Argabarga's Job..."

[lupo pazzesco]

So, for those of you who haven't seen my thread in Off Topic, I was in a car accident last Thursday. The brakes failed while I was driving, and I ended up rear ending someone. It was nasty, but I walked away. I'm all sorts of bruised and sore, but I'm alive, so yay!!

Well, yesterday was the day to deal with the aftermath. We had to go clean out the old car, and try to find a new one, because we were on a huge time constraint. xx_wolfie_xx has to leave town again tonight, and go back out in the field for work, and he really doesn't want me riding the bus again, especially in my current condition. So off to various dealers we went, as well as the impound lot. Oh boy do I have stories...

Let's start with the impound lot, shall we...?



BUT HE SAAAAIIIIIIDDDD!!!
We get to the salvage yard, and there's a line. It's currently being held up by a jackass who's arguing with the woman behind the counter. We get in line, and are about 4 or 5 people back, and this guy is talking loud enough, I could almost swear our neighbor who was waiting in her car outside could hear him.

Jackass: So, wait, it's $163.81 to get it out, how do I pay?
Employee: No, sir, you can't get this car out right now, the registration is expired, and it's not in your name.
J: He sold it to me, look, I have the papers here!! *waves a stack of paperwork at her*
E: Yes, sir, but the registration on this car expired on January 30th, it is not legal to drive.
J: Ok, look, can I just pay it now and go get the papers and bring them to you?
E: No, sir, all papers must be in order before we can release the vehicle.
J: But you said I have to pay by 10:45am, or it'll go up!
E: Yes, because that's when the clock starts another day of storage.
J: So lemme pay the $160 now, and I"ll go get the papers!!
E: No, sir, I can't do that!!

He eventually leaves, after finding out storage would be another $20 a day, and goes to get the paperwork. The line starts moving quickly, thankfully. Then we get to where were next in line. Enter Jackass. He stomps up to the window, and shoves the guy standing there aside saying "Lemme just ask her a question real quick" . The employee had stepped away to go find an answer for the guy at the counter, so she wasn't there. so he's shouting "Hey, where'd she go!? HELLO!?!?" The employee comes back to continue helping other guy, and so we begin round 2...

J: Hey, Hey! He said this is all the papers you need!!
E: No, sir, we need valid registration and up to date tags on the vehicle before we can release it.
J: But HE said this is all you need, so this is all he gave me!!
E: Sir--
J: *Whips out his cell phone* Hey, hey, she said I need something else!! These papers won't work. Uh huh...right. *back to the employee* No, he said this is all you need!! You wanna talk to him? Here!! *Tries to shove the cell phone through the little slot in the glass for passing paperwork and payment back and forth
E: Sir, he can call our office, but we can't take your cell phone, and we'll still need valid registration for the car.
J: but he said this is all you need!! So this is all I have!! Here, you talk to him!!
E: Sir, he can call our office--
J: What's the number?
E: It's <number>, but--
J: *into cell phone* Hey...Hey, Man! You wanna call <number> and explain I've got what I need?
E: *has called over another employee to show her the paperwork and explain the problem*
J: He said that was all you need, miss!! that's it, I can pay the $160 with that!!
E: It's after 10:45, sir, so it's more now, and--
J: BUT HE SAID THIS IS ALL YOU NEEEEEEED!!!
E: Sir, can you step away from the window, so I can finish helping this guy??
E2: *Opens the door down the hallway, gestures Jackass over* Look, sir, you purchased this car, according to these papers on Feb 11, correct?
J: Yeah, and he said it was here, and all you need is--
E: Sir, the registration expired on January 30th, AND it's not in your name, we need the title transfer, and the current registration for us to release the vehicle to you, no matter what HE said. If he'd renewed registration, and have something current after Feb 11, we can work with you, but we can't release a vehicle that is not LEGALLY driveable.
J: BUT HE SAID THIS IS ALL YOU NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!

:eyeroll:

Just imagine that continuing the entire five minutes we were in line and in the building...


Towing the Company Line...
Meanwhile, the guy at the counter in front of us, he was explaining he just needed to get a car out that had been towed last night. He showed his ID, and the employee couldn't find anything. Clueless then dropped a few interesting gems of information...

C: Oh, well, it's not my car, not really.
E: Who's it registered to?
C: <Name> But it's actually my company car...
E: Is it registered to that name, or to the company name?
C: Company name.
E: Ok, well, then in that case--
C: The Company belongs to my father, so I really need the car out...
E: Ok, well, he would have to come and get the vehicle himself then, as the company owner.
C: The company is based out of Mexico, and he's in Mexico right now.
E: ... I need to go ask how to help you, I'll be right back.

(This is right around when Jackass stepped in again, so picture the following conversation being punctuated with distant cries of "BUT HE SAID THIS IS ALL YOU NEEEEED!!" from down the hallway)

E: Ok, we're going to need a notarized letter from the company authorizing us to release the vehicle to you.
C: Oh...well...can the notarizing be done in Mexico...? Because, that's where it's coming from, that's where my father is, so notarizing it would be different.
E: He can fax the document to us, and we can give it to you, but you'll have to get it notarized here in the US, and then we can release the car.
C: Really?
E: Yes, really.
C: *Looks uncomfortable, and goes to talk to the friend that came with him, babbling in Spanish after uttering one English phrase of "Can you believe this!?"

We were next in line, and the transaction went smoothly, xx_wolfie_xx went to clean out the car while I waited for him. After we were done, I took the key back inside, because we were leaving the vehicle there to be auctioned for scrap. I was going to ask if they wanted the keys. Which then led to...


Kindergarten Biker Tries To Teach Me How To Stand In Line
I asked the couple currently at the counter if I could ask the employee a question when she returned from making copies of their paperwork. There was NO ONE in line after them, so they said yes, and I stood off to the side. Before the employee returned, a guy walked in, dressed in bike leathers, long hair, pretty much the biker stereotype and surveyed the layout. Now, another woman had come in and was standing off to the side on her cell phone. So, Biker Idiot asks here if she's in line, and she said no, but she thought I was next.

BI: *Looks at me pointedly* Well, I BELIEVE the line is supposed to go THAT WAY. *Gestures to the direction of the wall where the line does go*

At this point, I turn around and face him fully. Note, due to the bruising and how tender the skin feels, I was wearing a dress that plunged into a deep vee shape, because it wouldn't irritate my chest which is currently sore and turning all sorts of colors from impacting with the airbag and the seatbelt. He noticed, I saw his gaze dart down.

Me: With all DUE respect, SIR, I'm merely turning over the keys to the car I totaled after the brakes failed on me two days ago. I realize where the line is, but these nice people already said I could hand over the keys real quick while they were signing papers, and there was NO ONE in line after them for me to cut in front of.

And then I just stared at him. Eye contact is apparently really uncomfortable when someone is battered and bruised and giving you the stinkeye...

BI: *stares at the floor and quietly shuffles off to the end of the line*

I hand over the keys and make my way out of the building, where I told xx_wolfie_xx what had happened and told him it was his fault for leaving me alone for two minutes, because that's how the crazy magnet works!!!

W: But, you ASKED to go hand the keys in while we were loading the car!!
Me; It's still your fault!! You know how this works!! You know what the crazy magnet is like!!
W: ... right...




That's it for the impound yard, next up after I've had a break? Antics, Accidents and Shenanigans while car shopping.

[otakuneko]

Lupo!

*hugs. gently*

Geeze, who did that guy think Mister "HE SAID SO" on the phone was? Some sort of infallible authority figure?

[Argabarga]

Our release policies aren't nearly that strict.

You only need a photo ID and payment, and then you can go. No titles needed, and if the car is not current on inspection/registration, that's a risk YOU are choosing to take, not us.

And yet, even with a very lenient policy, we still get treated like we're demanding their firstborn before they get their ride back.

I also get a lot of cellphones shoved in my face demanding I talk to uninvolved third parties. I used to humor them, but now I just refuse.

[lupo pazzesco]

Hey, Argabarga, is your lot the city lot? We were at the Police Impound, since we didn't have any idea where to tow it, so the PD took it to their yard. We had to have a warrant check done on us and everything!

I think that's why it was so strict, but at the same time, we've never had to deal with impounds or towing because, you know, we read signs an' all...

[Argabarga]

The police here don't have an impound lot, not a public one anyway.

There's a fenced-in area behind the borough fleet services/police garage where we take stuff they suspect has been involved in a crime for holding/processing, but once they're done with it, they just have us take it to our lot.

We're effectively the police's impound because they sometimes will tell us not to release a certain vehicle until the Magistrate OK's it (in the case of someone with outstanding fees/fines or someone who was caught driving without proper plates) but they're incredibly lenient too, compared to what some places will do to you.

And yes, the public by and large STILL think they're too tough on them.

[lupo pazzesco]

Yeah, Texas laws are a little tough regarding registration/insurance/titles and whatnot. I once got a police officer call me because I donated a junk car to a Firestone for their school program, and signed the title over and everything. But they didn't file it under their name, so they were trying to nail me for a ticket for going through a toll road without an EZ Pass, and driving without up to date registration and insurance. That was fun to explain...

[Lachrymose]

Sounds straight out of Parking Wars.

[XCashier]

J: BUT HE SAID THIS IS ALL YOU NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!

"Does he work here? No? Then he doesn't know what is needed, and his opinion means precisely jack shit. I, who work here, am telling you that you need these papers!"

Argh! Those employees must've been ready to tear out their hair. Or Jackass's. Nothing like going around in circles with an oblivious idiot who hears only what he wants to hear and insists that someone with no authority has given the correct information.

[Deserted]

J: BUT HE SAID THIS IS ALL YOU NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!

"Do you ever want to get your car back? Then you are going to shut up, go do EXACTLY what I told you to do, and YES, it will cost you daily storage fees until you do so. You have 30 days before we claim it as abandoned."

[eltf177]

"Do you ever want to get your car back? Then you are going to shut up, go do EXACTLY what I told you to do, and YES, it will cost you daily storage fees until you do so. You have 30 days before we claim it as abandoned."

One would hope this would sink in but given the level of suckiness shown up to this point I rather doubt it. Still, if they're that oblivious that's _their_ problem!

[Deserted]

One would hope this would sink in but given the level of suckiness shown up to this point I rather doubt it. Still, if they're that oblivious that's _their_ problem!

Yes, but imagine it being said by the biker dude.

[Shalom]

I once had my car towed for being on the wrong side of the street during alternate side parking. (This was before the previous mayor went to jail for corruption; the current mayor suspended the towing program.)

I went down to the gas station where the city-contracted tow operator was based, and asked how I get my car back. They said to go down to the police station and get them to sign a release form, bring it back to them, and pay the towing fee.

I take the bus down to the police station. They tell me they need a copy of the insurance card before they'll release the car. But that's in the car... no, they won't accept a faxed copy from my insurance agent. Has to be the original.

Sooo . . . I take the bus back to the gas station. Get the insurance card. Take the bus back to the police station. Get the release form, and incidentally pay the ticket while I'm conveniently there (although you don't actually have to right then). Take a taxi back to the gas station (I was getting tired of buses by then), pay the towing fee, and finally drive back to my house. Gaah.

[cindybubbles]

What would happen if Jackass put his friend on speakerphone instead of handing the phone over to the employee?

[xx_wolfie_xx]

I may have gone to jail for assault at that point. My "asshole quotient " is running pretty full these days.

[raudf]

Good grief, jackass could have done the required stuff in the time he argued with the tow place and prolly save himself $20 to boot. My question deals more with "Why didn't Jackass get the thing completely transferred to his name?" I know my reasons for not doing so with my car, but from what I'm understanding, he had all the paperwork needed to do the rutting transfer and didn't do it?!