Note, Leaving Notes Has a Noted Lack of Non-Towing Success

[dalesys]

... I parked in a pull-out for a bus stop... Fortunately, my car was still there when I returned.

So-o... You didn't get busted?

[manybellsdown]

I always assumed that a note like "please call XXX-XXXX before towing was for the benefit of whoever's space you were occupying. I wouldn't expect it to work in lieu of a permit if one was needed.

People used to park across our old driveway all the time. None of them ever left a note. Would have been nice because then I could have at least left an angry message instead of waiting 2 hours to get into my garage.

[MoonCat]

I'm hoping the idiot had to at least pay for a drop, no freebee!

I can't recall for sure, but judging from the angry shouting that went on, I assume so. We watched the whole drama from our living room windows...who needs reality TV?

[eltf177]

I can't recall for sure, but judging from the angry shouting that went on, I assume so. We watched the whole drama from our living room windows...who needs reality TV?

This is the sort of live entertainment we need more of!

[Jester]

Note, Leaving Notes Has a Noted Lack of Non-Towing Success

Noted.

I actually once left a note in my car. Not for a tow truck driver, but for the police. See, I wasn't parked illegally, but I didn't have a license plate. One day, I walk out of my apartment, walk out to my car, and then stop. Something didn't seem right. Oh, wait...that's it. There was no license plate on it! Where one should have been was just empty space. Someone had literally come along and ripped the plate right off my car. So, I called the police, filed a report, got the police report number, and because I knew it would be a few days before I could manage to correct this particular problem, wrote a note explaining the situation and providing the police report number, and taped it in the back window, as I didn't want to get in trouble for having an un-plated car.

I'm not saying this was the smartest idea. It wasn't. But I was in my early 20s, and intelligence was not exactly my strong suit. (Some would say it still isn't.)

People used to park across our old driveway all the time. None of them ever left a note. Would have been nice because then I could have at least left an angry message instead of waiting 2 hours to get into my garage.

I wouldn't have waited two hours. I would have parked my car in the street, calmly walked into my house, grabbed a pen and paper, walked out to the offending car, written down the make, model, and license plate number, walked back into my house, picked up my phone, called the local tow truck company, told them some yahoo was parked illegally blocking my driveway, given them the pertinent information, hung up the phone, opened the fridge, grabbed a beer, opened the beer, and sat down in front of a window to watch the free entertainment. After which I would have pulled my car into my garage.

Wondering why you didn't do this, actually.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Wondering why you didn't do this, actually.

Because, odd as it may sound, some people have this strange condition wherein they want to believe that not everyone is as big an asshole as oneself might be.

[Jester]

But Jay, they parked in front of manybellsdown's driveway. That's pretty much being an asshole.

I'm sorry, but if you block someone's driveway, and that person has your car towed, you pretty much had it coming to you.

Don't get me wrong, manybellsdown showed a lot of patience and civility by not having them towed, but how many times can you be a nice person when people continue to abuse you?

I don't have a driveway at the moment (I live in an apartment), but I promise you that, if and when I do, anyone blocking it that doesn't belong there is going to regret it.

[EricKei]

But Jay, they parked in front of manybellsdown's driveway. That's pretty much being an asshole.

Is it not also illegal (albeit just a traffic violation) in most states, even if the driveway is not occupied at the time?

[Sapphire Silk]

Is it not also illegal (albeit just a traffic violation) in most states, even if the driveway is not occupied at the time?

Yes, but the cops generally don't like to deal with this kind of issue.

[Dadeo]

For some reason, trucks love to park across the entrance to our parking lot. They pull up and sit there doing God-knows-what then give us the stinkeye when we ask them to move. It's not like it's a hidden drive or anything and it's pretty obvious that there are cars coming and going. The best was the gutwagon that would pull into the driveway and open up for the contruction crews across the street. Our little receptionist (literally, not condescendingly - she's 5 foot nothing in heels) went out and gave him what for with all the construction guys watching

[KatherineB]

But Jay, they parked in front of manybellsdown's driveway. That's pretty much being an asshole.

I'm with Jester on this.

[manybellsdown]

I wouldn't have waited two hours. I would have parked my car in the street, calmly walked into my house, grabbed a pen and paper, walked out to the offending car, written down the make, model, and license plate number, walked back into my house, picked up my phone, called the local tow truck company, told them some yahoo was parked illegally blocking my driveway, given them the pertinent information, hung up the phone, opened the fridge, grabbed a beer, opened the beer, and sat down in front of a window to watch the free entertainment. After which I would have pulled my car into my garage.

Wondering why you didn't do this, actually.

Oh no, I had them towed. It just took two hours for it to happen. That's why.

My street had a church down the end, and was one of the few streets in the area that allowed overnight parking without a permit. So it filled up fast, and somehow my driveway was invisible. If someone was blocking it, there was an excellent chance that there was no other parking on my street. The best part? I lived in a duplex. The next door neighbor had an identical driveway; all of 10 feet long and ending in a garage door. Theirs never got blocked. Ever.

Edit: Also, the cops told me to always call them first, because if I just call a tow truck and the guy claims damage to his car, the liability is on me. Whereas if the cops have it towed, they take on the responsibility.

[Jay 2K Winger]

But Jay, they parked in front of manybellsdown's driveway. That's pretty much being an asshole.

Fair point. I suppose what I meant to say is that some people like to avoid inconveniencing for other people, even if said other people have inconvenienced them.

Personally, yeah, I'm with you, you park in my driveway, ring ring, here comes the tow truck, motherfucker.

[wolfie]

I actually once left a note in my car. Not for a tow truck driver, but for the police. See, I wasn't parked illegally, but I didn't have a license plate. One day, I walk out of my apartment, walk out to my car, and then stop. Something didn't seem right. Oh, wait...that's it. There was no license plate on it! Where one should have been was just empty space. Someone had literally come along and ripped the plate right off my car. So, I called the police, filed a report, got the police report number, and because I knew it would be a few days before I could manage to correct this particular problem, wrote a note explaining the situation and providing the police report number, and taped it in the back window, as I didn't want to get in trouble for having an un-plated car.

But this has a BIG difference from the notes Argabarga sees. The people who were the intended audience for the note in your case have access to the database, and could call in "Does report number 12345678 deal with an orange 1969 Dodge Charger with '01' on the doors and a Confederate flag on the roof, and cover the theft of its license plates?". Answer comes back "Yes", they KNOW the note is legit. Answer comes back "No", you've got bigger problems than a ticket for lack of plates (i.e. lying to the cops).

I've seen a lot of trucks with homemade plates showing a state and plate # - presumably the plates went missing, and they're trying to avoid a ticket until they can get back home to obtain a replacement plate.

[Jester]

Oh no, I had them towed. It just took two hours for it to happen. That's why.

Ooooohhh...

That makes a lot more sense. From your earlier post, it just sounded (to me) like you just resignedly parked your car elsewhere and trudged on home, and that this happened on a regular basis, with you never taking any action.

My apologies for reading something that wasn't there.

Fair point. I suppose what I meant to say is that some people like to avoid inconveniencing for other people, even if said other people have inconvenienced them.

There's a word for people like that. It's "pushovers." Obviously, I am not one of them.

Personally, yeah, I'm with you, you park in my driveway, ring ring, here comes the tow truck, motherfucker.

And clearly neither are you.

But this has a BIG difference from the notes Argabarga sees.

Well, yes, but the similarity is that we both thought that the note was enough. In their case, they thought it was as good as a parking pass to prevent towing. In my case, I thought it was as good as having a license plate on my car. See, I didn't just leave my car parked there. I actually drove it around with that note in the back window, but no plate. As I said, I was amazingly stupid back then. But shockingly, I did not get ticketed.