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  • Bags o' Fun

    We tow from a couple meter lots, as those of you who have been loyal followers of me know.

    One major problem we've always had as that frequently, as hated and abused as the parking meter is by the public at large, they'd succumb to vandalism/attempted vandalism/stupidity and jam/break.

    (It says QUARTERS ONLY on the faceplate people! Stop trying to feed them dimes/pennies, putting one in and then turning the handle is a good way to bollocks up the works inside!)

    Anyway, when a meter went down, invariably everyone would come running to park at the broken one since the law/rules say you can't ticket/tow someone at a broken meter because you can't prove they didn't TRY to pay it, or that it didn't break after they paid it.

    Proper procedure for busted meters was to alert the building maintenance man who'd go out and fix/unjam the meter. That worked great, provided it was a weekday afternoon.

    But, due to Murphy's Law most meter vandalism takes place at night, a Friday night, meaning the meter would be out of service for up to 3 days while every Tom Dick and Harry was using it and benefiting from free ill-gotten parking

    So, after a brainstorming session, management here and there got together and invested in a solution. We had some custom bags made for the meters. They're tightly-woven synthetic plastic bags with built-in metal eyelets at the bottom. You put them over top the meter, pull them down, and then run a padlock through the eye. These babies are waterproof, so they'll take weather. Tightly-woven, so they can't be stretched/pulled off and done in international-orange hue so you can't claim you didn't see them.

    Also, printed right on the front of the bag are the words

    NO PARKING AT THIS METER
    VIOLATORS TOWED IMMEDIATELY
    FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD TOWING XXX-XXXX

    Now, when we notice a meter go down, we can simply bag it, and maintenance (who has the only other key to the locks) can get to it at their leisure and anyone who tries to use it can be legally towed for disregarding a "no parking" sign.

    I was giddy like a kid on Christmas morning when they came in the big FEDEX box. Got my first chance to use them the other night when I noticed a downed meter.

    Not more than 5 minutes after covering it, locking it, and going about my way, we got a phone call back at the garage.

    "Hi, yeah, uh, I'm down here at *meter parking lot* and there's like, this strange orangy-bag over the meter that says I can't park here or I"ll be towed. Uh, I was just wondering what the deal with it is?"



    I give up.....

    I know I said it before, but this time I mean it!

    If anyone wants this old cardboard box containing the tiny broken bits of my former faith in humanity, I'll take your best offer now. You may be able to salvage a few of em' for parts..... and if not, well, I dunno, maybe your cat will like playin' with em.
    - They say nothing good happens at 2AM, they're right, I happen at 2AM.

  • #2
    Quoth Argabarga View Post

    "Hi, yeah, uh, I'm down here at *meter parking lot* and there's like, this strange orangy-bag over the meter that says I can't park here or I"ll be towed. Uh, I was just wondering what the deal with it is?"
    At least their stupidity keeps you gainfully employed..
    A PSA, if I may, as well as another.

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    • #3
      Wow...I'm not even surprised, but I AM looking forward to towing stories regarding 'I didn't know!!!'

      PS. You're now my new Signature!
      "If anyone wants this old box containing the broken bits of my former faith in humanity, I'll take your best offer now. You may be able to salvage a few of em' for parts..... " - Quote by Argabarga

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      • #4
        Yay! That's TWO member's who's posts I'm now automatically part of.
        - They say nothing good happens at 2AM, they're right, I happen at 2AM.

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        • #5
          "Sir, I suggest you park there and find out. Might take a few minutes, but you will find out!" It'd be the most expensive lesson the idiot could learn! Of course I'm assuming a lot of people and their expensive lessons. I'm sure they also called that phone scam company back and gave them all their personal information too!
          If I make no sense, I apologize. I'm constantly interrupted by an actual toddler.

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          • #6
            On the bright side ... at least Dumb (or Dumber) called to ask, rather than parking and then blowing a gasket when he got towed.

            Okay, so it's not really much to be cheery about ... I admit I've hit bottom and started digging.

            Went to visit Mom at the nursing home the other day, pulled up to a meter on the street, and found it and its twin just ahead of me were both flashing "FAIL". Yay, saved $2 and change! (Of course, these are municipal meters so ... it's a different situation.)

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            • #7
              Part of me is saying that Stupidity of that magnitude should be punished...

              Another part of me is saying, "Well, at least he ASKED first..." >_>
              "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
              "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
              "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
              "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
              "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
              "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
              Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
              "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

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              • #8
                It was stupid, yes. But, lets all take a turn at amazement that he actually called up and ASKED about the meter, instead of parking and getting mad after being towed.

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                • #9
                  Quoth raudf View Post
                  "Sir, I suggest you park there and find out. Might take a few minutes, but you will find out!" It'd be the most expensive lesson the idiot could learn! Of course I'm assuming a lot of people and their expensive lessons. I'm sure they also called that phone scam company back and gave them all their personal information too!
                  Yeah about those scams ... I get a lot of emails telling me I've won the "whatever" lottery for $2.9 or $6.5 billion dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, yesterday, I got one that was probably the biggest fail of a scam email EVER.

                  "Dear XXXX

                  I am pleased to inform you that you have won the lottery for $2.8"

                  Yes, that's right! I've won the lottery for a whole TWO DOLLARS AND EIGHTY CENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was soooooo excited I couldn't even type my personal information into a reply email !

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