Tip Towed.

[IHateStupidCustomers]

That is AWESOME!

[Argabarga]

I get people like that who complain that they were parked "only for a few minutes" in a buisinesses lot and got towed. Little do they know that each car I tow has a tow sheet on which I have to mark the time the vehicle was called in by the buisiness, the fact that yes, 2 hours passed before I even drove out to that lot, then, I waited another 15 minutes (Borough ordinance, 15 minute grace period between when a vehicle CAN legaly be towed and when you are allowed to hook it) Then it takes between 2 -5 minutes to load a car properly (I don't break things, liability or not legally, my COMPANY will take any costs of vehicle damage out of my paycheck) SO, when they come in and whine or threaten to sue because they were towed for only being there "5" minutes, they get real quiet when I start adding up the times and usualy get something like 2 hours and 25 minutes. That's when they pay for their car and go away.

[infogirl]

I believe that ws the most beautiful thing I ever read.

[Sylvia727]

It would have taken 4 trucks less then 15-20 minutes to clear that lot, even less time if they had more trucks on the way.

The total time for the cars to be towed would be something like: Point (a) when the last customer leaves the lot -> point (b) when the manager decides to tow them -> point (c) when the manager places the call -> point (d) when the tow trucks show up -> point (e) when the trucks start towing -> point (f) when the last car leaves the lot.

The time between (c) and (d) was about 10 minutes. The time between (e) and (f) was less than 15. I'm sure that the time between (a) and (c) was at least 10 minutes, for the manager to get that worked up and get all the right info down. The total time had to be at least half an hour, for the last customer. The earlier customers had even more time. Running across the street to buy a pack of smokes or what-have-you is still in the bounds of politeness, in my opinion, but half an hour is more than enough time for the legitimate customers to collected their property.

[friendofjimmyk]

I think that says it all!!!

Now heres a few facts about towing vehicles from private property (at least in california).

The tow needs to be authorized by the property owner or a duelly apointed agent of the property owner. In this case it was the manager. All the paper work was signed off on.

There needs to be the correct signage. Around here it has to state private parking, blah blah blah will be towed, blah blah blah, and have the correct police codes.

The teens ceased being "McDonalds Customers" Once they left the restaraunt and went to the party.

Now as for how long it would have taken for the towing to happen. Not long at all. A good tow truck operator can back up to the car, lift it and be gone in less then a minute (and a minute is really taking to long). They would lift the cars and then take them to another location drop them and go back for the others. After they pulled all the cars they would go back to the drop site and secure the cars on the trucks and take them to the yard.

It would have taken 4 trucks less then 15-20 minutes to clear that lot, even less time if they had more trucks on the way.

.

I second this motion. The manager was not in the wrong...yes, he was possibly motivated by anger at the mess in his lobby/restaurant - but legally, he was in the right to remove the vehicles.

As far as how long it would take - not long at all...there are tow companies out there that thrive on this stuff! The one here in town will use their flatbeds to grab two at a time and even then, their drivers are lightening fast.

A word of advice - they can be lightening fast because they grab and go regardless of the consequences to the vehicle. You can't do anything about it if its damaged because you were illegally parked to begin with - you lose your ground. You don't want to park illegally because 9 times out of 10, your vehicle may be mistreated - intentionally or not - because most tow companies have drivers that get paid by the call - their primary concern is running as many calls in a shift they can.

[digilight]

First of all let me say that I love the balls on your manager and the owner as well for standing up for his staff.

Now heres a few facts about towing vehicles from private property (at least in california).

The tow needs to be authorized by the property owner or a duelly apointed agent of the property owner. In this case it was the manager. All the paper work was signed off on.

There needs to be the correct signage. Around here it has to state private parking, blah blah blah will be towed, blah blah blah, and have the correct police codes.

The teens ceased being "McDonalds Customers" Once they left the restaraunt and went to the party.

Now as for how long it would have taken for the towing to happen. Not long at all. A good tow truck operator can back up to the car, lift it and be gone in less then a minute (and a minute is really taking to long). They would lift the cars and then take them to another location drop them and go back for the others. After they pulled all the cars they would go back to the drop site and secure the cars on the trucks and take them to the yard.

It would have taken 4 trucks less then 15-20 minutes to clear that lot, even less time if they had more trucks on the way.

How do I know all this? My wifes cousin owns a towing company and does this for a living. I must say though, its made all of us much more cautious about where we park.

[iradney]

I look at it this way:

If those kids were guests in my house, and proceeded to trash my house the way they trashed the restaurant; and then left their cars blocking up my driveway, would you still say that towing them would be wrong?

As a few posters have already said, there were signs posted up saying that the parking lot is for customers of the restaurant only. Once you have paid, eaten and left, you are no longer a customer of that establishment. Therefore, you then need to move your car. Just the same as if you have people over for dinner. Once they've eaten and said their goodbyes, they must remove their cars from your driveway and head on home, or to their next destination.

[Broomjockey]

But from the OP post, the cars weren't being towed because of how long they were there; but, because of the trashed lobby, that's the way I was looking at it.
<snip>
The ones who trashed the lobby obviously were up to no good, it might have gotten worse if other kids tried to intervene. They shouldn't be punished for not wishing to get in the middle IMO.

Devil's Advocate time. Honestly, it doesn't matter how you LOOK at it, it matters that legally, the shop was in the right. They had signs posted saying customer parking only. They left the property, they weren't customers, they couldn't park there. The cause is irrelevant. If they tried to sue, the kids would get laughed out of court for claiming it was "retaliation." Whether the lobby was trashed or not, each and every one of the kids broke the same rule, and suffered the same fate. The ones who trashed the lobby just broke an extra rule.

Would you disagree with Bobsentme's manager if the lobby hadn't been trashed first, but he did it anyway? There's currently a thread over in sightings where numerous people advocate towing of cars that take personal spots. Would you disagree with them?

Remember, the kids being sucky in the restuarant or not, they were still sucky parkers. You can (and should be encouraged to) disagree with what happened, but thinking that the kids who didn't trash the resturaunt are somehow innocent victims is a pretty narrow way of looking at the situation.

We now end this test of the Devil's Advocate system.

[kibbles]

Not taking sides, just pointing out that it has been stated that there's a *Customer Parking Only* policy, and by leaving their cars there, they were, infact, doing something wrong. Is it possible that nothing would have happened had the lobby not been trashed? It's probable. But strictly speaking, every car that was towed there was a reason for it.

But from the OP post, the cars weren't being towed because of how long they were there; but, because of the trashed lobby, that's the way I was looking at it.

Also, in response to the post talking of the kids not stopping the trashing...umm...why should someone be punished because they didn't put themselves in the middle of something that wasn't their responsibility to stop in the first place?? Things could have escalated a lot worse if other kids just there for a good time, tried to intervene with the others.

The ones who trashed the lobby obviously were up to no good, it might have gotten worse if other kids tried to intervene. They shouldn't be punished for not wishing to get in the middle IMO.

[Broomjockey]

Out of curiosity, how long were the cars there? I'm not denying it wasn't perfectly legal to have the cars towed, but if parking is "for customer use only" and a few of them WERE customers....just curious what the specifics are. I assume you're considered a customer only whilst in the building?

Making assumptions on what I can, which is pretty much just the last part. I'd say being a customer ends as soon as you leave the property.

[bainsidhe]

Out of curiosity, how long were the cars there? I'm not denying it wasn't perfectly legal to have the cars towed, but if parking is "for customer use only" and a few of them WERE customers....just curious what the specifics are. I assume you're considered a customer only whilst in the building?

And whoops, missed the comment about fast food hell. Yup, 'tis a restaurant after all.

I'm glad the owners at least backed up the manager, whether one agrees with his actions or not. And I really hope this teaches future wannabe patrons to treat their fellow man/woman with respect. Many of us outgrew the throwing of food/trashing restaurant stage at the age of three.

Edit to add: Thanks to the mods for sticking up for my post and for those respectfully disagreeing with me. I didn't realize I was going to irritate so many people, but I appreciate the chance for myself and others to voice a difference of opinion.

[flybye023]

I'm siding with the people who think it was ok to do.

1. They trashed the restaurant. Maybe, yeah, some of the kids weren't in on it but they didn't stop it either.
2. Those cars were there long enough for 18 of them to be towed (remember, 4 belonged to the employees) so it had to be quite awhile.
3. The police and the owners backed up the staff. Would either one really have done that if the manager had in some way been out of line.
4. There were signs posted saying for customer/patron use only.

[Broomjockey]

a lot of people who did nothing wrong got their cars towed.

Not taking sides, just pointing out that it has been stated that there's a *Customer Parking Only* policy, and by leaving their cars there, they were, infact, doing something wrong. Is it possible that nothing would have happened had the lobby not been trashed? It's probable. But strictly speaking, every car that was towed there was a reason for it.

[kibbles]

I'm gonna say the manager was out of line on this one. You said there were 22 cars...did every single driver of these cars participate in trashing the lobby, or was it just a couple of people..meaning a lot of people who did nothing wrong got their cars towed.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I just want to add my applause and admiration to the manager.