Mass car towing near Cliff Bells / Foxtown

**Johnnny5** · January-15-12, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to put in an extra police presence? How much did it cost to tow all of those cars away?

Petty criminals don't pickup the lunch tab or offer brown envelopes full of cash. They also don't have the ability to pay for their own defense, pay for their time in jail or compensate the victims of their crimes.

This way the tow truck companies make money, the parking lot owners make money and the City gets to collect the parking fines to cover the police expense. Different scam, different crooks, same victims.

**iheartthed** · January-15-12, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Petty criminals don't pickup the lunch tab or offer brown envelopes full of cash. They also don't have the ability to pay for their own defense, pay for their time in jail or compensate the victims of their crimes.

This way the tow truck companies make money, the parking lot owners make money and the City gets to collect the parking fines to cover the police expense. Different scam, different crooks, same victims.

I'm not against code enforcement. I actually think Detroit could stand to be a lot more proactive in enforcing its parking codes. But this was just stupid and a completely unsustainable practice... And for such a limited geographic area it had a very simple solution: park a couple of police cars at each corner and have the cops circle the block on foot every few minutes. Who comes up with this stupid shit?

**ThisIsForTheHeart** · January-15-12, 02:43 PM

This is a lot better than Royal Oak. The Royal Oak Police wont even let residents go thru their street to get their house. They have to take the alternative back way. That's why so many hate the Dream cruise and now Arts,beats and eats.

Anyways What I would like to see the city of Detroit do is offer some kind of parking permit that will allow you to park in any meter area without having to feed the meters.Sell permits for about $40 that will last three months.

**rex** · January-15-12, 02:53 PM

so is this a response to the increase of larcenies reported in the news? City found out about it, decided the gettings good and decided to get their piece?

**ddaydetroit** · January-15-12, 03:07 PM

this has to be hurting Cliffs bells and the park bar

**Mark Smiles** · January-15-12, 03:09 PM

I take it people are driving in from the suburbs to break into these cars.

Where are they finding a safe place to park?

**Zacha341** · January-15-12, 04:01 PM

I've not been to Cliff Bells but this isn't making me want to hurry up and go! Easier to do something else not requiring the status of your car [[stolen, tampered, vandalized and or towed) necessary heavy on your mind while indulging in a forkful...

Originally Posted by ddaydetroit

this has to be hurting Cliffs bells and the park bar

**Gannon** · January-15-12, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to put in an extra police presence? How much did it cost to tow all of those cars away?

...

Who comes up with this stupid shit?

You have quite a mystery here.

The city [[and probably well-placed individuals, currently in office or recently replaced, through side feedback benefits, say like political donations and gifts from the parking lot owners) MAKES money on every vehicle towed...no matter whether the person pays their past due fines or not.

Sure, the tow [[and storage...NEVER forget the daily storage fees) company makes the bulk of it, but they've been tied to kickbacks to those in office for many years.

Those who own the surface lots get the next biggest cut, if they actually sell access to their spaces for a buck or two it'll be way less...but I'd bet big money we'll not see any dollar parking downtown EVER. These folks are all politically connected...one of my client's father has been involved with some non-Illitch lots for many years, and when I asked the son if he knew of any 'arrangements'...he laughed and only said the walls of the office were filled with pictures of various city officials.

I wonder, in retrospect, how many of 'em are used as dartboards...but perhaps I'm reading my own emotions into this!

But the city wins without paying anyone anything extra...and the crime visibility increases so many will opt for the Illitch lots automatically.

I'm with those who know that the lots will not be guarded until closing time...in many cases, these guys leave before the GAME is over...so why would they wait until past two in the morning?! It greatly increases THEIR risk of getting robbed...and raises their operating costs. [[not to mention what they need to do to bolster employee morale...can you imagine how mind-numbingly dull sitting in those wee glass boxes would be, night after night, merely watching over obnoxious drunk's cars?!)

Godbee is an idiot. This situation alone proves he has no ability to fashion true solutions to vexing problems. We need another Police Chief...when is that EFM coming to town?!

Sincerely,
John

**Gannon** · January-15-12, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

I've not been to Cliff Bells but this isn't making me want to hurry up and go! Easier to do something else not requiring the status of your car [[stolen, tampered, vandalized and or towed) necessary heavy on your mind while indulging in a forkful...

Even though it has been over two years since my incident in that area, I still flinch even when stopping through for a Bucharest schwarma. I cannot get lost in any performance at either the Park or Cliff Bells without becoming antsy about my vehicle...and anxiety every single time I've walked to my car at the end of the night, expecting another pile of Detroit Diamonds.

I certainly have spent a whole lot less time down there than I used to.

Of course, the new 10 o'clock end time for meter surveillance has been a good portion of that, too.

Ya gotta watch for the crooks in the wee white cars before ten, and the ones who hide in shadows afterwards. Don't get all bunched up about me calling the parking patrol crooks...I've been around too many who target individuals and businesses to be able to dream up the same grace I give to actual police officers. At least the cops are capable of doing really good things for people once in a while...in all my years parking in this town, nothing of the sort has ever happened through parking enforcement.

Cheers

**Zacha341** · January-15-12, 05:51 PM

Hello Gannon... PM me about what happened in the past - perhaps I missed that thread or it was before my time with Dyes to read about it.

"Detroit Diamonds" ! I take that to mean broken glass of your window gleaming on the sidewalk where you your car once was! Ick. The thought of that is awful.

Perhaps I will try Cliff Bells during the day! The Park place is a bar I gather [[?) so I will not be trying that at all with their business mainly at night.

Originally Posted by Gannon

Even though it has been over two years since my incident in that area, I still flinch even when stopping through for a Bucharest schwarma. I cannot get lost in any performance at either the Park or Cliff Bells without becoming antsy about my vehicle...and anxiety every single time I've walked to my car at the end of the night, expecting another pile of Detroit Diamonds....

**Zacha341** · January-15-12, 06:02 PM

Yep. Of course the lots are not guarded late into the evening. Like you said it's a dangerous game for the lot folks so they call it a day after a while, and leave. And your vehicle is there for easy picking, and plucking... No thank you. Until property crime is more under control I will not be one of the victims of this.

Originally Posted by Gannon

]I'm with those who know that the lots will not be guarded until closing time...in many cases, these guys leave before the GAME is over...so why would they wait until past two in the morning?! It greatly increases THEIR risk of getting robbed...and raises their operating costs. [[not to mention what they need to do to bolster employee morale...can you imagine how mind-numbingly dull sitting in those wee glass boxes would be, night after night, merely watching over obnoxious drunk's cars?!)

Godbee is an idiot. This situation alone proves he has no ability to fashion true solutions to vexing problems. We need another Police Chief...when is that EFM coming to town?!

Sincerely,
John

**Meddle** · January-15-12, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

I'm with those who know that the lots will not be guarded until closing time...in many cases, these guys leave before the GAME is over...

Game OVER?? Crap, they leave before the game starts. Once the lot is full, they're gone. They're not there to guard the place or the cars, they're there to collect the fees. Lot full, no more cars in, no more fees to collect? Seeyalaterbye!!

**Zacha341** · January-15-12, 06:32 PM

So once their shift is over the next shift starts in for the clean up... Oh my........

**Gannon** · January-15-12, 08:09 PM

Zacha! No need to do anything in private...LOL...here is the thread. http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...el-So-Violated Cheers!

**Zacha341** · January-15-12, 08:38 PM

Read the thread G - wow what a trip without luggage for sure! Some where saying just leave the doors open to prevent windows being busted out... well that's not an option for me as I have a dual-alarm engine 'disabling' system that automatically locks my doors even if I don't activate it.

I am not sure where this Cliff Bells place is but if it along that back side Park street area behind the Fox and Filmore etc that has always seemed car problem oriented to me but so are other areas. I'm going to google map it to verify.

I was with a friend for a HS graduation at Chene Park middle of the day last June in their theft magnet Chrysler 300 only to come out and find 'Detroit Diamonds' all over the seats from a theft attempt. Parking staff was non-chalant and rude...

Had my doors pried open on in a car on Griswold maybe 20 years ago and all items taken in view. The guy was actually crawling out of the car as I approached it. He dropped some of the stuff and took off. Downtown also had a window smashed and stuff stolen.

Since then I've not had any troubles, but wary of wear I park... rarely at night late.

**Detroitnerd** · January-16-12, 12:05 PM

There's a lot of street parking on Elizabeth, and it must rankle Ilitch that people park on Elizabeth [[people who like Park Bar and Cliff Bell's are a bit hardier, I think, than many suburban "guests" of Olympia). I have noticed an uptick in ticketing. I got a ticket for parking within 10 feet of a corner ramp, which is some pretty strict enforcement. So they've been at it over there.

They said Detroit couldn't get worse. But when Ilitch, Department of Parking Violations, Godbee and B&T put their heads together, see how awful things can be?

**Gannon** · January-16-12, 04:11 PM

Dropped into Bucharest today, so I could park illegally and be uncomfortable while waiting for my carry-out.

The temporary No Parking signs expire today. This was a ploy to get Auto Show first-weekenders and MLK parade goers to park in Illitch lots and make the city money.

For the record, though, MOST of the curb parking spaces which aren't metered are tagged Police Vehicle Parking only, that date back to when some police building was across the street from the Park...it might've been the old Academy. So, there are very few spaces on the street which're legal anyways.

It used to not matter, before the Meter Crooks increased their operating hours.

More I think about this, angrier I get. But three bites into this Chicken Schwarma now, I realize that the risk is well worth it.

Sincerely,
John

Godbee must Go. [[heck, it finally worked against Millen, right?!)

**Kathleen** · January-16-12, 04:15 PM

The musicians who play at and stop in at Cliff Bell's are leary of the parking situation, especially after a musician's car was stolen recently from there. I know that D. thinks twice every time he goes there!!!

Occurrence · January-16-12, 06:19 PM

Don't worry about the parking meter crooks. I just screw on an old license plate that my friend kept years back on some old POS car he had over my real one. Any parking ticket I get written goes to a license plate number that doesn't exist. When I get back to my car I just remove the fake plate and throw the ticket in the garbage.

**Detroitnerd** · January-16-12, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Don't worry about the parking meter crooks. I just screw on an old license plate that my friend kept years back on some old POS car he had over my real one. Any parking ticket I get written goes to a license plate number that doesn't exist. When I get back to my car I just remove the fake plate and throw the ticket in the garbage.

A true Detroiter!

**Zacha341** · January-16-12, 07:48 PM

Crazy the cars are being corralled thru the 'turnstile' of Illitch, meter creatures or the car vultures. Good times and feels good to beat both at their 'game'!!

Originally Posted by Gannon

The temporary No Parking signs expire today. This was a ploy to get Auto Show first-weekenders and MLK parade goers to park in Illitch lots and make the city money.

Ravine · January-17-12, 04:05 AM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Don't worry about the parking meter crooks. I just screw on an old license plate that my friend kept years back on some old POS car he had over my real one. Any parking ticket I get written goes to a license plate number that doesn't exist. When I get back to my car I just remove the fake plate and throw the ticket in the garbage.

You don't really believe that we're fucking stupid enough to believe that you are fucking stupid enough to believe that such a fucking stupid stunt would consistently work and that the car would not end up getting booted and towed, do you?

**cramerro** · January-17-12, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Yep, if you have over three four or five tickets and you're parked illegally or if your meter runs out on goes the boot, then the tow. And every day you don't come get your car the fees go up! I saw a car on Virginia Park with a boot on it... the parking enforcement teams are starting to go up and down residential streets running plates I suppose of those illegally parked.

Just to make sure that those on the 'boot list' aren't misled, you don't need to do anything illegal to be booted once you're boot eligible. If they spot your plate, they boot the car, legally parked or not. Haven't you ever seen "Parking Wars"?? :-)

Those who have been booted before know that it isn't some sort of stealth mission or overnight trigger that gets you on the list. You [[boot listed) have to have over a certain #/value$ of unpaid, overdue tickets, then you get two notices in the mail giving you 90? days notice before you're on the list. Only after all that do they take it to the next level and tow your car to be held for payment of tickets. Maybe you could say that if you got a bogus ticket that the system is unfair... but in the end, you have broken the law repeatedly, failed to pay your fines, and thus accpeted the risk of being booted. If not for something like this in place, what's to make anyone actually follow the rules. And, obviously it has to go this far because obviously you won't pay your tickets unless this happens.

**cramerro** · January-17-12, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Ravine

You don't really believe that we're fucking stupid enough to believe that you are fucking stupid enough to believe that such a fucking stupid stunt would consistently work and that the car would not end up getting booted and towed, do you?

I could see this working... the tickets written are tied only to the plate on the car, not anything else. They don't use the VIN, your driver's license, etc, or check if the plate is valid [[other than a valid sticker in some cases). Now, since you aren't really registered to the car, you'd have no way of getting a notice to tell you you're on the boot list, so after X tickets go overdue, you'd need a new plate.

I'm not sure what the crime would be if you were caught, but I'm sure it would be more serious than a few parking tickets. Not worth the risk.

**Zacha341** · January-17-12, 09:46 AM

^^^^ Yes, I would NOT suggest this kind of fraud. If the police become involved they WILL take it seriously. The'll assume that you pried the plate off another car [[theft) and with the few police we have [[desk duty or the streets) they need to be 'focused' on serious crime going on elsewhere in the city!