Tow Trucks Downtown

**biketech** · September-03-10, 11:16 PM

I was at the Jazz Fest tonight and decided to go up to Comerica to see how things were going up there. I walked up woodward and as I came to grand river I noticed the police ticketing cars and tow-trucks waiting, hooking up the ticketed cars and towing them away. I know these cars were parked illegally and most likely people attending the eminem concert, but is it really necessary to tow the cars away after ticketing. Its not like Grand River at that area is a major thoroughfare at that location.

**Meddle** · September-03-10, 11:19 PM

but is it really necessary to tow the cars away after ticketing

Increases revenue with the storage fees.

**fryar** · September-03-10, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by biketech

Is it really necessary to tow the cars away after ticketing? It's not like Grand River at that area is a major thoroughfare at that location.

No, it is not.

Originally Posted by Meddle

Increases revenue with the storage fees.

Yep.

**laurin** · September-04-10, 12:13 AM

It has gotten pretty bad downtown. That's one of the reasons why we stopped going to the Riverwalk. There were no signs prohibiting parking and we had parked at the same spot many times before- but one night we were towed. No ticket- car just gone. Bah. It's not worth it.

**fryar** · September-04-10, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by laurin

It has gotten pretty bad downtown. That's one of the reasons why we stopped going to the Riverwalk. There were no signs prohibiting parking and we had parked at the same spot many times before- but one night we were towed. No ticket- car just gone. Bah. It's not worth it.

That, too, is extremely lame. They should at least make an effort to get the signage in check. This is definitely a change from 2 years ago, when maybe I would get a ticket.

**Russix** · September-04-10, 02:20 AM

I've never seemed to have a problem figuring out how to legally park.

**JohnnyFreddy** · September-04-10, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by Russix

I've never seemed to have a problem figuring out how to legally park.

Seems like no matter what is posted on this forum,
there always has to be some "Say good things about Detroit" booster.
No, things are screwed up in Detroit, period.
And the sooner we admit it, and adjust our attitudes for fixing these problems,
no matter how seemingly small or unimportant to some, Russix, the sooner this
city can make a turn around, so people won't just throw up their hands and say,
"Well Hell, I listened to the hype and came back to Detroit.........
.....and got SCREWED!!!"
When there are no signs posted, you shouldn't get a ticket.
When you get a ticket, you shouldn't get towed.
There has never been ample parking downtown, and you know it.
I've been bitching about that for years.
And I've been the victim many times [[and yes, I live down here)
of the famous 'Police/ Traffic Enforcement' scam of 'Towing'.
It's a very lucrative means of pocketing money on the side for these people,
who are in cahoots with the tow companies, and impound yards.
And if you want to sit back and deny the problem exists, you're either naive,
or just plain blind.
Let's fix the system in Detroit, then start expecting "Suburbanites" to enjoy
our city and spend their money here, and bring their children here.

**JohnnyFreddy** · September-04-10, 04:46 AM

Originally Posted by laurin

It has gotten pretty bad downtown. That's one of the reasons why we stopped going to the Riverwalk. There were no signs prohibiting parking and we had parked at the same spot many times before- but one night we were towed. No ticket- car just gone. Bah. It's not worth it.

Yeah, I used to go to the Riverwalk on a regular basis, but because of the construction
down there, and the street being torn up, and no access to the parking lot, and every
street around there with signs posting 'No parking' [[why, by the way? There's nothing around there. Just corralling for the parking lots I guess. The city will probably start charging to park there soon, when all the construction is completed)
Again I harken back to my statement of not enough parking downtown.
It's as if they're [[the planners) purposely getting you to park illegally, so they can
increase the city's revenue. NAH!!! they wouldn't do that.
I've caught myself many times in the past thinking, Is Traffic Enforcement
[[Meter Maids and their ilk) the only division in Detroit, that actually makes money?
But I got used to Not going to the Riverwalk, because there was nowhere to park!!! Yet, behind a tall chain link fence, there sat an empty parking lot, with
two or three cars of 'would be' Riverwalkers consistently cruising the surrounding neighberhood, looking for that 'non-existent' LEGAL parking spot, which 'some'
have no problem ever finding.
Hmm, strange.

**Meddle** · September-04-10, 04:52 AM

When there are no signs posted, you shouldn't get a ticket.

That's not always true. There are places you can never park sign or no sign.

When you get a ticket, you shouldn't get towed.

Again, not always true. If you're parked where your car may be a hazard, it can be ticketed and towed.

OP didn't say exactly where they parked, so we don't know the whole story.

**Zacha341** · September-04-10, 05:06 AM

That's horrible, but not unheard of. I am really turned off for going downtown. I can recall my classic tickets and just don't want to revisit the idea [[got one at the movies at the Ren Cen - have never gone the movies there since). I got towed once too over 10 years ago. Now I know some of the hidden lots and then I hop on the people mover. But it's still a hassle.

Worse yet is to see that poor 'sapinton' who had five or more tickets get the BRIGHT 'YELLOW BOOT' wheel lock! This is a vision seen all over downtown, WSU and the medical center. When the meter person scans your car to give a ticket for an expired meter etc. they also scan for existing tickets.

Five or more and bang you get the boot. I've never gotten one of those as I keep my ticket quotient low. For sure a "bad day" to come out to this. The tow truck comes along after the boot lock is installed....

Originally Posted by laurin

It has gotten pretty bad downtown. That's one of the reasons why we stopped going to the Riverwalk. There were no signs prohibiting parking and we had parked at the same spot many times before- but one night we were towed. No ticket- car just gone. Bah. It's not worth it.

**Zacha341** · September-04-10, 05:09 AM

I've found some of those "off the beaten trail" free spots. But I have an older car with a club, alarm and engine kill switch. A worse day is to come find your car stolen from where you left it. I often just park far away and take te people mover....

Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

Yeah, I used to go to the Riverwalk on a regular basis, but because of the construction
down there, and the street being torn up, and no access to the parking lot, and every
street around there with signs posting 'No parking' [[why, by the way? There's nothing around there. Just corralling for the parking lots I guess. The city will probably start charging to park there soon, when all the construction is completed)
Again I harken back to my statement of not enough parking downtown.
It's as if they're [[the planners) purposely getting you to park illegally, so they can
increase the city's revenue. NAH!!! they wouldn't do that.
I've caught myself many times in the past thinking, Is Traffic Enforcement
[[Meter Maids and their ilk) the only division in Detroit, that actually makes money?
But I got used to Not going to the Riverwalk, because there was nowhere to park!!! Yet, behind a tall chain link fence, there sat an empty parking lot, with
two or three cars of 'would be' Riverwalkers consistently cruising the surrounding neighberhood, looking for that 'non-existent' LEGAL parking spot, which 'some'
have no problem ever finding.
Hmm, strange.

**Meddle** · September-04-10, 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

I've found some of those "off the beaten trail" free spots. But I have an older car with a club, alarm and engine kill switch. A worse day is to come find your car stolen from where you left it. I often just park far away and take te people mover....

And to be honest, that's where they [[whoever they are) should be focusing their efforts. Shuttle busses, jitneys, light rail or whatever you want to call it. Some kind of service from areas close enough to be practical but too far to walk that people can ride for free or a nominal fee to get to events.

**Huggybear** · September-04-10, 06:30 AM

Unless you parked across a driveway or in front of a hydrant, it's generally because you already have multiple tickets. The crackdown was announced about two months ago. And there is no shortage of repeat offenders.

And signs? There are signs covering every potential parking space downtown. Metered spaces are generally the only legit ones in the CBD. I would suggest that where a lot of people "don't see signs," its selective blindness. No-parking and no-standing zones do not stop at driveways. They continue until replaced with another sign.

And how do you get a ticket at the movies at the Ren Cen? It's validated parking. Has been for years.

Originally Posted by biketech

I was at the Jazz Fest tonight and decided to go up to Comerica to see how things were going up there. I walked up woodward and as I came to grand river I noticed the police ticketing cars and tow-trucks waiting, hooking up the ticketed cars and towing them away. I know these cars were parked illegally and most likely people attending the eminem concert, but is it really necessary to tow the cars away after ticketing. Its not like Grand River at that area is a major thoroughfare at that location.

EastSider · September-04-10, 08:12 AM

Which story you want to stick with?

Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

And I've been the victim many times [[and yes, I live down here)

Originally Posted by JohnnyFreddy

Yeah, I used to go to the Riverwalk on a regular basis, but because of the construction...But I got used to Not going to the Riverwalk, because there was nowhere to park!!!

Someone who lives downtown drives to the Riverwalk? Really?

**preserve** · September-04-10, 11:42 AM

Personally, I have to agree that the parking situation is awful.
The City is still not user friendly. Back 40-50 years ago, when
most of the main streets were businesses, and there were
parking meters, I could see the need for parking enforcement. But, now there's none of that. Yet, the little
white cars are cruising all over, even on residential streets,
looking for someone who may have parked less than 15 feet from a cross street,[[where no one is crossing - ever) and maybe a couple of inches too far from the curb - it makes me
crazy. I hate that there's no parking for the west Riverwalk.
On a summer night, nothing going on at Joe Louis, and still
you cannot park along the street and get out and enjoy the
benches and the walk. Who was this created for? People who
can be airlifted into the area? I agree that parking in front of
a driveway - that is being used - or a fire hydrant - that works-
should be a ticketed offense, but to just ticket over and over
or tow cars is too extreme. I'd like to see that department eliminated all together. Get beat cops to issue parking tickets for real violations - just like in the comic strips. The
tow trucks are more of an obstruction than someone parked in a no parking zone.

**3WC** · September-04-10, 01:19 PM

I'll bet that the towed cars were parked in clearly marked "Tow Away" zones.

I have friends in Detroit who own several parking lots downtown. There is no shortage of parking. There is arguably a shortage of on-street, legal parking during events. My friends who own the lots have some hilarious stories of people who will go to any lengths to park on the street to avoid paying parking lot fees. They say these people park in clearly illegal areas, totally oblivious to the risks involved. They claim to have seen the same cars getting ticketed or towed more than once in the same area.

**CLAUDE G** · September-04-10, 02:37 PM

Its a big money grab if you ask me. If the Police operated as efficiently as the Meter Maids and the Tow Truck operators this city would be crime free.

**menckensghost** · September-04-10, 04:13 PM

I live and work in the city of Detroit. It is a hostile environment, to say the least. Parking is my biggest bitch. I get one space with my apartment. My guests have to take their chances on the street. There are nasty, overgrown lots everywhere, but no free parking. Twice now, I have had friends get the windows broken out of their cars when there was nothing to steal inside. This is in Midtown. If you want to go downtown, say Greektown, it's $10 at the private lots. My rent is $600 a month, basically $20 a day. Does this seem equitable? I have lived in NYC. Parking is worse there, but there were always other options there. Park in Jersey and ride a train into town. And besides that, New York is not the "Motor City". There is vacant land everywhere in this town. Why isn't it more "car friendly"?

Alas, yet more unanswered questions about the plight of Detroit.

DC48080 · September-04-10, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by menckensghost

There is vacant land everywhere in this town. Why isn't it more "car friendly"?

Be careful with that question. You're going to get some people on here worked into a lather about how cars are an outdated, outmoded, evil suburban concept.

You're going to get a few select people on here blathering about how we need the magic choo-choo train instead of cars and then Detroit will be so nifty that everyone will want to open businesses here and live here.

This is, afterall, the all too predictable DetroitYES.

**iheartthed** · September-04-10, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

That's not always true. There are places you can never park sign or no sign.

Other than near a fire hydrant or a space where the curb is marked, where else can you not park even when no sign is present to warn you?

**laurin** · September-04-10, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Other than near a fire hydrant or a space where the curb is marked, where else can you not park even when no sign is present to warn you?

I can't remember the street where we parked downtown near the riverwalk, but there was no sign. However, we learned later, that it was part of an enforcement zone where they actively towed, A sign would have been nice as we just would have parked elsewhere- there were a couple of other cars on the same street as well. Instead they went for a money grab with storage and towing fees and lost patrons to the Riverwalk. Why go through the hassle when there are parks and other family activities elsewhere?

**fryar** · September-05-10, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by menckensghost

I live and work in the city of Detroit. It is a hostile environment, to say the least. Parking is my biggest bitch. I get one space with my apartment. My guests have to take their chances on the street. There are nasty, overgrown lots everywhere, but no free parking. Twice now, I have had friends get the windows broken out of their cars when there was nothing to steal inside. This is in Midtown. If you want to go downtown, say Greektown, it's $10 at the private lots. My rent is $600 a month, basically $20 a day. Does this seem equitable? I have lived in NYC. Parking is worse there, but there were always other options there. Park in Jersey and ride a train into town. And besides that, New York is not the "Motor City". There is vacant land everywhere in this town. Why isn't it more "car friendly"?

Alas, yet more unanswered questions about the plight of Detroit.

Am I jumping to inaccurate conclusions if I suggest that this has nothing to do with the city's car friendliness? If I make a few realistic* assumptions, the problem you're actually identifying has to do with police presence [[i.e. because they parked on the street in a city that actually is very car friendly, as demonstrated by the availability of on-street parking). The low police presence is why your rent is only $600.

*it's counter-intuitive to me that the car windows would get broken in a watched lot.

**carlscomputers** · September-05-10, 06:06 AM

Originally Posted by 3WC

I'll bet that the towed cars were parked in clearly marked "Tow Away" zones.

I have friends in Detroit who own several parking lots downtown. There is no shortage of parking. There is arguably a shortage of on-street, legal parking during events. My friends who own the lots have some hilarious stories of people who will go to any lengths to park on the street to avoid paying parking lot fees. They say these people park in clearly illegal areas, totally oblivious to the risks involved. They claim to have seen the same cars getting ticketed or towed more than once in the same area.

The same lots that charge $5 one day & $25 for "special" days??? Highway robbery!!! Either you pay an overly inflated fee at a lot, or you get ticketed/towed/broken into on street... & we wonder why folks complain? Went to Indianapolis for a convention this year, paid $3 to park in a structure downtown for most of the day. Parking in Downtown Detroit Sucks!!!!! I've even gotten a ticket while paying a ticket at Municipal Parking offices before.

**Meddle** · September-05-10, 06:06 AM

^^ Unless it's the watcher breaking the windows. Rent-a-cops don't make much y'know.

**Zacha341** · September-05-10, 06:40 AM

Hmmm, doesn't faze me... I love DRIVING my own car. Public transpo is ok, like a jaunt on the people mover, then I am ready to get back to my car which takes me right to my door.

Originally Posted by DC48080

Be careful with that question. You're going to get some people on here worked into a lather about how cars are an outdated, outmoded, evil suburban concept.

You're going to get a few select people on here blathering about how we need the magic choo-choo train instead of cars and then Detroit will be so nifty that everyone will want to open businesses here and live here.

This is, afterall, the all too predictable DetroitYES.