City councilor has car towed when she forgets about street sweeping

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Whew. Hee hee hee hee.

[snort]

She has a legitimate point.

By Rob
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 8:43am

She has a legitimate point. That's a long way to go to get your car. It's not easy to go from the South End to Hyde Park.

Funny how that realization

By Scratchie
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 9:02am

Funny how that realization never occurred to her until it was her car that got towed.

How many people just know

By gotdatwmd
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 9:19am

How many people just know this offhand, even for a city councilor? I don't know how the tow system works, but in other cities in the state, as I've found out, local towing companies have beats that they tow for and take back to their own yards, which can be anywhere.

Anyone who's ever had their

By Scratchie
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 9:25am

Anyone who's ever had their car towed, or who knows anyone who's ever had their car towed? Most cities are notorious for the amount of difficulty in getting your car back after it's been towed and Boston is no exception.

Yeah.

By Boston_res
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 9:54am

There used to be a whole TV show about this very topic.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182156/

Do you live inside her mind?

By Rob
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 10:17am

Do you live inside her mind? Creepy....

Just drawing a reasonable

By Scratchie
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 11:23am

Just drawing a reasonable inference from the available evidence, counselor.

I'm actually a shill for the

By Rob
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 12:02pm

I'm actually a shill for the towing industry, didn't you know?

Funnier it didn't occur to

By Refugee
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 11:29am

Funnier it didn't occur to her two days earlier at the Council hearing where she was grilling the head of DPW about street cleaning.

Towing has come up

By michellewu
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 6:00pm

Towing has come up a few times already at different Ways & Means hearings. I first brought it up at the one with the Dept of Innovation & Technology 2 weeks ago-- they oversee the automatic notification systems and I wanted to make sure the City is doing all we can to alert residents instead of punishing right away. Towing did come up at the DPW hearing too, and we were assured by the Commissioner that the City wants to prevent towing where possible, mentioning how code enforcement will try to knock on doors to remind residents to move their cars. I think we could do better with text notifications in real time before the tow happens.

Yup, learning from experience

By michellewu
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 5:54pm

I've actually been looking into towing since I heard from several residents after street cleaning started a few weeks ago who were upset about how much the fees/fines are and how towing starts without enough reminder to residents that street cleaning is starting back up again for the year. But I hadn't heard about cars getting towed all the way across the city before, so thought I'd share my experience. Have since heard from a bunch of folks about it. Sadly I've been towed from the South End before, but to the lot on Southampton St. (1.5 mi away vs. ~8 mi to Hyde Park lot)

I give her this

By Waquiot
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 6:20pm

Even though people make Frontage Road out to be akin to Siberia, it is a better place to tow cars from North End/Beacon Hill/Downtown/Back Bay/South End.

Of course, she won't forget street sweeping again.

Taking Bets

By Alfred
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 6:24pm

I'll put good money that she can get the penalty removed, maybe not the tow yard fees, but ticket is never happening.

I'll bet you good money she pays every cent of it.....

By Pete Nice
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 6:51pm

How much?

I'll split this hand and get great odds

By Waquiot
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 7:28pm

Penalty- no penalty on parking violation, excepting of course the fine and towing fees.

Fine/Fees- she'll pay, and if she's sniffing around uhub, she'll probably tweet or instagram or whatever she uses a photograph of the invoice.

They don't always ticket...

By Pete Nice
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 8:04pm

But politicians always pay their parking tickets. Especially within the last 10 or so years with automated ticket machines.

Nah, not always

By adamg
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 12:17pm

Not in Boston, at any rate. Remember Mike Ross and his parking tickets?

That was a while ago.

By Pete Nice
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 5:27pm

The parking clerk does receive batches of tickets to be dismissed from various municipal workers of they are working on official business, but I've seen the records of most politicians paying their tickets recently.

In case you're curious

By michellewu
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 6:07pm

It came to $90 towing fee + $35 storage fee + $6 fuel charge (for cars towed over 5 miles) to tow company + $40 City of Boston ticket

If only there was a way to

By anon
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 6:46pm

If only there was a way to get from the South End to Hyde Park by mass transit...

Clearly Square bus to forest

By kvn
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 7:14pm

Clearly Square bus to Forest Hills , el to Dover street......

Commuter rail line takes

By Windypig
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 9:52am

you from back back station to hyde park in 12 minutes. Not sure where the tow lot is though.

Seriously?

By RJ
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 7:24pm

Are you that thick? The city dumped tons of sand on the roads for all the snow/ice we had this winter (which I'm not sure is totally over!) and that is what they do.
If you don't like it, why don't you sponsor a bill that tows nicely and not excessively. I’m sure it will enhance your status on the City Council.

Towed to Brighton

By towme
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 7:27pm

My car was towed from Boston to Brighton. That was insane. Frontage Road no longer has the contract. Let's get it back!!!!

Brighton is in Boston

By bounce
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 10:25pm

Your ignorance is showing.

Yeah...

By anon
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 10:03am

But we all wish it wasn't.

Confused ..

By JohnAKeith
Thu, 05/22/2014 - 8:02pm

I thought she lived in Southie now?

Hyde Park is a long way to go

By MC Slim JB
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 12:03am

I've been forgetful a few times with South End street cleaning. When I was lucky, the car got towed to Casey's in Newmarket Square, walkable or a short bus ride. Other times, it got towed to Stadium in North Allston five miles away, an hour on public transit or a $30 cab ride to add to the insult of a $40 ticket and $70+ in towing fees, plus daily storage fees if you didn't notice your car was gone for a day or more.

It's hard to complain when it's your own damned fault, but that tariff still stings. Now I'm grateful I never got towed to Hyde Park, an even longer, more expensive recovery trip, more like 7-8 miles. Bummer, dude.

It's a Hyde Park adventure!

By Waquiot
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 10:08am

I would say that South End to Hyde Park isn't easy (compared to Frontage Road), but it's not hard- Orange Line to 32 bus, and the bus stop is a stone's throw from the lot.. Moreover, you get to see part of Boston that one might not see- unless you are paying attention while on Amtrak. The big downer is that it isn't near Cleary Square, so no stopping for lunch or whatnot, but then again, once the automobile is retrieved, the municipal lot beckons.

Besides, as a citywide councilor, she is now going citywide to get her car. For everyone else, I stick by Frontage Road being the better place to store them. The ticket and tow fees are punishment enough.

Where is the lot?

By adamg
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 10:14am

I feel like this is something I should know :-).

I'm assuming

By Waquiot
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 10:50am

It is Precision Towing, which is conveniently located next door to the BPD storage facility. I cannot think of any other tow lot in the area, so my assumption.

I try to avoid driving through Cleary Square southbound, so going to Readville and parts south I cut through via Business Street and Reservation Road. The stop sign at Reservation Road and Hyde Park Ave is basically at the tow lot.

1589 Hyde Park Ave

By michellewu
Fri, 05/23/2014 - 6:01pm

MJS towing

City councilor has car towed when she forgets about street sweeping

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