This is so stupid! This needs to be greenlit to warn others of this crap!

Simple solution. Make the person ordering the tow responsible for 10% or so of the tow charge in cases where it is now all billed to the vehicle owner. Tow truck shows up, you hand over $10, and only then does the car get towed. It's the only way I see to make the system work. It would also solve the problem with the city in my area that demanded kickbacks from the tow company.

Obama is going to stop this when he gets into office.

lordaction: Obama The economy is going to stop this when he gets into office absolutely destroy Starbucks.


FTFY

ZAZ: Simple solution. Make the person ordering the tow responsible for 10% or so of the tow charge in cases where it is now all billed to the vehicle owner. Tow truck shows up, you hand over $10, and only then does the car get towed. It's the only way I see to make the system work. It would also solve the problem with the city in my area that demanded kickbacks from the tow company.

Maybe. The ones in my area have the owners or even the tow truckers sitting around waiting to pounce. No calls are made, the cars are just towed, goodbye $220.

There is a solution: stop going to Starbucks. A cup of joe should not have a seven-syllable name, nor should it be "half" anything. Your Starbucks addiction is why you can't lose weight. I can't even flash people without accidentally smacking my wang against three Starbucks franchises. When does it end?

I would probably feel sorry for the guy except for the fact that he cites his "Starbucks experience" twice in the same letter.

His best idea would be to go to court and sue since he says he has evidence of being a customer when he was towed.

Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

Way to miss the point. Congrats!

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

So you like being penalized for doing something that you didn't actually do?

unless the store has a clearly marked sign outlining the towing policy, prepare to be sued.

What if you are deaf?
What if you have a rental car and have no idea what the license plate is?

But then again, that's what small claims court is for. If they get enough lawsuits they'll stop.

While the guy does seem to be a huge Wentz, he shouldn't have been towed. He parked in the right lot and was a customer of the right business.

And even though I have no sympathy with someone who is "unwilling to be disturbed by a" lowly "tow truck driver", this is a very asshat-ish business model.

Once again I am forced to wonder: In a fight between AIDS and Ebola, who do you cheer for?

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

Wow, you're a farking idiot.

I'm not a fan of what the tow company is doing, but the driver goes in and asks if anyone owns the car and he didn't speak up. This is the douchebag on the cell phone, oblivious to his surroundings...he even says so in his letter.

So yeah, feel free to keep ignoring everyone around you and expect things like this to happen.

I'm pretty sure the post about Starbucks making people fat was a troll, but my $2 large cup of black coffee at Starbucks has zero calories just like my $2 large cup of black coffee anywhere else. ???

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?


Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh.

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

You sound like fail. Get off the library computer and give someone else a turn.

Ebola!!!!

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

Holy shiat, stupid much?

Dufus: ...I can't even flash people without accidentally smacking my wang against three Starbucks franchises....

Tee-hee. Only three Starbucks franchises? I hit at least 9 or 10, and I'm only slightly larger than average.

Dufus: When does it end?

Apparently, about 2-1/2 inches from the base, in Dufus's case. Snicker.

/I'm done now.

The guy should take Starbucks to small claims court. Slam dunk.

Better yet... make it a class-action lawsuit against Starbucks & the towing company.

This is pretty simple.

Too many people were parking there but not going into the store, and wandering off to the movies for a couple of hours, so the store got pissed off, called the towing company and set up the arrangement. The arrangement doesn't work very well, but it's the solution they put in place because other people were pissing them off. I bet they've towed a lot more cars from people who were elsewhere than they have from people who were in the store, but didn't hear their plates get called out.

I bet all the people who are biatching and moaning about it would never *think* of parking anywhere for 'free' and would be duly outraged by anyone who did so.

If you've never had to deal with parking issues at the level of "how do we fix people parking here illegally?" then consider yourself lucky.


/ yes, there are better ways
// but don't blame Starbucks, blame the sh*theads who are always trying to park for free

Flyinglemur: I'm not a fan of what the tow company is doing, but the driver goes in and asks if anyone owns the car and he didn't speak up. This is the douchebag on the cell phone, oblivious to his surroundings...he even says so in his letter.

So yeah, feel free to keep ignoring everyone around you and expect things like this to happen.


If you don't hop on one foot, I'm going to kick you in the nuts. What? You didn't hear me? *Pow!*

Doublek111

My point is, if the property owner has to make a payment for every tow, the tow companies probably won't have permission to go prowling.

I've never been towed. I wish a painful disease on all tow truck drivers.

Flyinglemur: but my $2 large cup of black coffee at Starbucks has zero calories

Actually, it has 2 calories per 8 ounce serving.

Flyinglemur: I'm not a fan of what the tow company is doing, but the driver goes in and asks if anyone owns the car and he didn't speak up. This is the douchebag on the cell phone, oblivious to his surroundings...he even says so in his letter.

An article about this towing company posted upthread states that this towing company's drivers work on commission. You really think the drivers are inclined to be real clear as to what happens if you don't speak up?

I probably wouldn't answer some random guy coming into Starbucks yelling out license plate numbers, either. And what if one of the customers or employees was a deaf person?

But then again, that's what small claims court is for. If they get enough lawsuits they'll stop.


If the judge had any sense, he would throw it out.

They could do it better, certainly, but they would spend a lot of time trying. F**k the one or two that get shafted. You can't please everybody.

Malbar:
Places that do this will always have a warning posted in plain sight. It's your responsibility to pay attention to the rules when you're parking on someone else's property.

The sign is likely a generic one that says:

"Parking for customers only. All others will be towed."

Not:

"Parking is for customers who are listening for their license plates to be called out every 30 minutes only. If you're in the bathroom when I just happen to come by and ask if your car is outside, tough shiat, pay me $200 for the 'convenience' of taking your car away if you ever want to get it back. If you leave it with me to argue the charges in any way, then I get to also tack on an extra $50 per day for when you eventually lose your case/claim/argument."

Flyinglemur: I'm not a fan of what the tow company is doing, but the driver goes in and asks if anyone owns the car and he didn't speak up. This is the douchebag on the cell phone, oblivious to his surroundings...he even says so in his letter.

So yeah, feel free to keep ignoring everyone around you and expect things like this to happen.

what if this "douchebag" had walked into the bathroom at the time the tow truck driver had came in? I don't think it matters what he was or wasn't doing while in starbucks. he was a customer of the business in question and his vehicle was towed by that business. doesn't matter if it was a starbucks or any other store. people get all bent out of shape cause they hear starbucks and immediately think douchebag. I'd like to see how you'd react in the same situation.

ceejayoz: And what if one of the customers or employees was a deaf person?

Or taking a leak.

Ashtrey:
Once again I am forced to wonder: In a fight between AIDS and Ebola, who do you cheer for?

Either way you're screwed if you're African.

What if the customer was in the bathroom taking a monster dump? Does the tow truck driver go to each restroom to announce the license plate numbers?

Flyinglemur: I'm not a fan of what the tow company is doing, but the driver goes in and asks if anyone owns the car and he didn't speak up. This is the douchebag on the cell phone, oblivious to his surroundings...he even says so in his letter.

So yeah, feel free to keep ignoring everyone around you and expect things like this to happen.

A thousand times this. They do this in parking lots pretty much everywhere. This guy was unfortunately not paying attention when the truck driver came in and asked if the plate number was anyone's. I especially enjoyed the "he didn't have permission to tow my car" part. Boo farking hoo.

Flyinglemur: I'm not a fan of what the tow company is doing, but the driver goes in and asks if anyone owns the car and he didn't speak up. This is the douchebag on the cell phone, oblivious to his surroundings...he even says so in his letter.

So yeah, feel free to keep ignoring everyone around you and expect things like this to happen.

I'm pretty sure the post about Starbucks making people fat was a troll, but my $2 large cup of black coffee at Starbucks has zero calories just like my $2 large cup of black coffee anywhere else. ???

I didn't know you could get a large coffee at Starbucks. I thought they were all cutesy names like skinny, grande, and douché.

This thread will continue to identify all the flaws with the current plan while failing to make any effort at finding an improved solution to the legitimate problem.


/ ad infinitum

Take a farking bus.

This happened to me once while in a restaurant. Came out to find my car had been booted because the tow truck driver "saw me go across the street". Had to get the manager of the restaurant to verify I was a customer. Funny thing is I was in line behind the tow truck driver in the restaurant.

Finally after some arguing and threatening to call the police the boot was removed.

TheSignPost: F**k the one or two that get shafted. You can't please everybody.

No. fark you. Douche.

That is all.

They should do what the McDonald's near me does - have someone keep an eye on the parking lot. Person parks, walks into store - no problem. Person walks away from store, the watcher calls the tow truck driver.

Beats getting taken to small claims court and embarrassing the company on the Internet, over and over again...

If I were a customer there, I'd probably vouch for every car in the parking lot as if it were mine.

Tow truck driver: "These license plates will be towed if no one claims them: A12B34, C33D44, and T23F43."
Me: "Yes, that would be mine."
Tow truck driver: "Which one?"
Me: "All of them."

What's his recourse? He can't force me to prove which one is mine or not. He's not allowed to tow any customers' cars. There's nothing anywhere stating that it's only 1 car per customer allowed.

It's the "I'm Spartacus" solution. He can't tow ambiguously or he'll lose his job/contract and I've just muddied it enough for him to not tow any of them.

Sue Dunham:
I didn't know you could get a large coffee at Starbucks. I thought they were all cutesy names like skinny, grande, and douché.

You can, just call it small, medium or large. I see in movies where the clerk will insist you use the stupid name for it, but that's happened that I've seen.

Also if you just ask for a large coffee they only ask regular or decaf. Although I do ask for "plain drip".

I am going to bet this is the property owner's problem, NOT Starbucks. I don't think Starbucks would ever have anything to do with something like this, if nothing else because of the bad PR. It's like the mall; the mall hires security to patrol ALL the stores, the individual stores don't hire their own. I think this guy is just whiny, and because it's trendy to hate Starbucks he's jumping on the bandwagon and hoping for a handout.

This is like some variant of Poe's law.


Even something you think is indefensible will have defenders.

This is flat out auto theft. He should have called the police, from Starbucks, coffee in hand, in the presence of the manager.

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

So that justifies predatory towing? It's nothing new, but actually towing paying customers is a new low for wrecker drivers.

The guys should sue in small claims court and win. There are a host of reasons why you might not respond when they start reading off license plates in the local Starbucks. Maybe you got your coffee and then went next door to pick up your dry-cleaning. Should you really have to move your car to a different lot when it's easier to walk?

The text below the article says that particular towing company has an "anger fee" if you raise your voice at them. Please, someone out there give them an opportunity to charge their "you wrapped a tire iron around our driver's head" fee.

fracas: Dufus: ...I can't even flash people without accidentally smacking my wang against three Starbucks franchises....

Tee-hee. Only three Starbucks franchises? I hit at least 9 or 10, and I'm only slightly larger than average.

Dufus: When does it end?

Apparently, about 2-1/2 inches from the base, in Dufus's case. Snicker.

/I'm done now.

For the record, Starbucks doesn't have franchises. They are all company stores.

hubiestubert: Oh no. Someone might have to be aware of their surroundings, and be aware of the neighborhood they're in?

I am outraged.

I might be overwhelmed with grief, but I seem to recall that it wasn't too many years ago, that I worked in neighborhoods where you had to worry about your ride getting straight up jacked, and the occasional stabbing victim on your front stoop. Somehow I managed to survive the experience without a single angry letter writ.

Tragedy ain't getting your car towed. Life sucks, get a helmet.

Why on earth should somebody have to proactively work to make sure their *legally parked* car isn't towed? I take it you also think people who don't have bars on their windows and a monitored home security system deserve to have their house broken into?

Announcing license plates!? Who pays attention to that...especially when you know you are parked legally (i.e. clearly marked space, and a customer of the store you are in).

The store should set up a 90 minute time limit and the tow driver has to keep a clipboard of cars time in and time out...i mean, if non-customer parking is that big of a honking problem.

And the dolts here prattling on about how it isn't a big deal...hell, your farking car is GONE. You need to come up with $200 to get it back...and you didn't do anything wrong. Lemme know where your car is parked tonight and we'll see if you have no problem with your car being gone in the morning.

mud_shark: There are a host of reasons why you might not respond when they start reading off license plates in the local Starbucks. Maybe you got your coffee and then went next door to pick up your dry-cleaning. Should you really have to move your car to a different lot when it's easier to walk?

Like the guy mentioned, maybe someone was listening to music. I see people watching Hulu on laptops in coffee shops as well. Hell if I start reading there is a good chance I'm not going to hear someone calling out plate numbers.

Especially if you take into account the fact that I'm deaf in one ear.