"The Boot Girls" of Atlanta - Modern Robin Hoods Unlocking Car-Wheels, Locked by Parking Enforcement

[mysteryowl]

I love stories like this. These women are famous Online for their unconventional method.
You go women!

At the link is an article, a 3-min audio of the story from NPR, and pictures of the women in action.

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/16/1176175801/boot-girls-atlanta-private-parking-enforcement

A small round key has unlocked a world of fame and fortune for two balaclava-clad women who are among the most in-demand entrepreneurs in Atlanta.

That key is one of a handful the so-called Boot Girls use mostly around Buckhead, an upscale Atlanta neighborhood, to unlock metal brackets attached to vehicles parked on private property, like one Jaguar on May 5, when I spent the evening with the boot removal Robin Hoods.

[bamagal62]

1. They made a huge mistake in Atlanta

When they contracted out the parking to a private company. I’ve watched them sitting there ready to pounce. Don’t even consider going 1 minute over.
I know it hurt businesses in some areas because people didn’t want to park for fear of going over and getting a ticket or because the parking was too expensive.

[William Seger]

2. They actually didn't need to buy a key

The tubular locks on these things are ridiculously easy to pick with the right tool.

[AllyCat]

3. Article says the key was $50 and they use it over and over and

Over again.

[William Seger]

8. That tool is about $20, and they could use it on different brands

... and I mention it in case anyone would like to do this but (probably) can't get a key from the manufacturer.

[AllyCat]

12. Where does one even get that?

I can’t imagine they are legal to sell?

[William Seger]

18. Yes, they are perfectly legal; all locksmiths have them

... and you can get one from the LockPickingLawyer's website, covertinstruments.com, and other similar sites. I don't know how much covertinstruments.com charges for them, but I paid less than $20 for a Chinese model from aliexpress.com. (I don't pick wheel locks with it!)

[captain queeg]

4. Interesting. Everyone hates parking tickets but most people, though annoyed, will pay up

I haven’t had the boot myself, so I’m not sure how you get one removed but I’m sure it’s costly and time consuming.

[DFW]

5. Someone must have seen the video about the Bikini Bandits of Denmark

I'll bet the cops would have enjoyed contending with the Bikini Bandits of København more than with the Rodin Hood Boot Girls of Atlanta.

[relayerbob]

6. Always good to encourage breaking the law

SMH

[obamanut2012]

7. Predatory private towing companies are evil

I wish every city and town who have these companies had these Robin Hoods.

[Ex Lurker]

10. Colleges are notorious for towing vehicles

when my younger brother was a freshman at a university which shall remain nameless, he got in a fistfight with a tow truck driver and had to sit out of school for a year.

[mysteryowl]

9. what is SMH?

[Ohio Joe]

11. Shake My Head - nt

[William Seger]

13. It's a test to see if you're "in the know"

It's a little game some people like to play with obscure acronyms.

[relayerbob]

23. It's hardly obscure

Try paying attention

[William Seger]

24. Pay attention to what? Chat acronyms and slang?

Um, sorry, I don't have much use for that, so I don't devote any time to it -- mostly don't need to, and if I do, I can ask whoever is using it. By that, I've learned bits and pieces, but SMH isn't on my list. Why would you think everyone would know SMH? If you don't think that, then I don't think it should be used on sites that have a heavy boomer population. If someone is using it because the cool kids will understand it, then that's what I'm objecting to.

And really, it's not just slang, either. I see a lot of obscure acronyms used, and it's annoying: If hundreds of users are going to be reading your posts, then I think you can take a few seconds to type it out.

And sorry again, but I suppose a lot of us boomers are getting curmudgeonly.

[BlackSkimmer]

27. I'm a boomer lol. That was one of the first I learned.

I use it all the time, and I don't think anyone thinks it's "cool" to use it.

Frequently I'll see acronyms I don't know, but I find google helpful there.

[William Seger]

28. Oh yeah, Google is very helpful

But my point is that if hundreds of people are going to expend time reading your posts, obscure acronyms either make them spend more time looking it up, or to go away not knowing what you're talking about. That seems to me to be rather rude, considering how easily be avoided by simple taking a few SECONDS to spell out an acronym.

[radius777]

30. SMH is one of the most common acronyms, many of which

people have become used to using (on message boards, but also from texing and emailing) as such phrases get repetitive.

Just google any acronym you don't understand and will likely get a result very quickly.

It's not about 'net snobbery, but about convenience and efficiency.

Some other common ones:

IMO - In my opinion
IMHO - In my humble opinion
SMH- shaking my head
SMDH - shaking my damn head
LOL - laugh out loud
ROFL - rolling on floor laughing
WTF - what the f---
TTUL - talk to you later
IDK - I don't know
YMMV - your mileage may vary
TL;DR - too long; didn't read.

HTH - hope that helps

[William Seger]

31. Your convenience, no concern for someone elses time. You've missed my point, but that's OK (nt)

[relayerbob]

32. Life, it's happening all around us

I would expect people using social media to understand the basics of social media. As a 65 year old, who has been using computers since about 9th grade, I try to actually not live in 1972 any more. And if you don't know an acronym, google it. Holy shit.

[relayerbob]

33. And for the record ...

The "cool kids" in this thread are advocating selective breaking of laws for themselves and for the rich, since this is occurring in the wealthiest section here in Atlanta. Sounds sorta Republican to me. And anyone thinking these folks are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts needs to think twice. These Tesla and Mercedes owners think they can do whatever the hell they please, and pay people to enable that attitude.

[AllyCat]

14. How about just a ticket? Booting impounds your vehicle

In a space they don’t want you to park. The private company makes a mint over a civil matter.

[William Seger]

29. ... and politicians love it because they don't have split the fine with a towing company

That's what really irritates me.

[mysteryowl]

15. Sometimes it is necessary in order to change absurd things.

Locking cars instead of a ticket is absurd.

[wnylib]

17. A law like that one? Why not?

Whatever the companies who contract with LE charge for releasing the car could just be charged as a parking ticket.

Locking a car to make it unusable until the money is paid is over the top. Sounds like it's unconstitutional as cruel and unusual punishment. The consequences are far too harsh for the infraction. A car owner could lose a job without transportation to work. Over a parking violation??? Imagine an emergency and you rush to your car, only to find that you can't use it because you were parked 1 minute past the limit.

Add to this the profit incentive that a private company has for finding violations that might not exist. There's also unequal justice under the law because the profiteering company would pay special attention to cars that look like their owners can pay (so charge them more).

It's a money-making scheme for both the local government and the company who holds the contract. It's also an invitation to corruption in the form of awarding contracts to political donors or to cronies.

[Bonx]

21. But they are unlocking the boots for free to help people!

Actually they're charging $50 and making a bunch of un-taxed income of very questionable legality.

[Pepsidog]

16. In college in the early 80s my school police department got a boot. They booted my roommates

car due to unpaid parking violations. Later that evening, while he acted as lookout, I was able to pull the boot off the wheel. My roommate’s car was the first to be booted and they put it on wrong. The next day we hear a knock on our door and it was the campus cops. Of course we played dumb until they said listen, you guys aren’t in trouble we just want the boot back and tell us how you got it off. And, the tickets would be erased if we gave it back. The deal was done. We stashed the boot in the woods and returned it and told them it was easy to get off because they didn’t lock it in place. They seemed amazed and amused and stuck to the bargain.

[progressoid]

22. Hahaha

[CatWoman]

19. ....

[mysteryowl]

20. Funny

and a good match for this thread.

[CatWoman]

25. ....

*bows*

[ThoughtCriminal]

26. Vehicle impoundment seems to be a common pathway to homelessness

A poor person loses their car, which is also sometimes their home, and can no longer get to work.

And don't get me started on university parking enforcement - those departments seem to be modeled on the East German Stasi.