I live in an apartment complex with assigned parking. There’s parking specifically for non-residents at the front of the complex by the office for visitors and such — there are maybe twelve spots, so it gets filled quickly.
Uncovered parking spaces within the complex are for residents only, and that is enforced with vehicle stickers. No sticker? No parking allowed — you will be towed upon discovery without exception.
EVERY resident is informed of this parking policy before they’re even approved to move in, a second time after approval, and a third time when they receive the keys. The complex encourages residents to call a number on signs throughout the lot to a tow company, for anyone who’s parked without the sticker.
However, lately - probably due to the holiday season - there’s been an ongoing issue on weekends with non-residents parking in uncovered resident-only spots.
The parking lot has been getting so overstuffed on weekends, if we have to leave and come home on a weekend afternoon, we must secure an uncovered parking spot early in the morning with our second car just to make sure the other has a safe place to park in our covered spot later.
I’d had it. I knew Thanksgiving would be the worst of it all — and I was right.
Wednesday night, sure as ever, I wandered our parking lot and found vehicle after vehicle without the sticker required to park in our uncovered spaces.
So I did what anyone should do — took photos of every vehicle and got on the phone with the tow company.
I hated bothering them, but they had no issue with showing up about forty minutes later and getting to work. It was a quiet night so they were able to send three whole tow trucks, each capable of towing two sedans.
The evening before Thanksgiving and the evenings following were very eventful. I tipped off the tow company that this was common and we would almost definitely have more illegally parked cars for the entire Thanksgiving weekend, if they had the availability for it.
From my apartment I could hear people screaming at the tow truck drivers to let them go. I looked out my window and chuckled to myself at these people, some of them in pajamas and slippers, crying about the problems they started and made themselves victims to. Some of them got pity but not all of them.
I hope their lessons were taken to heart, because I’m on anonymous parking patrol for the Christmas season, too.
If you don’t live here, you’re not parking here, and that is bloody well that.
Park here where you are not supposed to, and you’re going to have a bad time.
Park somewhere else where it’s legal parking and hoof it! Or just don’t come here at all — a small apartment isn’t the best place for a family get-together.
Merry Christmas one and all — don’t forget to pay attention where you park your car before you head on inside for your holiday fun!
Every place I've lived that was like that you didn't even have to call, the tow companies were like hawks always waiting to get someone.
Because they contract to tow from certain areas and charge massive release fees for any car that they tow. Its very lucrative hence their enthusiasm!
From some stuff I've seen, you also need to be prepared for an unpleasant confrontation on any given tow. I saw one guy get his head ran over when the owner of the car hopped in and took off while it was getting hooked up.
His HEAD?!
r/PublicFreakout/comments/1jl2pe3/tow_truck_driver_gets_run_over_by_a_man_getting/
Oh yeah the enthusiasm suddenly makes a lot more sense then. When the rules are strict and the fees are high, it basically runs itself. Still not my problem if people ignored the signs though.
No kidding. I lived in one with parking stickers and the town company came through the parking lot several times every night. If they saw a car with no sticker they would jump out, inspect it front to back to make sure they didn’t miss the sticker then hook it up and leave. Corporate American could take efficiency lessons from those guys.
Same here honestly. I am kind of surprised they were not already circling the lot. Most places I have lived, those trucks appear out of thin air the second someone messes up.
I’ll never forget parking at my friends house and hopping out of my car for 60 seconds to run inside and grab something. When I came out the tow truck already had my car up. I had to pay $45 just for him to take it off.
This is what tow companies should be used for legally instead of those predatory illegal tows we keep hearing about
Exactly. If you're warned and park illegally anyway, that's on you. Tow companies doing what they’re actually supposed to do for once is honestly refreshing. Actions have consequences, especially during the holidays when spots are tight
That is how I see it too. Holidays do not magically suspend parking rules, especially when space is already tight. It sucks for them but it was 100 percent avoidable.
Exactly this. OP is literally doing what the system was designed for and people are acting like they're the villain lmao
These aren't some sketchy predatory tows where people get their cars stolen from legitimate spots - these are people straight up ignoring clear rules that were explained to them multiple times
Yeah exactly. This is the clean version of towing where the rules are clear and everyone was warned ahead of time. It is not predatory if people literally chose to ignore posted signs.
I’ve been on both sides of this. Went to visit a friend at her apartment and she did not tell me that covered spots were resident only so I parked in the first spot I found. Ran up to her apartment to grab my birthday present and 15 minutes later when I went back down to get my car, it was gone. It has been towed immediately.
But I’ve also lived in an apartment and come home after an overnight shift with the parking lot full of non residents vehicles and no where to park as a paying tenant.
Ooo I love it, you’re a wonderful person! Helping out both your fellow residents blocked from their own lot and providing work and money for the tow company and drivers.
FYI, a lot of tow truck operators are paid kinda commission per job as opposed to hourly or salary especially holidays, and the rate is double for working on thanksgiving and Christmas! You are putting a nice few checks in the pockets of likely some good family men working to provide over the holidays ❤️
Thank you! I’m normally not a stickler for rules, but I put my foot down and enforce them when the residents that have every right to be here have no safe place to park.
It’s common for every resident to have at least two or more tenants, each with cars — and it’s kinda bullshit we only get one guaranteed covered car port parking spot, but… that’s just apartment living. It sucks, but we live here because we can afford it.
Yep! The company I called said they’d tip off anyone available for towing that weekend. They were grateful too since for them, this year was a slow Thanksgiving weekend after sundown. They get an hourly rate of $22/hr plus commission per service provided — but being on-demand and called in as-needed, it’s not uncommon to only work for one hour at a time, so the commissions are their real bread and butter.
I did not even think about it that way but that actually makes me feel a little better about the whole thing. At least someone working a rough holiday shift got paid because of it. That is a nicer silver lining.
Damn can you come patrol my complex too? I’m too scared being seen as a crazy Karen to pull the plug myself lol
meh, i get it... cubicle living is already a pain, been there done that. Doofuses breaking rules and making coming home to yer cube impossible is a recipie for getting towed! Good job OP. Nothing like peeling the entitlement off of a bunch of bananas during the holidays! Merry Christmas to all!
This!!!!!! COMPLETELY!!!!! People get mad and say oh well you shouldn’t do that. That’s rude and cruel. Last time I checked. We’re the ones paying the rent not them. Those are OUR spots. My apartment we have assigned spots with our apartment numbers on them. That stuff still happens so often. It’s frustrating coming home from a long day and someone being in your assigned spot. Good for you for stepping up! We need more people like you 😁
Exactly! And normally, I don’t even mind. If there’s like perhaps five or 10 or even 15 extra cars — that is usually fine, we have at least 50 uncovered spaces and can negotiate with that, and residents won’t say boo about it as long as we have space WE can park.
It only becomes a problem when the residents have no places to park conveniently — and safely — near their apartment.
Sorry not sorry but I’m not going to park where guests are supposed to park — across the main street somewhere in the neighborhoods where curbside parking is permitted 24/7. That is where non-residents who pay no rent park when the convenient spaces by the office are full.
I see someone’s already downvoting this post and the comments — they can choke on their own spit as well as anyone who stands against me and defends PAYING TENANTS’ DESIGNATED PARKING SPOTS being squatted in by some visitor who pays $0 to live and park there.
If you wanna park here so badly, sign a lease and move in. Don’t want that commitment? Then you’re not welcome to park here — it is literally not all that complicated, so anyone who receives consequences for not following SIMPLE STANDARDS deserves it.
Sounds like the consequences of their own actions to me. They residents pay all year for their parking.
they fucked around and found out. bravo.
Good. I'm so tired of entitlement and would do the exact thing.
As a lifelong apartment dweller this was unbelievably cathartic. You should buy yourself a cape. I love it and thank you from all of us who deal with this crap!
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I think this is appropriate. When I lived in an apartment there was limited parking. We paid $100 a month for our spot and people would park in it all the time. Frequently I had to get them towed and because they knew who owned the spot, they would have the audacity to complain to me about it. Apparently after working 12 hour shifts, I should come home and go floor by floor looking for the owner of the car in my spot.
This is legit.
Not the Grinch we need, but the Grinch we deserve.
I liked the part about hating to bother them but they had no problem showing up 40 minutes later. I’m surprised it took them that long. If they had an agreement like my apartment complex had, they were thrilled. $200+ in fees for every car towed. They made bank off that.
I would have struck a deal with the tow company to get a cut of their earnings.
I have done this a few times at various apartments I lived in.
There’s no shame. The rules apply to everyone. And I’m so sick of entitled fuckers thinking that they are above them.
This is a level of petty I aspire to be! Great job
Win win 🏆
https://share.google/ghOsWaeRC7xDKOEJm lol
I’m glad they sent whole tow trucks because the partial ones have a real difficult time getting work done.
Thank you. My Mom lived in a complex that had COVERED RESERVED parking, and plenty of uncovered spaces… But the covered spots would always get parked in! (We live in AZ, it’s hot AF) Especially my Mom’s, it was in a prime spot… There were signs and notices everywhere but no one cared. It finally stopped when I started having people towed every time I saw it happening. This was after my mom had already left polite notes, knocked on doors, etc.. People suck.
As someone who used to live in an apartment complex where this happened all the time (except no one got towed for it despite the signs everywhere!), not all heroes wear capes.
Thank you for your service. If I'm paying for a spot, I damn well better be able to make use of it.
I'm using the winter parking ban in my subdivision to my advantage this year.
No parking 2am til 6am.
My garage and driveway will be full for people that live here.
I have a relative that likes to come Christmas Eve and stay until the day after.
She's fine but when the Christmas evening rolls around I just want to chill sans company and stay in bed the next morning and not host.
Fuck yeah! Cheers!
You did the right thing, and I am sure Christmas will get more of them so please send the count of hoy many you reported.