Didn't get in a yelling match but

[john70t]

Register a private towing company in a company name, to a forwarded office overseas.
Install public placard.
Tow the s.o.b. to a yet-undisclosed private holding area with hourly costs.
Fine him enough to at least cover business losses. Or at least few gazillion dollars.
Enact collections process.
Pay up sucka.

Easy enough.

[look 171]

I have only read the first two threads, but what is the fooking deal with apologies man?

[aap1966]

One of the girls at work was parked in by some-one whose self-importance far exceeded their actual value. She wrote "Don't park here" in lipstick on the offender's windscreen. I gather it's a real b.. to clean off. Seemed to work.

The other technique I've hear of is petroleum jelly ("Vaseline") on the windscreen wipers. Revenge a bit too deferred, and a bit too potentially dangerous, for my taste.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by aap1966

The other technique I've hear of is petroleum jelly ("Vaseline") on the windscreen wipers. Revenge a bit too deferred, and a bit too potentially dangerous, for my taste.

I've heard of that with motor oil.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

... he said, "I would be happy to comply if you would apologize for having my car towed."

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

That strikes me as a rather reasonable deal, sort of offering an olive branch, so to speak.

...Might have been a good opportunity to put this to rest once and for all, without alienating your new neighbor.

All my life I have taken this approach, but no more.

The saying that nice guys finish last...maybe not but I've been walked over a few times too many.

I'd like to be the nice guy, I really would, but you see, I have this new policy, and it's not up to me anymore. If not for this policy I would let the guy park there, but , you know, its the policy not me.

I now subscribe to the laws of cause and effect. Both are out of my hands. The parker did it to himself. Yelling at me will do him no good, and listening to him will do me no good.

oh, and as a cop said to me once in one situation, let us be the bad guys.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by wayner

All my life I have taken this approach, but no more.


oh, and as a cop said to me once in one situation, let us be the bad guys.

Well said Wayner.

Not all people are rational. Some are more rational than others. It would be logical to me in the land of guns to avoid confrontation as these situations can quickly get out of hand.
It seems like the number of whackos in this world are increasing. Take care out there....

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Of course a lot of folks would conclude, if a note had sat on his windshield for days, that he probably had not seen that note. You know, like he had not used that car during that period of time. That would be a reasonable conclusion.

But, alas, I forget who I'm speaking with - you seem to think he drove around with it on his windshield, and kept returning to the same parking spot, ignoring the note right in front of his face (and not removing it) just to spite you.

Neighborly relations take work from both sides. And a level of reason and understanding of which you appear to be incapable. I feel sorry for your neighbors.

If you leave a car without notice or contact info on someone else's property - and don't check on it, don't be surprised to find your abandoned car gone.

The same thing happens everywhere, side of interstates, etc. Police make a note, drop by each daying adding a strike to the note, run out of strikes, your car is towed.

If I left my car in the driveway of the place next door at work, I wouldn't expect to come back in a week and find it there either.

[Bowling]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^

Good idea. He is an English professor. I could put a copy of Proust in the trap and he'd go in after it. I could post a CAD drawing of the trap on the wall and he would starve while trying to figure it out.
Brilliant!!

That is a good one, cracked me up...

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins View Post
Of course a lot of folks would conclude, if a note had sat on his windshield for days, that he probably had not seen that note. You know, like he had not used that car during that period of time. That would be a reasonable conclusion.

The guy left an unregistered vehicle on the street.

That alone will get you towed in a lot of places.

Patrick is not responsible for the guys irresponsibility.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I think it comes from them just moving into the 'hood and acting like the new sheriff in town instead of laying low and getting the lay of the land. I try to be a good neighbor. I used to have "No Parking Weekdays 8AM to 7PM" signs hanging on the rope until some kids spray painted them. Parking is pretty tight back there and there was so reason not to let neighbors park there on the weekends or evenings. I think Dr. Twit and Dr. Mrs. Twit (they are English professors at a local college) saw some cars there on a weekend and decided they could park there any time they felt like it. When they were told different, they got their backs up instead of listening.
The rope is there pretty much all the time because my employees use the adjacent alley to access the lot. Dealing with the parking lot has been a real lesson in human behavior. About once a month someone comes down the alley and takes a short cut and drives through the rope, so I started attaching it to the post with a zip tie. The tie breaks before the rope does. Zip ties are a lot cheaper than rope.

You're nicer than I am - I would have used a chain (also for visibility purposes though).

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Of course a lot of folks would conclude, if a note had sat on his windshield for days, that he probably had not seen that note.

Still bustin’ my chops eh?

And then what? Tell the truck driver to go back to the depot because we cannot find the owner of the car parked in the driveway and it would be discourteous to have it towed? You are very generous with my time, and that of the truck driver too.

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

You know, like he had not used that car during that period of time.

I know that for a fact. The (expired) license plates were in the back seat and the tires where half flat. It looked exactly like an abandoned car to me. When the police ran the plates it had last been registered to a woman who lived in a city 50 miles from here, so even they didn't know who left it sitting in my driveway.

Even if he had parked it in a legitimate parking spot the car was inoperable, unregistered, and he had violated the 72 hour parking limit by several days. Dr. Nozzle is a tool.

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by aap1966

The other technique I've hear of is petroleum jelly ("Vaseline") on the windscreen wipers. Revenge a bit too deferred, and a bit too potentially dangerous, for my taste.

No, see you put it under the driver's door handle. Instant revenge, not dangerous and now they have to find a way to clean it off.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Scuba Steve

You're nicer than I am - I would have used a chain (also for visibility purposes though).

It's part self preservation. The post is just a piece of 4" PVC stuck in a socket in the ground. I pull it up and get it out of the way when a truck needs to get in. If I went medieval with a chain etc they'd be breaking my post off. I had those softball sized whiffle balls on the rope for a while. They degraded in the sun in about 6 months and crumbled. The rope was a reflective material that, to be honest, needs to be replaced because it's not reflective any more. I may try a light chain held on with the zip ties next.

[wayner]

Some people just tie rags to the chain/rope for visibility

[Tobra]

The day glow color wiffle balls are even better, but people still drove through it.

College English prof? No wonder you had problems with him, sounds like a real passive aggressive jackass. I would have probably given him the left handed apology.
"I am sorry your lack of consideration forced me to have your car towed." I don't for a moment believe that Mr Higgins would have apologized in a similar situation.

[wayner]

Slightly off topic but Wdfifteen, I've been meaning to tell you this for a while...

Every time I glance at your avatar out of the corner of my eye, I see a guy in a captains hat wearing a yellow life preserver with white reflective stripes. Odd.

I'm serious!

[patz]

A number of cities that have high density and poor urban planning which includes cramming multiple families into SFRs actually have driveway parking permits for the residents.

So, yes third worlds DO allow parking that blocks a driveway. Hermosa Beach and Isla Vista comes to mind.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by wayner

Every time I glance at your avatar out of the corner of my eye, I see a guy in a captains hat wearing a yellow life preserver with white reflective stripes. Odd.

I'm serious!

That's, uh, rather disturbing.

Actually, I took it from this photo of a Martian ogling my wife at Niagara Falls.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

That's, uh, rather disturbing.

Actually, I took it from this photo of a Martian ogling my wife at Niagara Falls.

A man could throw himself over the falls if he couldn't have that. No wonder he is now wearing a life vest!!


NOTE:
There it is again!
I looked at my quote in your post, and when I read the words "captains hat" my peripheral caught him in his outfit again, but its gone as soon as my eyes shift.

Damned Martians.
Spooky...

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Patrick, WTF is wrong with you?

Why didn't you get they guy's car registered for him?