MINNEAPOLIS--The city of Minneapolis is trying to protect drivers from
price gouging by private parking lots and towing companies. On almost every block in Minneapolis, there are lots that charge about
$260 dollars to tow your car. Now, the city of Minneapolis is trying to protect the parking public by
putting a cap on towing costs. City Council member Gary Schiff is behind the push. He says every year the city field numerous towing complaints and
in many cases the fees customers are charged are inconsistent
and excessive. The cap that's being discussed could limit the fees to around $195.
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Got it? OK, now compare to this article from half a
decade ago to show how the more things supposedly
change, the more everything stays the same in
Minneapolis. My cheeky comments inserted in
blue.
I think Schiff is sincere, but it seems like little comes
of these promises to reform and improve, and we
all suffer through routine weather conditions classified
as "emergencies" which justify the seizure of vehicles.
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City explores ways to reduce snow emergency tows
by Brandt Williams, Minnesota Public Radio
December 10, 2003
The city of Minneapolis has towed more than 600 cars
in the first phase of a snow emergency that went into
effect Tuesday night. City employees are gathering at
the impound lot to talk to the people who have come to
claim those cars. They want to know why so many people
have their cars towed and what the city can do to
better inform them about snow emergencies.
A caravan of flat-bed tow trucks laden with snow-covered
vehicles moves constantly through the gates of the
Minneapolis impound lot. There is also a steady stream of
people arriving with the help of friends or public
transportation to claim their cars. Many of them have
stories like Donacien Leby.
"I go to take my car to work and I see my car is gone!
This is not right," Leby says.
EXACTLY!!! Keep concentrating on that
feeling of how it's "not right." OK, now
articulate exactly why that is.
Because the penalty for a minor traffic
infraction should not be such harsh and
total interference with your life, liberty,
and the very object which allows you to
pursue happiness?
Leby is telling his story to Lindsey Eberlein, a city
employee who takes his story down in a notebook. Leby
tells her he didn't know there was a snow emergency. Leby
says he noticed his car was missing this morning at 4:30.
He says he flagged down a police officer.
"He said, 'OK, this is emergency. A snow emergency.' I
can't go to work," says Leby.
"I really appreciate you talking to me, because this is our
chance to figure out how I can help this not happen to you
again," Eberlein tells him.
And when did THOSE changes happen? The
email alerts, I assume? Will Leby be
checking his email at 4 in the morning?
She says some people, like Leby, are openly frustrated
about being towed. But she says it's important they hear
from as many people as possible. And she says they've been
getting some helpful suggestions.
A one-liner here would be too easy.
"Well, it's interesting because I talked to a girl who
wasn't from Minneapolis, so finding out a little more
about how we can communicate with people who are from
out of town," says Eberlein. "And then I talked to somebody
who suggested that we have some more publicity and that we
provide some more off-street parking and that's something
we've started to do in the past year is provide ramps where
people can park. So perhaps we need to do more of that."
The city has created snow oasis areas where people who
don't have access to off-street parking can park during
snow emergencies. The city also has several ways to inform
the public about when snow emergencies are declared and
what they should do.
First I've heard about the "snow oasis," honestly. I wonder if they
still have those? If these are publicized, the publicity has never
reached ME, and I'm a voracious consumer of media.
The city's Web site contains snow emergency information
and the city mails out information cards to residents.
People can call a 24-hour hotline or join an e-mail
listserv that immediately notifies them of snow
emergencies. Snow emergency announcements
are also broadcast on TV and radio news programs.
The city's communications director, Gail Plewacki, says
95 percent of residents get the message about snow
emergencies. She says she hopes the surveys will help
them figure out how they can help the other 5 percent.
"People are saying, 'I knew, but I thought that I had an
hour or two before they get to my neighborhood,'" she says.
"Maybe we need to put in our information -- you can't be
guaranteed that you've got a couple hours of leeway here
before moving your car."
But in fact one often does, and how
will people NOT become accustomed
to that?
Jess Brooks says she's glad the city is trying to find
ways to prevent tows.
And how about getting cars back more
easily, too?
"I knew there was a snow emergency. But I didn't know
the street I was parked on was a snow emergency route,"
Brooks says.
She says the city should provide more detailed information
on its Web site and hotline. However, it's too late to
prevent her from paying the $133 ticket and towing fee.
"The city makes a lot of money off of it," says Brooks.
City officials say they actually lose money on snow
emergencies. Over the past two years, each snow
emergency has cost the city, on average, $500,000.
During each emergency, the city collected about
$365,000 in fines.
But if they didn't collect the tow money, wouldn't
they just be $500K in the hole? See, this is where
my idea could raise revenue. People would pay to be
warned personally and effectively when their specific
vehicle is about to get towed, but the fees would be
much smaller, much less painful.
St. Paul has also tackled improving snow emergency
communications. Last month, the city solicited e-mails
from the members of its snow-emergency notification
system. They asked for suggestions to help reduce the
number of cars left on the street during snow
emergencies.
Gail Plewacki says, if needed, Minneapolis can make some
communications improvements by the next snow emergency.
Other changes, like adding more signs, will require
action by the public works department.
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