Sunday, June 18, 2006

The Denver Boot

Do you know what I hate? Being booted. In the previous post we talked about parking meter fines and now it's been reported that in Melbourne, Australia drivers that don't pay their fines could find their car wheels clamped. Armed with clamps, teams of Sheriff's officers will prowl the streets and car parks on the lookout for serial fine dodgers. They will check car registration details looking for drivers with unpaid fines for such offences as traffic offences, parking tickets and public transport fare evasion and clamp offender's vehicles, then wait for the drivers to return. They will carry Eftpos machines so defaulters can pay on the spot to have their cars released. Driving licences and car registrations will also be suspended.

The report said that 1 out of 5, that's 20% of Victorians don't pay their outstanding matters when they fall due and that these sanctions are directed at them....why that's staggering stats and so I guess the State has invested in lots of wheel clamps and wheel clamping will be widespread. Fine dodgers' vehicles could be clamped anywhere!

Taken by Michael in Chicago

Some Questions:

  • What do you think about this type of law for the collection of unpaid fines?
  • Is this a draconian, heavy handed Government approach?
  • Has or does this hard-line approach to the collection of unpaid fines happen in your part of the world?
  • A quick search shows that drivers will face clamping for past offences in London, The Times, November 17, 2005
  • Has your car ever been booted? As it was invented in Denver, Colorado one of the first cities to use them, the wheel clamp, at least in the United States came to be known as the Denver boot, or simply "boot". In France the colloquial name of the wheel clamp or Denver boot is the "sabot de Denver".

Credits:

  • The Hate: Dennis H, Melbourne, Australia
  • Denver Boot pix: Michael, Chicago

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those things are quite popular in Washington, D.C., where parking fines are another form of taxation. This is probably true in many other American cities, too, I would think.

Anonymous said...

pay your fine or better yet don't break the traffic laws and its a nonissue!!!

Anonymous said...

Ditto to anonymous #2.

Anonymous said...

I'm from Denver. I say pay your fines too.. But I'll not be anonymous ;).

CyberCelt said...

Pay your fines and you will not get the boot!

I live in a town of 30,000, but there is NO parking downtown. People who work downtown park their cars and go out every two hours and move them.

Students from the university up on the hill from downtown, who could get a permit and park on campus or off campus and ride the shuttle, would rather park downtown.

Can you carpool, ride a bike, walk or take a bus to wherever it is you need to be? Also, those scooters are easier to park.

Its a numbers game. You can figure the odds and then play them. When you lose (and get a ticket), pay. Keep a running tab of wins and loses and you will probably feel better.

EuroYank - Virginia Hoge said...

Great Blog! Easy to read. Well written. Great colors!

Adam said...

Have to agree with others....just pay your fines, even the ones that you think have been unfairly issued. Great blog, I love the wide and varied topics, as well as the depth covered.

Ma T said...

Hate tends to disperse when it isn't updated more often. What this world needs is less violence and more outspoken hate... like yours for example. So update! I want to know what you're going to hate next. :)

Jana Vent said...

Hey ma titwonky, gotta love that name, this is not all about my pet hates. Share your hates too!

Anonymous said...

update man....guess its tym gfor one :D

Jana Vent said...

Sorry Leon and all other readers....I've been very busy on another project. I do hope to get back to this soon.

Jana

Anonymous said...

Hah! I remember when I was visiting San Francisco and I got the boot.