 
Mdoyle
Member
Username: Mdoyle
Post Number: 451
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 5:27 pm: |    |
So just giving you all the heads up on a typical parking scam I ran into the other day. I parked my car on Park Ave. beside the Kales Building on a gameday. As Im leaving a guy with a orange vest and flag runs over and tells me I owe him 20 bucks. This guy says it for "Valet". This is obviously not legit. I tell him that he can't charge for street parking and he gets right in my face so I tell him I want to see his permit or I'm gonna get a police officer over there, he back pedals and says for me than only 10 dollars. Im hear to see a friend not the baseball game anyhow so I tell him hes full of it and refuse to pay. He replys with "Im trying to run a business here man!" and then calls me a cracker. As Im walking away he yells something about "lets see if your car is here when you get back. At that point just purely because I don't want to have to replace either of my side windows which would surely be broken out I move my car. This intimidation stuff is BS and I feel like some of these crooks always have one over on you because they have nothing to lose and its likely nothing will happen to them. I keep nothing in my car at all but replacing a window is a pain. I've got a pretty tough skin when it comes to being hassled but it makes me angry that someone coming to the city with their family for the first time would be ripped off and intimidated. Such as life I suppose. |
Bigglenlake
Member
Username: Bigglenlake
Post Number: 143
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 5:31 pm: | |
I wish someone could post pictures of guys doing that. I would be interested in seeing those photos for sure. |
Django
Member
Username: Django
Post Number: 1043
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 6:20 pm: | |
Just taking the dicks pic probably would have intimidated him enough to leave your car alone,,, probably. Most ppl dont walk around with their camera though, unless its on their phone. |
Alley
Member
Username: Alley
Post Number: 333
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 6:58 pm: | |
or tell them you ARE the cops, and can you please see their credentials immediately! if you are convincing they'll hit the road quickly |
Firstandten
Member
Username: Firstandten
Post Number: 220
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 7:19 pm: | |
It would not be in the guy's best interest to mess with your car. A few police reports of that nature would bring unwanted heat to the bums in the area that run that scam. The intimidation statement is a last ditch effort to get some money out of you since you didn't fall for the scam.
Its too bad that a family coming into the city for the first time might run into that crap but we are dealing with real life here, and that family can use an situation like that as a real life teaching lesson to there children.
I had a similar situation a few years ago heading over to the fox. Guy tried the same type of stuff on me with the intimidation and so forth. Upset me so bad I was getting ready to walk back to my car and get the tire iron I keep in easy reach, however my wife talked some sense into me and I thought better of it. I didn't move my car, I enjoyed the show and my car wasn't bothered when I came back to it. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 7255
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 7:22 pm: | |
Had one of these happen once. Unfortunately, they did smash out the windows and steal some shit. Then they had the balls to send one of them back when we came back to find the car smashed up, who told us he knows who those guys are and can help us get the stuff back. I assume that "service" would have cost some money, of course. I dunno, the tire iron idea sounds pretty good. |
Downriviera
Member
Username: Downriviera
Post Number: 707
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 7:25 pm: | |
Get one of those orange vests and wear it when you go downtown. Then tell the him you are the real valet guy. |
Bearinabox
Member
Username: Bearinabox
Post Number: 695
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 7:41 pm: | |
This is why I take the bus.  |
Detroitstar
Member
Username: Detroitstar
Post Number: 1198
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 7:50 pm: | |
I know exactly what scam you are talking about. I told the guy I worked for the municipal parking department (obviously I dont) and I pulled out my phone to "verify your permit". He ran the other direction and I never saw him again! |
Diehard
Member
Username: Diehard
Post Number: 542
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 1:49 pm: | |
I told the guy I worked for the municipal parking department (obviously I dont) and I pulled out my phone to "verify your permit".
That's a good one. Can we all use that too? |
Trainman
Member
Username: Trainman
Post Number: 712
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 2:20 pm: | |
This is why Livonia should opt. back into the W.C.T.A. to pay for SMART next August 2010. |
Shark
Member
Username: Shark
Post Number: 444
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 2:31 pm: | |
And that story is why people are loath to come to Detroit... And who can blame them? |
Bigglenlake
Member
Username: Bigglenlake
Post Number: 171
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 2:37 pm: | |
Shark, that is only part of the urban charm and flavor of life in Detroit. I mean, you can park your car safely and peacefully in any number of local suburbs, but where else can you be threatened and intimidated while parking?
Think of Metro Detroit as Disneyland. Detroit itself is Spacemountain, the Materhorn, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion all rolled into one. Let the suburbanites keep Mr Toad's Wild Ride and Country Bear Jamboree, I prefer E-ticket attractions myself. And those are found only in the D. |
Shark
Member
Username: Shark
Post Number: 445
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 2:43 pm: | |
I won't risk my ride for a Tigers game, but for Captain EO...well, I'd consider it. |
Bigglenlake
Member
Username: Bigglenlake
Post Number: 173
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 2:44 pm: | |
Do you like Michael Jackson better black or white? |
Hockey_guy
Member
Username: Hockey_guy
Post Number: 45
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 3:34 pm: | |
Last year I used the parking garage behind Hockeytown cafe. It was $20 to get in, but when I was leaving the guy at the booth wanted another $5. I've never seen that happened before. Hopefully I didn't get scamed. |
Bigb23
Member
Username: Bigb23
Post Number: 1964
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 4:24 pm: | |
Back in 1971, we went to a concert at the Eastown Theatre. The same scam was pulled back then, "I'll watch your car for two dollars" Adjusted for inflation, the price is not too bad now. |
Jjaba
Member
Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 6754
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 5:11 pm: | |
jjaba remembers when kids would watch our car for a quarter around Briggs Stadium. Nothing has changed, just the price.
One remedy is to say, see me when I get back.
Atleast they won't mess with your car. jjaba does this over in Winder Street by the ballpark.
"I be your lookout man." See me when I get back.
Then at 10 pm, after a game, lookout man might be two blocks away. Even if he comes running towrds you with the flashlight, kaboom, jjaba lays down the hammer and is gone like Mario Andretti.
So far so good. Tis a sin to pay for parking, in a ramp or otherwise. And don't fall for the guy who works a vacant lot. That's another scammer.
People, have some street smarts. Don't buy any street Rolexes in New York City either.
jjaba. |
Shark
Member
Username: Shark
Post Number: 446
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 - 5:33 pm: | |
Something tells me those kids weren't crackheads and criminals though. |