2012.02.22
Your daily Letter to the Columnist — Feb. 22, 2012
Swedish Postal Museum | Wikimedia Commons
He doesn’t like being compared to Spanky Macher!
I thought it might be of interest to you or maybe not but I found out that the girl Sabrina who I guess is the author of the Facebook page and is a bartender at one of the businesses in Grandin was visited by one of my tow truck drivers the very night before she was towed.
He was in the bar having dinner and she waited on him, he had a conversation with her and explained that he was towing non paying vehicles from the pay parking lot at Grandin Parking! Now how can you explain the arrogance of her with not only visual warning but a verbal warning as well?
I welcome constructive criticism and the one thing I will take away from your column is that you are right, the lines and numbers need, should and will be repainted. This however, is no excuse for not paying or not attempting to pay to park.
The lot is signed in several places over and above what the state requires. You have to be totally oblivious in order to not see them! The sign you took a pic of is huge! it must be 3 foot by 5 foot, There is even a banner hanging on the fascade of the building as well as individual signs placed all around “PAY PARKING” “TOWING ENFORCED” “24 HOUR SURVEILLANCE” “PAY AS YOU GO OR PAY FOR A TOW”!
You tell me or show me any other lot in the city of Roanoke that is marked better than Grandin Parking. Drive up and down Salem Ave., Church Ave., Kirk Ave., Campbell Ave. look at all Car-Park lots and tell me what lot is better marked or signed. We don’t tow for Car-Park but someone does! It’s my business and I’ve watched them tow off of every single one of those pay lots !
For you to insinuate we are operating a scam or compare me to Spanky Macher is unwarranted. Are you a person who feels entitled to special treatment ? That you can disregard rules and regulations? Not take responsibility for your actions? I don’t think so … but for you to conjure up those thoughts or plant that seed in your readership is irresponsible. For those that said they swore they paid before they parked, guess what? They didn’t. It just like telling the police officer when he pulls you over “I only had 1 beer I swear”! after you have knocked over 5 mailboxes and dug 6 ditches with your car.
Anyway sorry for the long wind just tired of getting the short stick every time! I did think your column was good just didn’t appreciate the association. Please in the future feel free to contact me should you feel the need as I think this is not going to go away anytime soon.
Bobby Vickson
Smart’s Towing
———————————–
Note from Dan: I had heard the same story about Sabrina that Bobby had, and I asked her about it when I interviewed her for the column. She confirmed that on Saturday night she’d had a conversation with a tower when he was eating dinner in the place that she worked (she was towed Sunday night). She denied that she understood he was towing from Grandin Village Parking. Furthermore, as the story noted, she said she believed that it wasn’t against the rules to park in the lot late at night, as she did.
Hey Bobby
There are pay parking lots all over Roanoke that collect money, tow occasionaly and there is no controversy. This lot is DIFFERENT for the following reasons:
. lines and numbers not painted
. the main entrance at the alley by the Grandin is devoid of signs and one has the feel that you are parking in a movie theater parking lot which is free everywhere else. Again, I have parked there for 15 years without paying by using this entrance.(I would have gladly paid if I had known.)
. some spaces are designated for Spikes and ?? Norberto’s and that is confusing
Anyway, we all want the Grandin theater and the surrounding restaurants to thrive and this type of predatory behavior drives people away. From a personal standpoint, I loved the Grandin enough to sell 75 $1000 stars on the front walkway to save the Grandin years back. Alot of people worked hard on that project. You would have an empty parking lot without the problem of car demand if all of that work to save the Grandin had not been done.
In short, Bobby, think about ways to help build up the neighborhood rather than tearing it down. In the long run, you will be a much bigger winner.
Comment by terps — February 22, 2012 @ 2:37 pm
For the most part Roanoke is not full of scofflaws who would ignore paying for parking. I think someone is protesting too much. If people have missed the signs and you did not move, enlarge or add to the signs I think the problem is you.
Terps and I do not agree on much, but I am with him on this one.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 22, 2012 @ 3:54 pm
Count yourselves lucky you do not live in Richmond, NY, Philadelphia or basically any other city in the U.S. Don’t pay to park there or feed some meter and it could cost more than your car is worth! It is amazing moving to Roanoke and seeing how sheltered this city is!
Comment by Kyle — February 22, 2012 @ 5:03 pm
Excellent point Kyle, I watch “Parking Wars” and the situations are truly unconscionable…on both sides. We are lucky here, but again, we are not people who ignore “No Parking” or “Pay to Park” signs either as a rule.
http://www.aetv.com/parking-wars/
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 22, 2012 @ 5:58 pm
Terps,
By your own admission you have enjoyed 15 years of free parking, are you now prepared to make restitution? By making post transgression payment you may be able to single handedly pre-empt foreclosure and “save” Grandin once again! (I would have gladly paid if I had known.)
I’m joshing you Terps but simmer down Bobby didnt create the rule its my understanding he just enforces the property owners rule.
Comment by Stan — February 22, 2012 @ 11:16 pm
If you don’t like being compared to Spanky Macher, then don’t act like Spanky Macher.
Comment by dave — February 23, 2012 @ 11:29 am
Yesterday, I got a call from a woman named Dawn. Her car, and her daughter’s car, were towed from the lot Feb. 15 while they were shopping in Reid’s. She told me they believed they were parking the a portion of the lot that where you don’t have to pay. There were no numbers on their spaces, she noted.
Eventually she made it over to Smarts to retrieve the cars. Each paid $125 PLUS an additional $20, she said. For the latter they were given a receipt marked Grandin Village Parking, with an address in Vinton. (She emailed me a pic of the receipt).
As this seems to conflict with what Bobby Vickhouse told me last week (that all the towing revenue goes to Smart’s) I thought I would give him an opportunity to explain.
So I sent him an email. Haven’t heard back from, so far.
Comment by Dan Casey — February 23, 2012 @ 11:42 am
Hey Kyle….looks like your a fancy world traveler having been to Richmond, NY and Philadelphia. Next time you go there,see if you can find out what a SCAM looks like in those places. I bet their scams look alot like the scam we are witnessing in our dumb, unworldly old Grandin Village.
Comment by terps — February 23, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
Dave
We have reached a milestone. First agreement.Lets hope it’s not the last.
Comment by terps — February 23, 2012 @ 12:15 pm
“For the most part Roanoke is not full of scofflaws who would ignore paying for parking”
Wanna bet.
95% of folks would ignore paying for parking if they thought they could get away with it. It is inherent in the human animal. Why do you think everyone gripes and moans about parking so much. It is not necessarily that there is no parking available, it is THAT ONE HAS TO PAY FOR IT. Imagine that. Paying for something.
Comment by George Krutz, III — February 23, 2012 @ 1:01 pm
What happens if we all agree with you George? Make it a business with limited access and less room for confusion. Bobby explained in the other column blog that all that slot number and rate stuff at the pay station means nothing. Maybe it should be called Donation Parking.
He’s stated on this blog that painting needs to be done to identify the spaces. He even went as far as to say it WILL be done. I thought he was just the enforcer, not the lot owner.
He’s certainly not obligated to give exact figures of how many cars have been towed each month. He did say more people have been paying since enforcement became more aggressive. Did that begin before or after Stellar One foreclosed on the property?
Dan did accomplish his goal. A public service announcement to alert anyone reading his columns. That probably excludes most scofflaws so it shouldn’t effect the tow service or the property owner.
Comment by Jeffrey King — February 23, 2012 @ 4:43 pm
Terps,
You failed to acknowledge my request to “save” Grandin by making restitution and pre-empt foreclosure for 15 years of free parking or are you already in negotiations with the trustee?
Maybe you could sell worthless Bricks at $100 a piece and line the sidewalks with them.
Comment by Stan — February 23, 2012 @ 5:47 pm
I think that parking lot would be a great spot for an OWS demonstration!
Comment by dave — February 23, 2012 @ 6:38 pm
Stan
If you do the math and figure out how much I owe, I will make a donation for that amount to the Grandin theater.
Comment by Terps — February 23, 2012 @ 9:36 pm
Terps,
Let me get this straight…You want to take the money that you swindled from one property who should have earned it and redistribute to some other unaffected property owner whom did not earn it?
You are a hypocrite and have lost all credibility
Comment #16 on another thread you authored:
http://blogs.roanoke.com/dancasey/2012/02/the-gloves-are-off-for-the-thursday-open-thread/#comments
“The problems lies with a growing number of Americans who lay claim to money that someone else has earned. Now it has grown beyond the sick and indigent. Young, healthy people are demonstrating for handouts.
We are racing toward Greece and the Tea Party is trying to apply the brakes.”
Comment by terps — February 23, 2012 @ 3:10 pm
Take your foot off the accelerator!
Comment by Stan — February 24, 2012 @ 1:00 am