Despite Parking Boots, Cars Driving Off

Two times in the last nine days in North Baltimroe, residents have driven off in cars the city placed parking boots on—taking the boot with them. 

One boot was placed on a car in the 3300 block of Falls Road on Jan. 21. When a Department of Transportation employee came back to check on the boot two days later, the car and the boot were gone. On Jan. 24 the city placed a boot on a car in the 2600 block of Maryland Avenue, but when the city came back to tow the vehicle, the boot and the vehicle were gone.  

The boots each cost $500 and are placed on a vehicle if it has at least three parking tickets that are at least 30 days delinquent, according to Adrienne Barnes, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation. 

In an email, she said the penalty for removing the boot illegally is $500, plus what is already owed the city. Residents removing the boots illegally aren’t all that rare, but don't usually happen with this frequency. On average about one boot per week is removed illegally in the city.