Towed

oh. I got it back, to the tune of several hundred dollars...

The moment I discovered the theft, I went straight to the police station and demanded to fill out a stolen vehicle report which I did, specifically mentioning that it was NOT parked in a street cleaning spot and HAD been moved there less than 48 hours prior to it being discovered missing (I've been ticketed already for reparking in the same spot three days in a row under the guise of a 48 hour ordinance). It was at the time I handed this form over to the clerk that he decided to see if....just perhaps...they might have stolen it for me. And, indeed they had. You know, in case the expired plates spontaneously EXPLODED into a blazing fireball... In the same breath, the clerk stated "ohh, yeah, you'll probably have a ticket too, I know this officer, he's a hard ass about this sort of thing".............gee. Thanks.

On top of this, they gave me a tag to bring to the junkyard (yes, junkyard) on which I hadn't noticed in my irritation was scribbled "tow only". Apparently, I wasn't aware I was supposed to show my new tabs when I got my claim check and so the clerk assumed it was still "expired". The junkyard wouldn't release the bike to me unless I had a truck or flatbed so I had to go back to the police station the next day, give them my new tabs and sit around while they confirmed that they were legitimate before getting a new tag to bring back to the junkyard. $135 for towing, 20 dollars per day in storage and...yep, there it was, a $75 ticket stuffed between the seat and the tank.



In the process, I've learned that in Massachusetts, the plates, tabs, inspection, drivers license and insurance are all linked electronically. The plates belong to the driver, not the vehicle and if ANYTHING is out of place...the plates are revoked and it is apparently illegal to so much as push the vehicle along the side of the road, which is *supposedly* why they're so observant of expired status.

Nice cover story. Sounds more like extortion to me.

In Washington, where my license and plates were issued...the plates belong to the vehicle for the life of the vehicle regardless of the owner, it's hard to get insurance for a bike as it's not required by the state and we don't have these things called "points"...whatever those are. And so long as I'm not driving the vehicle with expired tabs or license, nobody really has any complaints.


Ah well. In the same weekend, I got a new set of case savers (thank you, Tony!), a center stand (thank you, guy off eBay I don't know!) and found a guy locally who powdercoats for a living for next to nothing (nice job on that Univega, Longbeach Custom Fabrications...). Win some/lose some, I guess.

Not that my bike was "stolen" but those impound fees would have been a blessing... Walking into the tow yard office noticed two different rates.

City rates:
$40 a day for storage
$135 an hour for a tow. 1 hour minimum.

CHP rates?
$60 a day
$170 an hour

This portion of my drama has taken $398 out of pocket just to get it out of impound. I'm still waiting to see what the court is going to say about riding out of class on my DL.

Sorry to hear the town is out for your bike. Keep it inside if possible...

So why sit on your fat ass!???

You can write it any way you want to, but a government of any kind can only steal from you if you let them. Call the newspaper! Make the city counselors and the PD famous for this, and get that law off the books! (Both Maryland and Massachussets)

Who runs this country anyway, you or them!??

Guys, I don't know any better examples of how we are complacently giving up ALL our priviledges out of sheer lazyness! It stops HERE!

NO GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE OR IMPOUND PROPERTY WHICH IS PAID FOR AND BELONGS TO AN INDIVIDUAL!!! (Unless it is an immediate danger to other individuals, and then it may only be impounded)

Get those thieves out of office and demand immediate reform. And if that doesn't work run for the office and reform it yourself.


(pant, pant, pant)


Btw, sorry for your hardship.

Virii, that's insane. Your experience sums up why I wouldn't move farther east for any sum of money.

I would probably get thrown out of the next city councel meeting, I would demand the leagal theft stop now!!, and if they dont repeal the law, file a suit against the mayor and all the councle for theft. and scream at all the talk shows in the area

BSKZ650 wrote:

I would probably get thrown out of the next city councel meeting, I would demand the leagal theft stop now!!, and if they dont repeal the law, file a suit against the mayor and all the councle for theft. and scream at all the talk shows in the area

This only works in a FREE society. Once the Collectivists get a hold of it there is no freedom. You mentioned going to the city councel and mayor...recently the mayor of one of the smaller municipalities, in the area, had his house broken into, his dogs shot and his mother-in-law terrorized. The cops intercepted a package of drugs addressed to the mayors wife. The cops then delivered it to the mayors house, but the mother-in-law wouldn't accept it, so the cops left it on the porch. When the mayor arrived home he saw this package, addressed to his wife, on the porch, so he brought it in. Within minutes of him bringing it in the house, the cops executed a "no knock" warrent, busted down his door, and shot his dogs...as they were running away. The "no knock" was in fact not a no knock, and the cops are still not taking responsibility.
The next week cops from another municipality arrested several delivery guys, that were sending drugs to unsuspecting homeowners, and another delivery guy would show up and say it was a mistaken delivery.
Anyone who thinks we live in a free society, needs to have their eyes opened.
"When they came for the Jews I did nothing because I wasn't Jewish..."