So yesterday, I parked my car in the lot at 154th St and Northern Blvd, then went to the library next door. After about an hour, I returned to find a guy putting a boot on my car’s rear wheel. I had always thought the library was part of the same lot, but he said it wasn’t. The sign didn’t clearly state that, which made it confusing. He gave me two options: either pay $75 to have the boot removed or wait for a tow truck, which would cost $180 or more.

I tried arguing with him, but he wouldn’t listen, so I ended up paying the $75. I felt it was extremely unfair. Unsure if they even had the right to charge me at all, I called 311. That’s when I found out that NYC only allows private lots to charge a maximum of $25 for boot removal, and once paid, they’re required to remove it within 30 minutes.

Here’s a link to the NYC regulation details:
https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02194

After learning about the $25 cap, I called the company to negotiate. I told them that if we didn’t resolve the issue that day, I would file a complaint with 311. Right away, the guy offered a $50 refund. I could’ve pushed for the full $75, but I considered that he did take the time to come all the way and install the boot, and I had technically parked in a spot I wasn’t supposed to. In the end, I decided that $25 wasn’t worth the extra hassle.

But right after I got my $50 back, I went ahead and filed a complaint with 311 anyway. Haha! That was for justice—these greedy bastards need to be punished and learn a lesson.

Feeling a bit bored afterward, I headed to a restaurant called “Jeong Yook,” a Korean BBQ place. I spoke with the staff to find out who had called the towing company. The parking lot was practically empty, so his actions felt especially insensitive, unnecessary, unreasonable, and just plain despicable. I demanded an apology from the worker in front of his manager. And following that, I wrote a few 1-star reviews for that restaurant.

Everything I did was for justice. I’ve always believed that if justice doesn’t prevail, evil triumphs. My friend even suggested I take it a step further—he joked about beating the crap out of that worker on his way home after his shift. I smirked…