urbanSTL

St. Louis, towing company wait for victims to park downtown

With great anticipation we prepared to attend the members’ opening of the splendidly refurbished Central Library on Dec. 2. It was a beautiful day, and we would have walked from our home nearby, except that my husband is 88 years old and frail. With visitors from all over the area, parking was at a premium, but we thought the YMCA lot on Locust Street was available, as several other cars did as well — and all were towed at a cost of $400 each.

There are indeed small signs saying parking is limited to Y members, but you have to read closely to understand that you can be towed for parking there when it is not open. Since the Y, purportedly a community service organization, is closed on Sunday, one would think they could be hospitable to people visiting a significant downtown event. Or if not, it would be a kindness to block entrance to the parking lot, though that would of course deprive the towing company that lurks, waiting for victims, of their usurious profit.

What kind of impression, I wonder, did people chancing a visit downtown get from having their cars towed, not to mention having to walk in the street for a block because of the barriers around Larry Rice’s “shelter”?

To add insult to injury, the police station where a kind fellow downtowner took us to retrieve the car had an ATM that required four separate $100 transactions with a $5 charge for each.

St. Louis is on the brink of a real renewal, but this kind of unwelcoming and predatory policy would not bring me back if I were a visitor. I’m a dedicated city dweller and it makes me furious.

Virginia Benson • St. Louis

debaliviere wrote:Blame the city!

St. Louis, towing company wait for victims to park downtown

terence d wrote:Unfortunate situation, but you can't really fault the city - they weren't involved here, right? Seems the arguably predatory towing was on behalf of the Y and the towing company.

Alex Ihnen wrote:^ I think it's the fault of the city any time a visitor has a bad experience, or put another way, there is something the city could have done to make the experience better. Having better signage, modern parking meters, smart parking technology, etc. would make the experience better for people. In this particular case who knows if it would have helped.

I think it's the fault of the city any time a visitor has a bad experience, or put another way, there is something the city could have done to make the experience better. Having better signage, modern parking meters, smart parking technology, etc. would make the experience better for people. In this particular case who knows if it would have helped.

With a mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all, our impact is felt when an individual makes a healthy choice, when a mentor inspires a child and when a community comes together for the common good.

Alex Ihnen wrote:Sure, but then having an ATM that charges $5 and only allows one to withdrawl $100 at a time? That's just adding insult to injury and is poor service.

Alex Ihnen wrote:^ it was $20 ($5/$100) - $15.50 more for $400 withdrawl than any ATM I've used

rawest1 wrote:

terence d wrote:
I don't think there's much the city could do here. Parking is so abundant and available downtown, especially on a Sunday like this one where I don't think there were any other events occurring.

I have to think these people were just looking for a free place to park, took a chance and lost.

It's a sad fact, but I think there will always be extreme difficulty getting most people in the county to come patronize anything in the city if they're expected to pay for parking.

The convenience really can't be beat when you can drive right up to the door of wherever you're going, and park for free.

When you're spending the gas to drive into the city, and spend money and/or time at whatever you're patronizing, and on top of that you need to pay for parking in a garage somewhere, it begins to look like it's not worth it.

I know that is totally ridiculous to anyone who is accustomed to habitually parking in the city and doing stuff here, but I think that's their view, whether or not you find it legitimate.

leeharveyawesome wrote:You've got to hand it people 100 years ago, they simply did not f*** around when they decided to build something. Back then, they must have kept a stable of real artists on the payroll. Who even FATHOMS this now? Now, we can barely find the ways or means to throw up four walls, some wires and a tube connected to the sewer on an empty lot. Thinking about it in those terms almost made me cry.