Car Booting at a Buffalo Business Has People Talking

Parking in any city can be confusing, especially if you aren't used to visiting one. One-way streets, rotating sides, times you can and can not park in an area, how to pay in paid lots and spots, and knowing what days are free can all be a lot to figure out. What rules and policies do different businesses have for using their parking lots can also be a challenge. Some businesses prominently display their policies while others don't.

How businesses handle unauthorized parked cars is also not always equal. This 7-Eleven in the City of Buffalo is pretty blunt about how they handle it.

7-Eleven In Buffalo is Booting Cars

Like all businesses, 7-Eleven has the right to police its own parking lot and deal with violators, within the law, accordingly. Some businesses leave notes and warnings. Some tow cars. Some do what this store reportedly did and boot them. A Car boot, or wheel lock, can look like this:

Canva

This is what the 7-Eleven on Elmwood Ave and Auburn in Buffalo is accused of doing, as seen on the Buffalo Sub-Reddit. Check out the picture and conversation.

Elmwood and Auburn 7/11 has been booting cars like crazy recently.
byu/icky-akame-blink inBuffalo

Accusations against the business

Some accuse this 7-Eleven of "predatory towing." What's what?

Predatory practices following an initial tow can range from charging exorbitant fees to refusing the owner access to personal items in their car during business hours. - US PIRG

Again, and we cannot stress this enough, these are ACCUSATIONS. It's very easy for people to claim something like this out of spite when they have illegally parked themselves. Accusations are not proof of anything.

People are Defending 7/11

A lot of people defend the business. The reality is that a lot of people park their cars and leave them when rules about that are clearly posted. Parking in a business's lot and not using the business, let alone leaving your car there, hurts them, especially in the city where parking lots are often small, as is the case with this 7-Eleven location.

People get upset when things like this are put on their car, though. They also get outraged over the fees to remove the boot. We aren't sure what the cost is to remove the boot, but that is usually the main issue. From the business's perspective, they want to deter people from parking in their lots and charge a high cost for things like boots while spreading the message quickly to not park there.

What do you think? Should businesses boot and/or tow cars? What should the cost to remove the boot be? Let us know on our app.