XPost: nyc.general, nyc.transit, nyc.motorcycles 
 XPost: alt.autos 
 From: romainm@sympatico.ca 
  
 LOL! 
  
 I bet you won't do that again! 
  
 I got nabbed the exact same way up here in Canada.  It is very common 
 all over the place to control parking. 
  
 It only took me once to learn, now I believe the signs.... 
  
 Mike 
 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 
 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's 
  
 Whomever wrote: 
 > 
 > CVS STORES WILL KIDNAP YOUR CAR! 
 > 
 > I learned the hard way today that towing your car from their 
 > parking lot and holding it for ranson - $160 cash - is a 
 > profitable secret sideline of the CVS store on 14th Street in 
 > Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. 
 > 
 > I parked in the lot, which had many available spaces, and 
 > entered the store. Unknown to me, I was being watched. I came 
 > out about 5 minutes later, and rather than driving away 
 > immediately I walked to another nearby store and returned in 
 > about 20 minutes. 
 > 
 > MY CAR WAS GONE! 
 > 
 > A man in a towtruck parked nearby called to me, and informed me 
 > he had towed my car. He told me the exact actions I had taken as 
 > he had observed them, and said they were a violation of the 
 > parking rules. His company is "Port of NYC Inc," which implies a 
 > connection with city government, but in fact there is none. 
 > Their address is 211 Eagle Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222, (718) 383- 
 > 5454. 
 > 
 > I was directed to read the fine print on a sign that said they 
 > have the right to tow away any car, basically if the owner does 
 > anything other than park, immediately enter the store, make a 
 > purchase, and immediately come back to their car and drive off. 
 > 
 > I threatened to call the police, but was told that as the lot is 
 > private property, they would say it is a civil matter and do 
 > nothing. The towtruck driver's attitude was arrogant and not 
 > open to reason. I had to go to an ATM, get $160 cash, and give 
 > it to him when my car was returned 15 minutes later. He insisted 
 > that I sign that the car had not sustained damage, but would not 
 > let me inspect it carefully, starting to drive off with it as 
 > soon as I began to do so. Fortunately it was OK. 
 > 
 > I have receipts, for which I had to pay extra, as if I did not 
 > request a receipt there would've been no tax charge. This alone 
 > is of course a violation of the law. 
 > 
 > I asked specifically whose lot it was, but the towtruck driver 
 > would not tell me and denied it was the property of CVS. I then 
 > entered the CVS store, questioned the manager, and was told that 
 > yes, the lot is the property of the store. No doubt they get a 
 > percentage of the ransom their car thieves extort. 
 > 
 > BOYCOTT CVS - UNSCRUPULOUS CARNAPPERS! 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)