AUSTIN — Austin police are expected to present a preliminary ordinance that regulates car booting to the Urban Transportation Commission on June 12.
Commander Eric Miesse will make that presentation.
Miesse is the Commander over Highway Enforcement, which encompasses the Wrecker Enforcement Unit. It's the one-man division that oversees car booting in the city of Austin. He said his detective has been busier than ever, receiving more and more complaints about car booters.
"That they just left their cars, they haven't even left it five minutes, come back the boot's already on the car and then in order to drive away, they're having to pay the $150, which they believe is way too high," said Commander Miesse.
One person who has received such a boot on his car is Nick Dillon.
We met Dillon at the Torchy's Tacos on Guadalupe, where he said he purposely parked in the wrong parking spot.
"As you can see, it's clearly designated, you can't park here," he explained.
He took full responsibility for parking where he should not have. But he doesn't like how he got the boot and how much he had to pay to get it off.
"It did feel a little sleazy," Dillon said.
He said after running into Torchy's for a few minutes, he got a yellow "immobilization notice" when he came out and noticed a boot on his car tire.
Dillon said a minute later, a man approached him and demanded $150 to get the boot off.
"I thought $35, $40, $50. I would have felt that was fair because it's clearly marked. I shouldn't have parked there but, you know, just the price and just how quick it was. It all happened in about 20 minutes," he said.
Which is why Austin police are proposing an ordinance that would regulate car booters.
Some of the proposals include: a cap on how much car booters can charge to get boots off; criminal background checks for drivers; a permit for them; a license for the businesses; and a requirement for the drivers to wear company shirts and have picture badges.
APD will be partnering with the Austin Transportation Department to regulate the businesses and drivers.
Dillon said it's a great idea even though it's a little too late for him.
If the Urban Transportation Commission passes the proposal, it will then go before the City Council.
APD is working against the clock. On Sept. 1, the state deregulates car booting so if the City Council doesn't pass the ordinance, there won't be an agency in the state to oversee car booters. Right now, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation does that.