My Scooter Tow Woe
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It is with shock, regret, and confused frustration that I report: my beloved scooter seems about to be a de facto gonner.
Before leaving for my winter trip, exactly as I had done last year before going to Brazil, I brought the scoot to the southeast corner of 35th St and 1st Av, where there exists a very-rare-for-Manhattan two huge bike racks. Rugged and thick, they seem built for motorcycles rather than bicycles and are always laden w/ motorcycles and scooters, some of the fairly expensive Vespa and even Harley variety. I’ve seen some motos chained there for over several years untouched. Removed the battery, chained the scooter to the rack, covered it, kissed it good month.
Well I must have picked the wrong time to test this longevity. Got back from my month away a week ago, finally got a chance last night to drive by and make sure all was ok. It was not. Nary a 2-wheeled vehicle in sight. Not even any chains or motorcycle locks left over. Turns out that on Feb 8, NYPD flatbed trucks came through, cut through everything and carted them off to the tow pound. Motive? Who knows. Attempt to raise city revenue? Homeland security? Scooter gangs crackdown? Beats me.
The charge is $185 for the tow, plus $20/day storage. Of course, I had been travelling overseas and they didn’t exactly phone me up anyway to alert of the event, so the days have been racking up. They want $600+ to give it back today, $20 more for every day I wait (no maximum). Since this well-exceeds the value of the vehicle, the indecent yet sensible decision is to simply forfeit the bike. Of course, the bike also had 3 parking tickets attached which were affixed just before they towed it (you don’t even know you got a ticket till you see it at the pound).
Oh, and what will they do w/ the bike? Could I participate in its auction? No. They tell me that within 20 days if unclaimed, they will simply crush it.
I’m taking it amazingly well. For $1400, I got 2 years worth of incredible riding. I can now get another bike. Oh, and I survived crazy 5-boro riding unharmed.
As a last chance, I’m told I could attempt to fight the parking tickets (soon!) in walk-in court. If I prevail, they also call the tow pound and have them release the bike, all charges dropped. Heads you win all, tails you lose all. It reminds me of the coin toss scene in No Country for Old Men: “You stand to win EVERYTHING!”
(c)Coen Bros
** UPDATE: I won the ‘coin toss’ 
Went to walk-in parking ticket court, they dismissed all 3 tickets, told the pound to release the bike free of charge. Justice is served. **
