Zipcar?

[prog]

So, to save money for certain economically foolhardy adventures that loom in my future, I'm seriously thinking of selling my car (or just giving it to someone, probably Ricky) in the next six months, before it's time to to buy another year of expensive Massachusetts car insurance.

I still want spontaneous mobility, and the ability to haul stuff around. I would not even consider this if Zipcar weren't in this town. I know some of you use Zipcar, and I wonder if you'd recommend it to me. Basically, I want to retain the ability to putter around town every few days (on average), very occasionally zipping up to Maine or wherever. Ultimately it should cost less than ~$1,500 per year to make the transition worthwhile.

Whaddaya think?

Comments

[xymotik.livejournal.com]

Unrelated but interesting story: I know someone who lived in Somerville in the early 1980s and one of her friends had covered his/her walls with the parking tickets they received; due to a lack of computerization or good records management, the city never ever followed up on tickets.

I gather things are somewhat different now.

[prog.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I have two or three outstanding ones right now, and get a letter in the mail every so often reminding me of this.

Every so often I log into the city website and "pay my tab". I haven't gotten The Boot yet -- I'm not sure I know of anyone who has -- but I don't want to risk it. (I do know someone who got it from the Cambridge parking enforcers, and I think Somerville plays by similar rules.)

[cortezopossum.livejournal.com]

Do they still 'boot' vehicles in the Boston area?

Madison WI had a boot company once. It ended REALLY QUICKLY when they ended up booting a car owned by some state executive high in political office. Shortly after that they made some new laws -- not-quite 'banning' the boot but just making it impractical for a boot company to exist -- laws such as: "No company shall be allowed to charge a fee to remove a 'boot' or other vehicle restraining device".

There are still a few private parking lots in which you can see the old 'Warning -- violators will be booted' signs but at this point they're merely an empty threat.

[prog.livejournal.com]

That sounds like individuals could have a car that offends them be booted. I haven't seen that, though my car was once towed for this reason. (Of course, the individual was pretending to be my landlord at the time...)

Cambridge, I believe, will boot your car if you step over the line in unpaid parking fines, with the idea that you have to go to the police and pony up before they'll remove it.

[cortezopossum.livejournal.com]

When they were around the boot company had a contract with the city and also offered their services to property owners who requested it (and hence got the nifty yellow 'boot warning' sign).

I guess it was an arrangement similar to the way towing companies work. Towing companies will only tow a vehicle if it's your own or if you're a property owner/manager and the offending vehicle is on the premises. A person would have to fake either case for a vehicle to be towed (or booted). I'm not sure how they check this.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I've seen a number of booted vehicles around metroBoston, though I'm not sure if it was only Cambridge or Boston and/or Somerville as well.