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美国国家公共电台 NPR--A ride with Boot Girls, 2 women challenging Atlanta's parking enforcement industry

时间:2023-12-21 02:53来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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A ride with Boot Girls, 2 women challenging Atlanta's parking enforcement industry

Transcript1

A small round key has unlocked a world of fame and fortune for two balaclava-clad women who are among the most in-demand entrepreneurs in Atlanta.

That key is one of a handful the so-called Boot Girls use mostly around Buckhead, an upscale Atlanta neighborhood, to unlock metal brackets attached to vehicles parked on private property, like one Jaguar2 on May 5, when I spent the evening with the boot removal Robin3 Hoods4.

"Can I get a picture real quick?" the owner of the car asked the pair while handing me his phone in the fading afternoon light. "I support ya'll."

The Boot Girls, who go by the noms de guerre Boot Baby, who wears a black balaclava, and Boot Sheisty, in pink, have built a following of more than 85,000 across Instagram and TikTok. That's where the Boot Girls offer up the legally dubious5 practice of boot removals for $50, a price that undercuts parking enforcement companies (which often charge $75 per day for removal), Boot Baby said.

The Boot Girls spoke6 to us under the condition that NPR does not disclose their legal names because of concerns of possible legal ramifications7.

Finding the key to boot removal success

The pair started the business after Boot Sheisty's car got booted while visiting her friend and now-business partner at her apartment complex in April.

Instead of paying the parking enforcement company to have the device removed, they connected with a friend who had a key that could unlock the boot. The pair decided8 to buy their own keys and "ever since then, we just went on our bull****," Boot Sheisty said.

The sale of boot keys like this have spiked9 since the Boot Girls made a splash on social media.

Christian10 Verrette

The Boot Girls obtained their keys from Christian Verrette, owner of ATL Boot Key. The two women, who worked previously11 as beauticians, average about 40 boot removals per day, Boot Baby said.

"It's just a blessing12, honestly," Boot Baby added.

That blessing has come with risks.

Georgia's fraught13 history with booting

Piracy14.

This is the word attorney Matt Wetherington used to describe the booting industry in Georgia, which he and his Atlanta-based firm have fought against for nearly a decade.

"We have sued, I would presume, every single booting company in Georgia," Wetherington told NPR over the phone. "We're trying to stop what I consider piracy, because they're seizing your property, and you're not getting it back until you give them money, and your options for recourse are essentially15 nonexistent."

Georgia law prohibits booting, except where a local government expressly authorizes16 the practice. Atlanta, Decatur and Union City are among a small handful of cities in Georgia, or even nationwide, that allow booting on private property by private companies, of which there are about 30 operating in the state, Wetherington said.

"In Atlanta, the booting companies are city council-sanctioned pirates that act as judge, jury and sometimes executioner for perceived parking violations," Wetherington added.

Boot Sheisty seen here removing a boot.

Christian Verrette

A recent Georgia Supreme17 Court case provides a glimpse into how lucrative18 and fraught the state's booting industry is.

In 2018, a man was charged $650 to have a boot removed at the Wesley Chapel19 Crossing Shopping Center in Decatur.

"It is a crazy thing to say the normal cure for an unauthorized entry on your property is to insist that the trespasser21 remain on your property," the chief justice said in 2021 during a hearing, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I mean, that's nutso under any conception of the law. ... Where in the world can you say a cure for trespass20 is to continue the trespass?"

The Georgia Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the man whose vehicle was booted, the law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell reported.

The contradiction addressed in that lawsuit22 is at the heart of the booting issue in Georgia, Wetherington said.

"Georgia is kind of the epicenter of booting and frankly23, there is no other community in the world that we're aware of where there is booting practice the way that it is here," Wetherington said.

And yet, thanks to the Boot Girls, this legal framework around booting may soon change, he added.

How the Boot Girls may help shape Georgia law

A bill introduced by two state senators — Democrat24 Josh McLaurin and Republican John Albers — in the Georgia Legislature is poised25 to ban booting in the state.

The bill may go to a full Senate vote in early 2024, when Wetherington expects it to pass, he said.

"[U]nlike previously, there's a little bit more momentum26 this time around, thanks in part to the Boot Girls," Wetherington said. "In what other instance could you ever imagine, where you have someone who says, 'I will charge you $50 to give you back access to your property' and then turn into a celebrity27? Just think about how messed up that is for our city. It shouldn't be that way. But that shows you just how bad and just how pervasive28 booting is in Atlanta."

There are approximately 100,000 boots placed by private parking enforcement companies around Georgia each year, Wetherington said.

Just as the Boot Girls were gaining attention on social media, the Atlanta Police Department released a statement May 3 on how "many motorists within the city are investing in boot keys."

Since the Boot Girls spiked in popularity roughly two weeks ago, Verrette has sold more than 1,200 keys, he says, which translates to $60,000, or about $50 per key.

While "it is not illegal to own a boot key," the Atlanta Police wrote, the use of a boot key to modify, tamper29 or disengage a booting device from a vehicle could result in a variety of charges, such as criminal trespass, theft of services, theft by taking or second-degree property damage.

Wetherington "strongly disagrees" with the Atlanta Police on the criminality of boot removals by everyday people.

"This is a private dispute between private citizens, and it is civil in nature and should never be considered criminal. At most, this is an instance of trespass. And my big concern is that the city of Atlanta will bring criminal charges that are unjustified, but they're entitled to do," he said. "I support everything [the Boot Girls are] doing. As an attorney, I would be careful in using them and I hope that they're able to keep themselves out of legal jeopardy30."

The future of the Boot Girls

Four of the most important things the Boot Girls carry on them on a call are the boot keys, cellphones, pepper spray and the number for their attorney (who is not Wetherington).

"You know, we don't really, we don't look for no problem. So we try to avoid it at all costs. But they do do it. They do come to us," Boot Sheisty said as we pulled away from the Jaguar. "There's been grown men trying to attack us and stepping on us."

These negative interactions have been few and far between, the women said. And as of the publication of this story, they have yet to be charged criminally.

A glimpse at Boot Girls' social media accounts surfaces numerous videos depicting31 elated customers dancing with their recently removed boots.

The Boot Girls are working to create a line of merchandise, a podcast and recently put a call out for new recruits.

"We're gonna expand and we're also going to do it until we can't," Boot Sheisty said.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
2 jaguar JaPz8     
n.美洲虎
参考例句:
  • He was green with envy when he saw my new Jaguar car.看见我那辆美洲虎牌新车,他非常妒忌。
  • Should you meet a jaguar in the jungle,just turn slowly,walk away.But slowly,never look back.你在丛林中若碰上美洲虎,就慢慢转身走开,可一定要慢,切莫回头看。
3 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
参考例句:
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
4 hoods c7f425b95a130f8e5c065ebce960d6f5     
n.兜帽( hood的名词复数 );头巾;(汽车、童车等的)折合式车篷;汽车发动机罩v.兜帽( hood的第三人称单数 );头巾;(汽车、童车等的)折合式车篷;汽车发动机罩
参考例句:
  • Michael looked at the four hoods sitting in the kitchen. 迈克尔瞅了瞅坐在厨房里的四条汉子。 来自教父部分
  • Eskimos wear hoods to keep their heads warm. 爱斯基摩人戴兜帽使头暖和。 来自辞典例句
5 dubious Akqz1     
adj.怀疑的,无把握的;有问题的,靠不住的
参考例句:
  • What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
  • He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。
6 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
7 ramifications 45f4d7d5a0d59c5d453474d22bf296ae     
n.结果,后果( ramification的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
  • What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢? 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
9 spiked 5fab019f3e0b17ceef04e9d1198b8619     
adj.有穗的;成锥形的;有尖顶的
参考例句:
  • The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句
10 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
参考例句:
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
11 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前,先前(地)
参考例句:
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
12 blessing UxDztJ     
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿
参考例句:
  • The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
  • A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。
13 fraught gfpzp     
adj.充满…的,伴有(危险等)的;忧虑的
参考例句:
  • The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
  • There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的!
14 piracy 9N3xO     
n.海盗行为,剽窃,著作权侵害
参考例句:
  • The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
  • They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。
15 essentially nntxw     
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上
参考例句:
  • Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
  • She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。
16 authorizes 716083de28a1fe3e0ba0233e695bce8c     
授权,批准,委托( authorize的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
  • The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。
17 supreme PHqzc     
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的
参考例句:
  • It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
  • He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
18 lucrative dADxp     
adj.赚钱的,可获利的
参考例句:
  • He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
  • It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。
19 chapel UXNzg     
n.小教堂,殡仪馆
参考例句:
  • The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
  • She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
20 trespass xpOyw     
n./v.侵犯,闯入私人领地
参考例句:
  • The fishing boat was seized for its trespass into restricted waters.渔船因非法侵入受限制水域而被扣押。
  • The court sentenced him to a fine for trespass.法庭以侵害罪对他判以罚款。
21 trespasser 1gezZu     
n.侵犯者;违反者
参考例句:
  • The worst they'd ever dealt with was an occasionally trespasser or small-time thief. 他们过去对付的充其量是一个偶尔闯入者或是小偷小摸者。
  • In such event the offending member or guest shall be trespasser. 在此情况下,违例的会员或嘉宾一概视作擅自进入论。
22 lawsuit A14xy     
n.诉讼,控诉
参考例句:
  • They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
  • He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。
23 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
参考例句:
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
24 democrat Xmkzf     
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员
参考例句:
  • The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
  • About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后,他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
25 poised SlhzBU     
a.摆好姿势不动的
参考例句:
  • The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋,准备俯冲。
  • Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张,手悬在电话机上。
26 momentum DjZy8     
n.动力,冲力,势头;动量
参考例句:
  • We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
  • The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。
27 celebrity xcRyQ     
n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望
参考例句:
  • Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
  • He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。
28 pervasive T3zzH     
adj.普遍的;遍布的,(到处)弥漫的;渗透性的
参考例句:
  • It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
  • The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的,并且难以估算。
29 tamper 7g3zom     
v.干预,玩弄,贿赂,窜改,削弱,损害
参考例句:
  • Do not tamper with other's business.不要干预别人的事。
  • They had strict orders not to tamper with the customs of the minorities.他们得到命令严禁干涉少数民族的风俗习惯。
30 jeopardy H3dxd     
n.危险;危难
参考例句:
  • His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
  • It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻,上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。
31 depicting eaa7ce0ad4790aefd480461532dd76e4     
描绘,描画( depict的现在分词 ); 描述
参考例句:
  • a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
  • The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。
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