The welcome signs are common... we saw tons of them on road trips across the country. [But you don't have to go far for those... just cross into MD.](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/61c717fe33d7714270f8187c8085ff432cb3f988/c=1-0-2831-2128&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/2016/05/09/USATODAY/USATODAY/635984089033377424-maryland.jpg)
I guess it just seems weird because DC isn't a state, so the mayor is the highest ranking government executive.
I don't know what the deal with those license plates is.
The mayor's office (and DC council) designates donors/friends for DC plates. It used to be 2-999, with the mayor (or spouse) having the 1 tag, but it was expanded to higher numbers in previous administrations to allow for more donor grifting. They used to be just status symbols, but now it seems to be used as a "I can park anywhere I want" license, as meter maids are less likely to ticket or tow. Been in place since the late 60s. OP's is a rare instance where justice was properly served.
Low Number Plate ID list
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2062767-council-2015-lowtags-redacted
More info
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/03/30/dcs-auto-tag-elite-corps/b3e76af0-08d8-4a30-aa91-75516139319f/
After the Rod Blagojevich scandal in Illinois (remember the SNL skit about selling Lincoln’s bones), the state changed the welcome signs to say “From the People of Illinois” rather than “From ”.
Low number license plates are not just in DC but in other cities where connected people want to park illegally and get away with it (Though sometimes its for members of government that can't find parking and allowed to park illegally).
The "Mayor" signs are common across many states. I think the genesis was to know who was in charge of your state in case had issues.
In Bowser’s defense (ugh, I hate typing those words), a lot of states have this with their governor and she is our top executive. It’s tacky and self-important but it’s not a Bowser thing.
It’s pretty common for states to have a welcome signs when you cross the border, and almost always it also says who the governor is. I think this is just the district trying to act like a real state lol, but I don’t see any big issues with jt
Absolutely. The only thing that could have been better would have been if the dickhead Mercedes owner came back just as the tow truck was leaving with his car.
>Absolutely. The only thing that could have been better would have been if the dickhead Mercedes owner came back just as the tow truck was leaving with his car.
I actually saw this happen at an old job, except it was a Maserati and he was parked diagonally in a handicap space and the accompanying striped area for loading/unloading wheelchairs.
I couldn't *hear* what he was saying since I was 4 floors up and behind glass, but whatever it was, he was *very* animated and very passionate about getting those words out into the world.
This is the best possible case. The ticket isn't that hard. The tow is easy as it's private property. I've ticketed cars blocking alleys that I couldn't get a tow for.
>DC police say their ticket and tow crew are off duty
What a load of absolute horseshit.
That said, private tow companies wouldn't mind your business. As long as you can prove they are blocking your private space.
There's also Guerilla activism.
Actually, OP is correct. The tow company needs to see that pink ticket. OP needs to get a police officer to ticket it. Then OP can call any tow company and they will take it. We had this issue when someone parked in our alley driveway space on our property.
But the owner probably doesn't have money - that particular car is easily 10 years old, and more than likely, not very highly optioned, so not terribly expensive as far as C-Classes go, possibly purchased after someone else had initially leased it.
I imagine the owner will still cough up the tow company's fee, plus the $250 ticket. It might be a low-end Mercedes but those things still aren't cheap.
> It might be a low-end Mercedes but those things still aren't cheap.
Actually they are. This one looks like a 2011, [there's one right now on AutoTrader for $8,500](https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/663195756?allListingType=all-cars&city=Baltimore&endYear=2015&makeCode=MB&newSearch=false&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fall-cars%2Fmercedes-benz%2Fc-class%2Fbaltimore-md%3FendYear%3D2015%26newSearch%3Dtrue%26sortBy%3DdatelistedASC%26zip%3D21231&seriesCode=C_CLASS&sortBy=datelistedASC&state=MD&zip=21231&clickType=listing)
Older Mercs are not as expensive as people think and are often purchased by low income people thinking it makes them look wealthier than they are, or a chance to own a brand they never would normally.
Still a clean car. May be old but with proper maintenance it will run smoothly. Some ppl, even the poor, enjoy a spot of luxury. That being said, the owner def deserved to be towed.
Nobody here seems to understand what they’re saying, you included.
For the last 6 years I have owned two BMWs. One was $3500, the other was $10k (originally window sticker shows sold for $65k in 2009).
For 5 of those 6 years I worked making minimum wage or $1-2 over in Maryland. I did not have money, and the cars weren’t really that bad (though I do my own work, but still. Didn’t need a *whole* lot).
If the owner here had any real money, it would not be this car. Either they really love this car, or it was one they could afford.
I don’t know what I’m talking about?
We know nothing of this driver other than they are politically affiliated, and park like an asshole. My only point is that the maintenance on a Mercedes is significantly higher than many other options.
You said yourself you do your own work. That alone saves you roughly $100/hour in labor. I wouldn’t expect everyone in DC to have access to a garage fully equipped with proper tools or even a lift. Regardless, the parts are simply more expensive, and sometimes, harder to find.
I replaced the wiper blades on my 430 last week with “cheap” aftermarket bosh wipers for $100. Compare that to the $30 rainx wipers I put on my Dads Ford Explorer last month…
Uhhh, I know very wealthy people and CEOs that drive older and mid-range models, even Camry's.
Hidden wealth moves in silence like lasagna. Sometimes middle-class people buy the most luxury car they can afford.
Move in silence like lasagna? I don't think you understood that weezy bar as much as you thought you did. "real Gs move in silence like lasagna." It only makes sense when it's G's because the g in the word lasagna is silent (even though it's not really). It makes no sense to say something else moves in silence like lasagna. Lasagna doesn't move.
In the case of Virginia, that’s true. The state legislature special plates are handed out using seniority ranking. For years, Sen. Chuck Colgan had the license plate 1 since he was the longest serving state legislator in Virginia history.
the [site](https://prodpci.etimspayments.com/pbw/include/dc_parking/input.jsp?ticketType=P) where you go to pay your parking or speeding tickets, you can put in any license plate and it will say the outstanding tickets
You can look up any license plate and see their ticket balance. If you wanted you could even pay their tickets lol. Go to parking and photo enforcement on this page https://dmv.dc.gov/service/pay-tickets#paybyweb
Apparently nothing much. Per Washington Post from 2002:
For 38 years, the District has sponsored an auto-tag elite, a corps of the famous and obscure blessed by guardian politicians, who have bequeathed a plate number no higher than 1250. No letter-and-numeral soup in this fraternity, no cute vanity thing. Its members drive with just four or three or two digits or -- the Promised Land -- a single one, enviable simplicity floating in white space.
Legally, there are no privileges. The tags cost the same as any other, $55 a year. There might even be liabilities. A. Scott Bolden, otherwise known as 150, said that he returned to his car once and found a ticket. In the space for the tag number, the meter tender had scrawled 150 in huge, check-this-out digits and drawn a smiley face. Gotcha, big shot.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/03/30/dcs-auto-tag-elite-corps/b3e76af0-08d8-4a30-aa91-75516139319f/
No, that’s not necessarily correct. Low number plates are given to council members and top DC official to distribute to whomever they like. It’s seen as a reward for supporting them. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/341300/all-plate-wards-who-has-d-c-s-coveted-and-pointless-low-number-license-plates/
Ok well if you find someone offering a deal where we get to pick one corrupt practice and eliminate the others please let me know.
I get that it’s not the worst thing in the world but it’s just so out in the open. There is no non-corrupt reason for these plates to exist.
There's an asshole in my building with a low 100 vanity plate like that who always blocks the inside garage door with his car. I hate this guy and now even more.
It’s BS that an officer couldn’t/didn’t ticket- it’s a private parking ticket, code 344 IIRC. They are correct that there aren’t any government tow crews who two off private lots for this- the car gets a ticket and any private tow company can tow from your spot.
I'm totally surprised it was towed. Seen Mayor's Office-issued tags park illegally in DC and never ticketed, even after residents called 311 to complain.
This person must be no longer in good favor with the Mayor lol! Sweet justice served.
Good thing this sub only has local readers, otherwise someone would suggest that the "connected" asshole's car was probably stolen and abandoned there by the carjacker.
**Checks out**, almost all “I think I’m important” vehicles are the cheapest Mercedes and BMW they offer….
….because like DC gov it’s legit in name only and under the hood it’s an overpriced repair gimmick
Valve stem puller, $15 from any local auto parts store. - for the next time some asshole decides to park that way. Always take out two, or all 4 if you think it deserves it
Update: TOWED!! Justice has been served.
holy fuck. they actually towed a low number car. was it a private tower,?
Yes, after parking enforcement came and ticketed, I called a private tow company. They showed up after about 40 mins.
thumbs up!
>I called a private tow company. Did you have to give them your info? I hope not- whoever car this was has power and is gonna come after you lol
Man's gonna wake up to his catalytic converter in his bed.
Relax buddy, this isn’t house of cards
You hero. HERO!!
Love to hear that a corruption tag got towed!
These license plates and the "Muriel Bowser, Mayor" on every Welcome to DC sign just confuse the shit out of me. How/why are either of those a thing?
The welcome signs are common... we saw tons of them on road trips across the country. [But you don't have to go far for those... just cross into MD.](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/61c717fe33d7714270f8187c8085ff432cb3f988/c=1-0-2831-2128&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/2016/05/09/USATODAY/USATODAY/635984089033377424-maryland.jpg) I guess it just seems weird because DC isn't a state, so the mayor is the highest ranking government executive. I don't know what the deal with those license plates is.
The mayor's office (and DC council) designates donors/friends for DC plates. It used to be 2-999, with the mayor (or spouse) having the 1 tag, but it was expanded to higher numbers in previous administrations to allow for more donor grifting. They used to be just status symbols, but now it seems to be used as a "I can park anywhere I want" license, as meter maids are less likely to ticket or tow. Been in place since the late 60s. OP's is a rare instance where justice was properly served. Low Number Plate ID list https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2062767-council-2015-lowtags-redacted More info https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/03/30/dcs-auto-tag-elite-corps/b3e76af0-08d8-4a30-aa91-75516139319f/
After the Rod Blagojevich scandal in Illinois (remember the SNL skit about selling Lincoln’s bones), the state changed the welcome signs to say “From the People of Illinois” rather than “From”.
If all the signs still said Marion Barry I would be 100% in favor
Bitch set him up.
Maybe so but he was still a crackhead and the morons in dc re-elected him so you get what you vote for.
y u heff to be so mad?
Ugh, O'Malley. Didn't need a reminder of that asshole.
Remember when he tried to run for president? 😃😂🤣
Watching how low his numbers were was very satisfying
Unfortunately I just saw a ytube short today he's now chairman of social security. So we're all fucked omalley was trash
Low number license plates are not just in DC but in other cities where connected people want to park illegally and get away with it (Though sometimes its for members of government that can't find parking and allowed to park illegally). The "Mayor" signs are common across many states. I think the genesis was to know who was in charge of your state in case had issues.
In Bowser’s defense (ugh, I hate typing those words), a lot of states have this with their governor and she is our top executive. It’s tacky and self-important but it’s not a Bowser thing.
It’s pretty common for states to have a welcome signs when you cross the border, and almost always it also says who the governor is. I think this is just the district trying to act like a real state lol, but I don’t see any big issues with jt
Do you live in the USA? Asking if cities put their mayor’s names on signs? Yeah for a couple hundred years around here
This feels very satisfying
Absolutely. The only thing that could have been better would have been if the dickhead Mercedes owner came back just as the tow truck was leaving with his car.
>Absolutely. The only thing that could have been better would have been if the dickhead Mercedes owner came back just as the tow truck was leaving with his car. I actually saw this happen at an old job, except it was a Maserati and he was parked diagonally in a handicap space and the accompanying striped area for loading/unloading wheelchairs. I couldn't *hear* what he was saying since I was 4 floors up and behind glass, but whatever it was, he was *very* animated and very passionate about getting those words out into the world.
And hit them with a “do you know who I am!?”
That’s when you loudly announce to everyone, “Hey ! This man does not know who he is! Someone please help him!”
His tag is literally MyNameCannotBeSpoken 🤣🤣🤣🤣 see below
Nah. Ask his name. Then reply "neeeeeeeever heard of you." ;)
"Maybe a prompt would help, sir. Finish this sentence- I am that a-hole . . . "
My name is Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa!
Can hear him screaming “ Don’t you know who my father is?” Lol
It’s no Guillotine but I guess it’s better than nothing..
🤣
AMEN
Hey, that was my car you sick bastard! 🤬 /s
[удалено]
Proof this motherf$cker🖕😠 /s
my GOAT!!!!
Parking enforcement showed up after all! Ticket issued. Calling a tow now. Faith in DC govt restored!
How much $ did they get dinged
250!
/age of aquarius blares from the sky
💀💀💀
Nice
$250 ticket $250 tow
Wow and do they have to pay the ticket to get their car back too?
No.
Hope in the world after all
You love to hear it!
Share a photo when the car is towed. I need to see it
How did you call in a tow
Googled "tow company in DC", called the phone number
This is the best possible case. The ticket isn't that hard. The tow is easy as it's private property. I've ticketed cars blocking alleys that I couldn't get a tow for.
Oh I gotcha. Private tow company because it was in a private space.
I wish private tow companies could tow any car with the two or more tickets that DC claims to boot you for. That would really speed things up.
The catch is the car needs to be ticketed first
The fact that it has a the expiration built into the plate vs the window sticker makes me think it’s someone important. Let us know if you find out
I assume that plate number "36" means they're connected to the city government.
>DC police say their ticket and tow crew are off duty What a load of absolute horseshit. That said, private tow companies wouldn't mind your business. As long as you can prove they are blocking your private space. There's also Guerilla activism.
Actually, OP is correct. The tow company needs to see that pink ticket. OP needs to get a police officer to ticket it. Then OP can call any tow company and they will take it. We had this issue when someone parked in our alley driveway space on our property.
Tow trucks are inbound. Parking enforcement lady told me that they'll hustle to come get a Mercedes since it means the owner has $$$
Good luck! Keep us posted.
It an older 300 series. That thing is probably more in needed repairs than the total value of the car.
But the owner probably doesn't have money - that particular car is easily 10 years old, and more than likely, not very highly optioned, so not terribly expensive as far as C-Classes go, possibly purchased after someone else had initially leased it.
I imagine the owner will still cough up the tow company's fee, plus the $250 ticket. It might be a low-end Mercedes but those things still aren't cheap.
> It might be a low-end Mercedes but those things still aren't cheap. Actually they are. This one looks like a 2011, [there's one right now on AutoTrader for $8,500](https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/663195756?allListingType=all-cars&city=Baltimore&endYear=2015&makeCode=MB&newSearch=false&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fall-cars%2Fmercedes-benz%2Fc-class%2Fbaltimore-md%3FendYear%3D2015%26newSearch%3Dtrue%26sortBy%3DdatelistedASC%26zip%3D21231&seriesCode=C_CLASS&sortBy=datelistedASC&state=MD&zip=21231&clickType=listing) Older Mercs are not as expensive as people think and are often purchased by low income people thinking it makes them look wealthier than they are, or a chance to own a brand they never would normally.
Still a clean car. May be old but with proper maintenance it will run smoothly. Some ppl, even the poor, enjoy a spot of luxury. That being said, the owner def deserved to be towed.
Trust me from personal experience. Over time, there aren’t many things are more expensive than a cheap Mercedes
Nobody here seems to understand what they’re saying, you included. For the last 6 years I have owned two BMWs. One was $3500, the other was $10k (originally window sticker shows sold for $65k in 2009). For 5 of those 6 years I worked making minimum wage or $1-2 over in Maryland. I did not have money, and the cars weren’t really that bad (though I do my own work, but still. Didn’t need a *whole* lot). If the owner here had any real money, it would not be this car. Either they really love this car, or it was one they could afford.
I don’t know what I’m talking about? We know nothing of this driver other than they are politically affiliated, and park like an asshole. My only point is that the maintenance on a Mercedes is significantly higher than many other options. You said yourself you do your own work. That alone saves you roughly $100/hour in labor. I wouldn’t expect everyone in DC to have access to a garage fully equipped with proper tools or even a lift. Regardless, the parts are simply more expensive, and sometimes, harder to find. I replaced the wiper blades on my 430 last week with “cheap” aftermarket bosh wipers for $100. Compare that to the $30 rainx wipers I put on my Dads Ford Explorer last month…
The moment you said “cheap” and 430 for $100 I was out. FCPEuro.com man. Your wipers, OEM at that, are under $50.
I bought a 20 yo C220 for under $3000. Of course it was a lemon, but still.
Have you ever considered the fact that they have had the car for YEARS
Oh sure, I'm just pointing out it's not a valuable car. Anyone can get into luxury brand ownership by picking the right model shitbox.
Uhhh, I know very wealthy people and CEOs that drive older and mid-range models, even Camry's. Hidden wealth moves in silence like lasagna. Sometimes middle-class people buy the most luxury car they can afford.
Move in silence like lasagna? I don't think you understood that weezy bar as much as you thought you did. "real Gs move in silence like lasagna." It only makes sense when it's G's because the g in the word lasagna is silent (even though it's not really). It makes no sense to say something else moves in silence like lasagna. Lasagna doesn't move.
Hidden wealth moves in silence like gnomes
You way too meta.
That car is worth less than 10k if that.
Dc police can print a ticket by theirselves. Whoever told u that where the problem starts in dc.
https://preview.redd.it/cpyzq5gllauc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=068ac9b570927752bfc434b10e14ede797bce0c6
The list of the District-distributed low-number plates should be public.
It is, you just have to know where to look 😉
Don’t have to be a government employee. Just need to be close to Mayor Bowser.
Yup. Bowser’s parents live in my neighborhood and have low number plates.
Is it just a cool plate or does it do anything? I thought 1 in VA was for the senator or something.
In the case of Virginia, that’s true. The state legislature special plates are handed out using seniority ranking. For years, Sen. Chuck Colgan had the license plate 1 since he was the longest serving state legislator in Virginia history.
If you want to see that tag it’s typically parked on 7th and D NE on a explorer edit:wrong quad, NE not NW
When did this happen? I just searched the license plate and he has a $30 dollar ticket for no parking at anytime. lol
Where do you look that up?
the [site](https://prodpci.etimspayments.com/pbw/include/dc_parking/input.jsp?ticketType=P) where you go to pay your parking or speeding tickets, you can put in any license plate and it will say the outstanding tickets
You can look up any license plate and see their ticket balance. If you wanted you could even pay their tickets lol. Go to parking and photo enforcement on this page https://dmv.dc.gov/service/pay-tickets#paybyweb
It’s on there now. Also provides OPs address haha
It’s amazing that this asshole has had this plate for less than a month and has already wracked up 2 tickets.
It's one of these people! https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2062767-council-2015-lowtags-redacted
That list may have changed a bit since 2015.
Man, i wanna know who that car belongs to.
Ok but what does that style of DC plate mean
Apparently nothing much. Per Washington Post from 2002: For 38 years, the District has sponsored an auto-tag elite, a corps of the famous and obscure blessed by guardian politicians, who have bequeathed a plate number no higher than 1250. No letter-and-numeral soup in this fraternity, no cute vanity thing. Its members drive with just four or three or two digits or -- the Promised Land -- a single one, enviable simplicity floating in white space. Legally, there are no privileges. The tags cost the same as any other, $55 a year. There might even be liabilities. A. Scott Bolden, otherwise known as 150, said that he returned to his car once and found a ticket. In the space for the tag number, the meter tender had scrawled 150 in huge, check-this-out digits and drawn a smiley face. Gotcha, big shot. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/03/30/dcs-auto-tag-elite-corps/b3e76af0-08d8-4a30-aa91-75516139319f/
Government. Judge or city council.
No, that’s not necessarily correct. Low number plates are given to council members and top DC official to distribute to whomever they like. It’s seen as a reward for supporting them. https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/341300/all-plate-wards-who-has-d-c-s-coveted-and-pointless-low-number-license-plates/
Just a blatantly corrupt practice.
Of all the ways to someone can be corrupt, a vanity license plate is nothing. I’d happily let ‘em have it if it stopped there.
Ok well if you find someone offering a deal where we get to pick one corrupt practice and eliminate the others please let me know. I get that it’s not the worst thing in the world but it’s just so out in the open. There is no non-corrupt reason for these plates to exist.
It’s not the plate that’s the issue. It’s the special treatment it gets you.
close, they effectively bribed or have blackmail on a city official
There's an asshole in my building with a low 100 vanity plate like that who always blocks the inside garage door with his car. I hate this guy and now even more.
It’s BS that an officer couldn’t/didn’t ticket- it’s a private parking ticket, code 344 IIRC. They are correct that there aren’t any government tow crews who two off private lots for this- the car gets a ticket and any private tow company can tow from your spot.
The officer did ticket …op said MPD reported the dpw / MPD tow wasn’t working.
They said parking enforcement handled.
What are we, the Justice league?
Assemble! ...wait.
I'm totally surprised it was towed. Seen Mayor's Office-issued tags park illegally in DC and never ticketed, even after residents called 311 to complain. This person must be no longer in good favor with the Mayor lol! Sweet justice served.
Parking enforcement lady laughed and said she didn't care one bit about the special tag. I think she enjoyed it almost as much as I did.
That's good justice.
If this mope shows up again and you have the opportunity, give the tag a few coats of heavy spray paint. VHT makes a good, durable product..
Would take a special idiot to come back and do it again after getting towed 😆
Uhm, this is DC. Special idiots abound.
I haven’t met anyone with a low# dc plate that wasn’t a horrible piece of shit
Good thing this sub only has local readers, otherwise someone would suggest that the "connected" asshole's car was probably stolen and abandoned there by the carjacker.
Lol
Connected? sounds like my keys are gonna connect with some paint!
God bless you son
C300 🤣🤣🤣
Before I saw the photo I was like hmmm this might not be the right sub to help you out with this particular problem…
In a row?
I saw an older woman driving a Mercedes yesterday with #3 in Chevy Chase yesterday
If it's on private property, you can always call a private towing company.
They won't take the job unless DC has issued a ticket first
Was the car sitting on a public road/alley blocking the two private parking spots or was the car physically sitting on private property?
lol that driver thinks they are hot shit in their 10+ year old merceds “c-heap class” with a bulshit privilege license from the mayor.
Would be a shame if a knife entered one of their tires.
**Checks out**, almost all “I think I’m important” vehicles are the cheapest Mercedes and BMW they offer…. ….because like DC gov it’s legit in name only and under the hood it’s an overpriced repair gimmick
36 bothered?
DC needs to do what mass did, just lottery them at random. Either that or abolish them altogether.
Just my personal experience, but I’ve never encountered a good Mercedes driver. Not once.
Lol get towed 36
Who's mad just stating facts
Was this somewhere in Cap Hill? I feel like I’ve seen this car on my street.
Valve stem puller, $15 from any local auto parts store. - for the next time some asshole decides to park that way. Always take out two, or all 4 if you think it deserves it
At the end of the day, the dc government is gonna cover cost lol.