A McDonald”™s restaurant in Poughkeepsie has come under fire on social media this week for hiring a towing company to boot vehicles that are parked on its premises while the drivers go off the property to other stores.
During the course of this week, the McDonald”™s at 733 Main St. was the subject of heated commentary on Facebook when it was pointed out the restaurant”™s owner hired Bobby”™s Auto Repair & Collision to put a boot on the windshield of cars parked in its lot after the drivers go to adjacent businesses. According to Selena Leonore, of the Facebook users who highlighted the practice, Bobby”™s demands $475 to remove the boot, with a $50 increase each 30 minutes until paid ”“ the driver gets $200 back upon receipt of payment while those who do not pay get the vehicle impounded. In a May 15 Facebook post, Leonore said that she saw four vehicles booted that day, although one boot was removed because the driver identified himself as a state trooper, and she added the McDonald”™s management told her it was private property and they could do what they wanted.
Another Facebook user, Shanel Gutierrez, claimed her car was booted within five minutes of her leaving and returning to the property. “The purpose of this post is NOT to hate on McDonald’s but for people, especially my friends on here to be aware of your surroundings,” she wrote. “I won’t be going to that store again anytime soon.”
Attempts to reach the McDonald”™s management were unsuccessful, as the listed telephone number connected to a fax machine. A request for comment from McDonald”™s corporate headquarters went unanswered.
