A wheel clamp (American English: Denver boot, wheel boot, or boot) is a device that is designed to prevent vehicles from moving. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp which surrounds a vehicle wheel and is designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel. It is often used for security purposes, such as preventing a trailer or caravan from being towed away by a thief, or to stop one's own car from being driven away by a thief. A Trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle A travel trailer or caravan is a trailer towed behind a road Vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a
It is also used to crack down on unauthorized or illegal parking, in lieu of towing the offending vehicle. In these cases, police or property owners who place the clamp may charge a high "release fee" to remove it. In the United States, such a device became known as a "Denver boot" after the city of Denver, Colorado, was the first in the country to employ them, mostly to force the payment of outstanding parking tickets. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States A parking violation, parking citation, notice of illegal parking or parking ticket (depending on the jurisdiction is a notice of monetary penalty
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Invention
The Denver boot was invented and patented in 1953 by Frank Marugg. Marugg was an inventor, a violinist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, and a good friend to many Denver politicians and police department officials. The following lists of violinists are available List of classical violinists, names of great violinist from baroque era till 20th century As such, when the police department needed a solution to a growing parking enforcement problem, the sheriff approached Marugg asking for help, and the two came up with the idea for the clamp. [1]
Controversy
Wheel-clamping is notoriously unpopular with illegal parkers in the same way that traffic wardens are. However, whereas a traffic warden or police officer only has jurisdiction over public roads, in many countries the law also allows landowners to wheel clamp vehicles parking on their property without permission. A traffic warden is a member of civilian staff employed by a British police force to assist in regulating the flow of traffic A police officer (also known as a policeman or policewoman) is a warranted employee of a Police force.
One British man became so annoyed at having his car clamped, that he removed the clamp with an angle grinder. An angle grinder is a handheld Power tool used for cutting grinding and Polishing. He is now a self-styled superhero called Angle-Grinder Man, offering to remove clamps for free with his angle grinder. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do The term real-life superhero is variously applied to real-world people who dress and/or act like Comic book superheroes. [1] This says nothing of any subsequent unlawful removal fees his practice may have resulted in.
Other motorists have taken the action of cutting the clamps off with bolt cutters, or even clamping their own cars beforehand, so property owners will be unable to clamp an already-clamped vehicle and may think that another owner has clamped it. A bolt cutter, sometimes called bolt cropper, is a tool used for cutting chains padlocks Bolts and wire mesh
Legal issues
In Scotland, wheel-clamping on private land is illegal. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It was banned by the case of Black v Carmichael 1992 SCCR 709, when wheel-clamping was found to constitute extortion and theft. Extortion, outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person Unlawfully obtains either money property or services In Criminal law, theft (also known as stealing or filching) is the illegal taking of another person's Property without that person's freely-given
In England and Wales, wheel-clampers operating on private land must be individually licensed by the Security Industry Authority. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Security Industry Authority is a Non-Departmental Public Body set up in 2003 in response to the United Kingdom Private Security Industry Act 2001 Operating in such circumstances without a valid license, or in breach of its conditions (which include displaying ID at all times), is a criminal offence under the Private Security Industry Act, 2001. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment
In many jurisdictions, it is legal to remove a clamp oneself, provided that he does not damage it and returns it to the police station.
In fiction
In the animated film Cars, Denver boots are used in a fashion similar to handcuffs, leaving the booted vehicle to hobble along instead of driving normally. Cars is a 2006 animated Feature film produced by Pixar and directed by both John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's Wrists close together In the TV series Seinfeld, Cosmo Kramer has a friend who carries his own, presumably stolen, boot in the trunk of his car and places it on the wheel whenever he parks, in order to fool parking enforcement officers into thinking his car has already been booted; the movie Coyote Ugly, has a character with a similar premise. Seinfeld is an American Situation comedy, or sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5 1989 to May 14 1998 lasting nine seasons Cosmo Kramer is a character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998 played by Michael Richards. Coyote Ugly is a Romantic comedy / Drama based on the actual Coyote Ugly Saloon, set in New York City, and released in August 2000 (See In the The Simpsons episode The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson, protagonist Homer Simpson's car is taken by town drunk Barney Gumble to New York City, where it is illegally parked at the World Trade Center and eventually equipped with a boot. " The City of New York vs Homer Simpson " is the first episode of The Simpsons ' ninth season, and premiered on September 21 1997 Homer Jay Simpson is a main fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father of the eponymous family. Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. The City of New York The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan After unsuccessfully trying to get the police to remove it, he drives with the boot on his wheel, damaging both his car and the road. He finally removes the boot with a jackhammer.
References
External links
- BBC News Online - 'Superhero' takes on clampers
- 'Wheel-clamp FAQ' detailed technical information about sizes and how to fit a wheel-clamp
- Reporting Vehicle Immobilisers - in case you were illegally clamped or given no receipt, you can report a vehicle immobilizer to the SIA (Security Industry Authority).
- SIA Conditions of License for wheel-clampers acting on private land
- KTTV: "Fox 11 Investigates: 'Getting the Boot'"
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