"We're From The Government. We're Here To Steal Your Car."
I actually borrowed that tweetline from @Popehat, because it perfectly states what's going on.
The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission wrongly accused hundreds of people of being illlegal cabbies in the past year and seized their cars. I read about this a while ago -- a black man driving his white wife to her job. The TLC seized the couple's Lincoln Continental for eight days and gave them summonses -- though they tried to explain they were a married couple.
James Fanelli, Rosa Goldensohn and Gustavo Solis write at dnainfo:
NEW YORK CITY -- Kareeal Akins still gets chills thinking about the long, frigid walk home that he and his then-pregnant wife were forced to make this past winter after the city seized his car.At about 9 p.m. on Jan. 24, he drove his white 2002 Honda Accord from his Sheepshead Bay apartment to the corner of Church Avenue and Ocean Parkway in Kensington to pick up his wife, Natalie, from her friend's home.
He remembers pulling up to the intersection, his wife getting into his car and then a vehicle behind them flashing its sirens.
It wasn't police officers stopping them. It was two Taxi and Limousine Commission inspectors, enforcement agents tasked with policing livery cars and yellow taxis to protect New Yorkers from dangerous and uninsured illegal cabbies.
What many New Yorkers don't know is TLC inspectors also have the power to seize a vehicle they suspect of operating as an illegal cab.
The inspectors separated Kareeal and Natalie. They accused him of being an unlicensed hack. They asked Natalie whether she was a paying passenger and, if not, to prove how she knew him.
"She told them my name, address, Social Security number," Kareeal, a Barclays Center security guard, recalled. "They didn't want to hear it. They still took the vehicle."
Jonathan Turley has written of the growth of the "administrative branch" of government -- a branch unchecked by the Constitution. Petty bureaucrats can now seize your possessions and it may be your word against theirs in front of a judge.
Anybody worried yet? Anybody awake?
More on bureaucratically disappearing cars -- impounded on petty charges and then sold by the cops for scrap.
via @walterolson
It's beyond heinous, but HOW do we get it to STOP??
Flynne at July 24, 2014 4:33 AM
Do notice the comments on the article. Remarkably few are outraged. Many blame the victims.
The article goes on about how everyone gets his or her day in court. That's great, they even (usually) get their car back. What about the costs and inconvenience in the meantime? How about some compensatory and punitive damages, awarded by the court, payable *personally* by the idiot involved.
Alternatively, open carry, with full rights to defend your property against unlawful seizure.
a_random_guy at July 24, 2014 6:27 AM
"Petty bureaucrats can now seize your possessions and it may be your word against theirs in front of a judge."
It's worse than just that, because it's not a judge, it's their judge. The "administrative law judge" is there specifically to subvert due process. I read an article somewhere recently, which I need to dig up and post in the next link thread, about how "government necessity" is always the enemy of rule of law.
Cousin Dave at July 24, 2014 6:49 AM
One can only hope the taxi commissioner will put his condo up on AirBnB.
Then the victims can just slip in and squat forever without paying rent. Sweet!
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 24, 2014 7:14 AM
"it may be your word against theirs in front of a judge."
In both cases the judge ruled in favor of the people who had their cars taken. One is now suing the TLC for $3 million. Hopefully people will lose their jobs at least.
"Remarkably few are outraged. Many blame the victims."
Huh? The commenters were letting the Commission have it. Good.
Jason S. at July 24, 2014 8:47 AM
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