Minneapolis, St. Paul Tow 1,300+ Vehicles In Snow Emergency
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hundreds of Twin Cities drivers are ending the year with a little less money in their pockets.
Minneapolis officials say 670 vehicles were towed in Minneapolis alone after Tuesday night's snow emergency, while St. Paul towed over 700. Minneapolis and St. Paul combined issued thousands of parking citations.
Some came to the impound lot by Uber, some by taxi and many via a friend. Nathan Williams was that friend to Stephen Geier of northeast Minneapolis.
"Had to get up early, going to sleep in today but [laughs] … got to get him to the impound lot to get his car," Williams said.
Geier did not think this emergency would turn into such a hassle.
"I found out that there was one online on the Minneapolis website, but then I didn't know that the street I was parked on was [a plow route]," Geier said.
But it was the same thing for person, after person, after person. If you do end up at an impound lot, there are two things that will make your trip easier: know your license tag number and have your driver's license.
The city of Minneapolis wrote 1,755 citations, while St. Paul wrote 1,306 citations -- which is less than what a typical snowstorm brings.
And it was that snowstorm that threw off a Dinkytown resident Coltin Paddock.
"When the snow isn't even coming up over this right here [points to the lower half of his tires], I don't believe that that is a snow emergency," Paddock said.
But it is, and as St. Paul Public Works warned, towing is part of it.
"We would really prefer that people would just move their cars, make our jobs easier," St. Paul Public Works' Joe Spah said. "We really don't want to tow anybody, but, you know, it's necessary to get the job done."
Both cities say there were about half as many violations as there are in a major storm, so it could have been worse. But tell that to a tow victim.
"$138 dollars a car," Paddock said. "Ridiculous."
It will cost you $209 in St. Paul to get your back after being towed. Minneapolis' snow emergency is still in effect.
Click here for more information on St. Paul's rules, and here for Minneapolis' rules.
