*Two anonymous women in Atlanta, known on TikTok as Boot Girls in Buckhead, have gone viral for the wildly popular service that they offer: removing boots from cars for much less than established parking companies.
Sporting pink and bedazzled masks to hide their identities, the Atlanta natives will arrive at your car and remove the boot for a flat fee of $50, according to WSB-TV. One of the women said that their business, “expanded out of nowhere.”
The ladies said the idea for the hustle came after their own cars were booted. While searching online for cheap ways to remove it, they found ATL Boot Key, a business that sells copies of keys that unlock boots. They bought the key for less than what the parking company charged for the removal. The rest is history.
Christian Verrette, who owns Boot Key, feels booting is a “predatory act” that “is holding someone hostage.”
“You are holding someone for ransom: $75, or you cannot go anywhere,” he continued. “I’m just trying to outright eliminate the boot. It is not about business for me. Business has been good, but, still, at the end of the day, my heart is banning the boot.”
Verrette said he feels ticketing is a much better option, however, thanks to Boot Girls, he says he’s sold $50,000 worth of keys.
But is this boot bag illegal?
According to 11Alive, purchasing a boot key isn’t illegal, but removing a boot on your own is if you’re not licensed, and it generally depends on where a person is in the state of Georgia. The community has to have an existing ordinance that allows booting. If someone wants to enforce booting on their private property, signage must be displayed, and anyone booting cars must have a permit.
The Atlanta Police Department is aware of the new practice, sending out a warning. “Recently, it has been brought to our attention that many motorists within the city are investing in Boot Keys, which is a key used to unlock the booting device.” It continued, “The Atlanta Police Department does not intervene between motorists and private business owners when vehicles are booted in violation unless a criminal matter arises.”
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