ULPT Request: How to get rid of a giant truck abandoned outside my house
Posted by Gravy_On_Toast@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 118 comments
Four months ago a giant truck appeared outside my house. It is a pubic street so I don't "own" that parking spot, but this truck is obnoxiously big and is causing issues with trash collection. We now have to put our trashcans halfway into the street so they will get collected.
I live in San Diego and have reported this on the SD Get It Done three times now but the SDPD hasn't done anything. What can I do to make it finally disappear?
Edit: I've spoken with all my neighbors and none of them recognize this truck.
Klutzy_District_2997@reddit
Is it possible someone is living in it?
TR6lover@reddit
Jack the truck up and put it on stands. Remove the wheels/tires. Sell them on FB Marketplace. Open hood. Pull engine and transmission. Sell on FB Marketplace. Enter interior. Remove all seating. Sell on FB Marketplace. Collect coins found inside. Keep coins.
Call city to report abandoned and stripped vehicle.
httpjaeger@reddit
depending on how old the truck is, OP may be able to sell several miscellaneous parts (mirrors, gauge clusters, etc.) on FB marketplace. fuck it, strip as much as you can and make some old dude 3 states away happy as hell by selling him parts they stopped making a decade ago. lol
ElevenDegrees@reddit
Do they have to fuck it?
httpjaeger@reddit
yes. fucking it is a crucial part of this process.
potatopierogie@reddit
Ya gotta put your potatoes in the tailpipe
Responsible-Kale2352@reddit
Fuck it, fight it, it’s all the same . . .
Federal_Refrigerator@reddit
I think they were clear in the operations and order of them…
Jacks_Lack_of_Sleep@reddit
If the coins are old, they could be collectible. Sell them on marketplace.
ZebraHunterz@reddit
At that point break the window and push it into the street. Quicker and easier.
cyrusthemarginal@reddit
sell the whole thing on fb marketplace to one of those "buying cars and trucks for Mexico, title or not!" posts
sgfklm@reddit
In my town vehicles have to be "drivable". If they have no license plates and flat tires they are not drivable and will get towed by the police ...
wrongsizedgargoyle@reddit
Start it on fire.
Dismal_Committee7705@reddit
If it caught on fire and the fire department had to come out and extinguish it, it would THEN need to be towed away after.
bandana_runner@reddit
What make & model is it?
Easy_Patient_2773@reddit
Drag it farther into the street on accident
bandana_runner@reddit
Or just get some wheel dollies and roll it away. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=car+wheel+dolly&category=2089¤t=1
brainhack3r@reddit
You saw smoke coming out of the engine compartment, and you doused it with water.
Just call the fire department and tell them that, and that car will get towed away.
bandana_runner@reddit
I saw a truck on fire once and something metal had been laid across touching both battery terminals. I don't remeber more details because it was in 1988.
bigfathairymarmot@reddit
Put a body in it. That will get police to react. Can confirm.
soliloquy_terminal@reddit
2 years? So much money. Higher electricity bills. Higher water bills. Endless nappies. Extra food for the mother then for the baby. Clothes cos babies grow so fast. Shoes. Toys. Books. Bath stuff. Lotions snd potions. Baby crockery. Cutlery.
Afraid_Baseball_3962@reddit
If you've reported this multiple times and it hasn't been moved, it could be a bait car. You might try contacting the local TV news and tell them how unresponsive the city is being. That's certainly safer than doing anything to something that may be a legal trap. If they run the story, that truck will be moved regardless of who put it there or why.
toomuch1265@reddit
Unethical? Burn it. They will tow it away after the fire department puts it out. Make it into a "soup kitchen " and maybe Dirty Mike and the boys will use it as a F-shack.
Better-Lunch670@reddit
They won't tow it for being abandoned, but all you have to do is say a homeless person is staying in it and it will be gone within the hour.
jccaclimber@reddit
It’s the opposite in SF several hours north. Abandoned and they’ll eventually deal with it. The second there’s a person living in the vehicle it becomes off limits.
OlyVal@reddit
Yes because suddenly it's someone's "home". They can stay there a certain number of days. They then go to spot #2, stay a few days, spot #3 a few days, and then they're back peeing and pooping in your neighborhood for a few days.
welchplug@reddit
Would you rather that person sleep in the street?
OlyVal@reddit
Sleeping in rhe car is not the problem. Whether sleeping in a car or on the street, I don't want anyone sleeping where they wake up and then pee against someone's shed or poop in a family's garden or in the doorway of a business or in an alley or next to a park path. I watched a guy wake up in his car, get out and waltz over to piss against my neighbor's shed in front of children walking to the bus stop.
I would rather they don't do that.
jccaclimber@reddit
It’s effectively indefinite in SF, you don’t need to move the car/camper. They’re starting to work on preventing more campers, but it’s a literal and political mess.
OlyVal@reddit
Yes. It is a mess all around. And I don't know what the solution is. Heartbreaking and pissifying all at once.
UnlikelyStaff5266@reddit
The Other Guys 🤣
tilldeathdoiparty@reddit
Arson is illegal, not unethical and far too many contributors don’t understand this
toomuch1265@reddit
Unlawful is a synonym of unethical.
tilldeathdoiparty@reddit
No, this is a criminal act, it is illegal.
Unlawful is a broad *catch all* term, for civil and/or criminal but setting a car on fire falls directly under a felony criminal act and you will face jail time.
Unethical is a moral understanding being broken.
A felony resulting in jail time is **ABSOLUTELY NOT** anything but synonymous with breaking a moral code.
toomuch1265@reddit
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical
tilldeathdoiparty@reddit
Show me the part where it says illegal falls under the same or similar definition?
Some fucking idiots are so far behind the race, you actually think you’re in the lead.
Hairflipgiggle@reddit
Op did say it was on a PUBIC street.
sl33ksnypr@reddit
Deer vagina disposal area
AssDimple@reddit
I don't know everyone here so I can't say for certain, but I think you're the only one with an inventory of deer vaginas.
sl33ksnypr@reddit
It's a reference to the movie the guy above me was referencing.
ze11ez@reddit
Went from unethical to this arrest for arson
gnew18@reddit
Clearly
Clearly it belongs to a police officer.
John_EightThirtyTwo@reddit
Remove the plates and push it into the middle of the street so it blocks traffic. Report an abandoned vehicle blocking traffic.
Toodles-thecat@reddit
Put a Free sign.
sexwiththebabysitter@reddit
Reported an abandoned vehicle years ago and was told unless it’s damaged (flat tire, broken window, etc) or the stickers are expired, nothing they would really do about it. Next time I reported it it was damaged. It was gone in a couple days.
VixenTraffic@reddit
“Next time I reported it, it was damaged.” LOL.
I wonder how the damage got there…
leisuresuitbruce@reddit
Spray paint THIS IS M4G4 COUNTRY and it'll be gone in an hour.
Various_Bed_1888@reddit
Get a salvage title then sell it
MacintoshEddie@reddit
Generally it's a bylaw complaint, not a criminal complaint. So if you reported it to the police they might have just checked if it's reported stolen and then shrugged.
Your city probably has a public parking bylaw. 72 hours is a common number. Parking enforcement will usually chalk the tires and then come back to check if the chalk marks are still lined up.
If the owner is just moving it back and forward a few inches twice a week there might be limited options unless it gets reported often enough that bylaw enforcement reaches out to the owner.
Since it's interfering with waste management it's worth reaching out to them as well, as pretty often a complaint from them would be escalated.
4orust@reddit
In CA it's a state law - you can only park for 72 hours in the same spot.
Jacktheforkie@reddit
So what happens if you go on holiday/don’t go out for a few days?
blaspheminCapn@reddit
This is why you should be nice to your neighbors
Jacktheforkie@reddit
I see
Peakbrowndog@reddit
That would be a law, not a bylaw. Your AI is wrong bylaws are for internal rules within an organization.
MacintoshEddie@reddit
Here you go, feed this into **your** AI. Municial bylaws are common in many Commonwealth countries. The more you know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By-law
Peakbrowndog@reddit
Is San Diego a Commonwealth country?
raines@reddit
Saint Lucia is, close enough.
Peakbrowndog@reddit
Just down the bay
MacintoshEddie@reddit
It doesn't have to be to make bylaw what it's called where I live.
OP isn't posting in r/sandiego and as such referring to them as bylaws is hardly a real issue or barrier to communication.
Plus it's apparently a "code" in San Diego, so if you're going to nitpick you should refer to it as such.
Peakbrowndog@reddit
Then why are you so sensitive about it?
OP is in San Diego, so it is relevant.
Municipal codes can be laws. Code is what a collection of ordinances/rules/laws are called. Some codes are not related to laws, such as the electric code. others, like the penal code, are all criminal. Depending on the municipality, a municipal code can be either or both. In my city, they separate the municipal from the development and property codes. Illegal street parking is covered in the municipal code and is a law enforcement issue, illegal parking on your own property is handled through code enforcement and is civil.
Source: attorney who deals with laws, codes, and bylaws.
AS14K@reddit
Incredibly stupid response
MacintoshEddie@reddit
Okay, why don't you call the Municipal Bylaw Enforcement people and complain to them?
PINTSIZEKILLA7@reddit
Maybe OP could catch the people picking up the trash and ask them to complain about it too?
flying__fishes@reddit
This is the way! After someone abandoned a junker car in front of my house (for 3 weeks), I contacted the township and it was towed away 24 hours later.
billymumfreydownfall@reddit
Set it on fire
whatsupitsemon@reddit
In my town you have to file a complaint with the city (we have a policy stating no parking for more than 96hrs) in a spot. Then the PD comes out to enforce....
sarcasticlovely@reddit
so yeah, call the city, not the police department, but if that still doesn't work, break into the car, put it in neutral, and roll it in front of someone's driveway (or a fire hydrant). then call the cops and say there's a car blocking a driveway and they'll get it towed.
NullGWard@reddit
If you block the road and turn your street into two cul-de-sacs, the city will have no choice but to tow the truck.
charlie2135@reddit
Just for kicks, check the plates to see if it's stolen
JoinedReddit@reddit
I am saddened to say I am not sure how to tell you how to use the Turo option in this case. But I might want parts.
m00ph@reddit
Spray paint "FUCK THE POLICE" on it in big letters. I've had to resort to that, it works.
Stoked_Otter@reddit
Cars without license plates are considered abandoned and will be towed off public streets by most police departments,
DEADFLY6@reddit
What's that got to do with anyth......oh. Oh!!
nomoreimfull@reddit
Heck, post the location and plate photos on fb asking if anyone knows the owner. Be specific with the location... Someone will help. No sense in getting seen by them ring cameras
khampang@reddit
Stencil a Nike logo on the side before taking the pic. Make sure geotagging is ok. It’ll get looted and then cops will show up when the looting is reported
Look online, one of the railroads did a bait truck like this. They’d been having a lot of theft and wanted to catch thieves. Thieves then got angry and said it was unfair they’d been setup. Yes. Thieves were mad because someone else “made them” steal.
notproudortired@reddit
What would that accoimplish?
WhatsNotTaken000@reddit
post publicly in a large metropolitan area about a large vehicle that is in an area that nobody wants it in and that looks running/driving...maybe someone would like to have something like that...maybe neighbors dont see how it moved and just that its no longer there...maybe neighbors assume the rightful owner came back for it and never report its movement to any municipal agencies...
No_Arugula4195@reddit
Call city code enforcement.
footlonglayingdown@reddit
Spray paint your cities mayor/prosecutor/police chiefs name claiming they are pedophiles. See how long it stays there.
sparesomechange20@reddit
Call cops. " truck leaking oil into sewer drain"
tilldeathdoiparty@reddit
In my city, if it’s been parked for 72 hours or the plate is registered to a nearby house they won’t take it.
But if 3/4 tires are flat they won’t hesitate to impound it.
Also note, you can clip the valve stems to flatten without damaging the tires and are cheap to fix, or fuck em and blast em with your 9mm I don’t care but thy might have more questions, considering the bullet holes in the tire, but I’m not your dad
sharksicles@reddit
spray paint it was swastikas
Popular-Drummer-7989@reddit
Call the fire marshal. They don't mess around. If you can't get you're life saving equipment where it needs to be, you go THROUGH the impediment. They'll get it outta there
TR6lover@reddit
All OP has to do is install a fire hydrant right next to this truck! This is brilliant!
spoonybard326@reddit
Home Depot sells red paint for the curb.
newbie527@reddit
Fire marshal and parking enforcement? Why is the fire marshal the go to person for so many people? I have never seen a fire marshal.
httpjaeger@reddit
would make sense if it were a business since businesses are supposed to have a designated “no parking” fire lane in case of emergency, but i’m not sure that there’s a similar rule for residential areas….
Capable_Victory_7807@reddit
Sublet it out to some of your unhoused neighbors. It won't get it moved but at least you can make some money while it's there.
YouArentReallyThere@reddit
How can they be a neighbor if they’re homeless?
Capable_Victory_7807@reddit
I used to have lots of neighbors who were homeless when I lived in East Village San Diego. They would line the sidewalks every night.
mmedd@reddit
Put a big sign on it that says FREE
BothDescription766@reddit
Put a couple signs on it with some derogatory statements about SDPD. Then it’ll be personal and the cops will take it.
Max_1822@reddit
Pour some heating oil (red in color) under and on one of the fuel tanks. It will look like they’re running on heating oil not diesel. Call the epa this is highly illegal and done all the time.
Salt_Medicine2459@reddit
Does the EPA care any more? I figure they'd be more likely to congratulate the owner of the truck.
madsheeter@reddit
It can be a pretty serious fine in Canada, especially on high mileage trucks. They assume that the truck has only used coloured fuel and charge you road tax on what the odometer reads lol
Max_1822@reddit
yap-yap-yap... thanks for the contribution.
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BiggusDickus-@reddit
So it's just an abandoned truck? Modern vehicles have emergency "switches" that enable them to be put into gear even if the key is not in the ignition. Figure out how that is done with this truck.
Jimmy the door open, put it into gear, and push it away. If it is obstructing traffic the police will have no choice but to have it towed.
cruelpunishment_@reddit
Yup, smash the window then push it into the street. They won't have any options but to tow it. Wear gloves and eye protection.
CBarkleysGolfSwing@reddit
Tell them you've seen people living in it/sleeping in it overnight.
optigrabz@reddit
One word- Pantyliners. Cover the truck in pantyliners by using the supplied adhesive strips. This will bring an uncomfortable level of attention to the truck. It will be towed quickly.
Source- saw it effectively used in Philadelphia in 2001.
P0Rt1ng4Duty@reddit
Three step solution:
Build a toilet paper factory in the back of the truck.
Don't pay your employees enough to live.
Let nature take its course.
SoundDesigner001@reddit
If you reported it through the abandoned vehicle reporting, and it hasn’t been tagged and removed it yet call the council member for your area and ask them why the city is not following up. Be sure to tell them it has been four months and that the City’s website says there is a three week backlog. Specifically ask the coucilmember’s office to investigate and respond with an explanation.
BTW- The Police don’t remove abandoned vehicles. Also, I would contact the garbage company, they usually don’t like things that block garbage pickup.
Dismal_Procedure_663@reddit
It’s not cheap to two a big truck compared to a car. I do believe there is some scrap value weight to consider. We have plenty of no -title car scrappers in South Florida, I have to assume SoCal has similar opportunistic folks.
Smoked_Bear@reddit
Hi, fellow San Diegan here - the city notoriously takes forever to handle 72hr parking violations. They are faster at checking on abandoned/potentially stolen, and oversize vehicles however.
If this truck is like commercial sized, a box truck or big flatbed, dual-axel, or over 27ft long, your fastest path may be to report it as an Oversized Vehicle on the GetItDone app.
If this is a personal vehicle, like a pickup truck, then I’d check the registration tags. If they are out of date report it as-is under Illegal Dumping on the app. If the tags are current, remove the plates then report it AS-is Illegal Dumping. Reference it being suspected stolen/abandoned in the description, never seen it in the neighborhood before, and hasn’t moved since it arrived one night. This worked for a motorcycle out front of my house. Was gone within 2 days.
Former-Increase-9165@reddit
I bet if it caught fire, they would do something about it, or if vandals broke the windows, the police would at least have to come out and make a report / have it towed
dearest_mommy@reddit
Did you ask Gary Janthony if he knows anything about it?
fawkmebackwardsbud@reddit
Call police (non-emergency) or tow company. Most tow companies will hold it for a certain amount of time before they just file for abandonment.
aaronsnothere@reddit
Does this vehicle have insurance, has it moved within 3 days? Typically to park on a public Street, your vehicle needs insurance and to move once every 3 days. If it does not, you should be able to call the city and have it ticketed. Once it has been ticketed it is eligible to be towed. Local laws will vary.
Something like this happened on a construction site that I worked at in the early 2010s. A vehicle owned by subcontractor (who went bankrupt ) was parked in front of our construction site, they ended up getting $900 in tickets before getting towed by the city.
Fragrant-Hand6549@reddit
How would he know if it has insurance lol
Nancy_Fucking_Fons@reddit
Do you know where the local teenagers hang out? Give a couple of guys some money to take it for a joy-ride and dump it somewhere where it's not a problem. You can tell them it's an insurance thing for you and if they get caught and rat the owner will catch the shite. Or you could tell them the truth.
If they get caught, they'll be in trouble, not you; if they don't, everyone wins/has a good time.
If you're really worried about it being traced back to you, get a mate who doesn't live close to the street to pay them, so they never see your face and your mate is too far away to be a suspect for the police.
OriginalIronDan@reddit
Flatten a tire or four.
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thebigj3wbowski@reddit
I wonder if that’s a drop spot for drugs?
CourtesyFlush667@reddit
Put a for sale sign on it. It'll get stolen.
PhlegmMistress@reddit
Isn't this a code enforcement issue? I'm not familiar with the program you're talking about but at this point try a different city office.