Hey, there! Log in / Register

Early this morning, a tow operator got himself some Fenway souvenirs

MV files the following report, to go with the video he took of some guy stealing one of several banners off poles by Fenway:

I was awakened at approximately 4am this morning by the sound of somebody banging on a metal streetlight in front of Game On (in Fenway) with what sounded like a metal pipe. I looked outside my window to find a guy perched on the bed of a tow truck calmly trying to remove a Red Sox banner (celebrating the 100 year anniversary of Fenway) with some kind of metal rod. After he took it off the lightpole, he put it into the cab of his truck, placing it on the passenger seat. Apparently, one wasn't enough for him, and he proceeded to repeat this two more times on Landsdowne St.

While the value of the lightpole banners is obviously nominal, it's annoying that the city/Fenway park decided to put something up to try to make this neighborhood look nicer, and this guy feels comfortable brazenly and loudly stealing these things (he was out here ripping these things off for aprox 15 minutes), and leaving an eyesore (albeit minor) where the banner used to be. Even the drunks that urinate in the street here (a common site on weekend nights/after sox games) try to be a little more discreet than this guy.

After I saw him start taking the second banner, I called BPD. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out a plate, and by the time BPD arrived he was gone. I showed the arriving officer a video of the guy taking the first banner, but he said he was unable to determine the towing company from the video but that he would "take a look around."

The logo of the towing company had a silhouette of a city skyline on the doors and on the back of the cab.

Obviously, this is a very minor crime, but what got me was just how calm and brazen this driver was while going about pillaging my neighborhood - it's as if he thought that nobody actually lives here.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
Free tagging: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

up
Voting closed 0

I hope this guy gets caught wrongfully trying to tow a vehicle and gets shot by the owner.

up
Voting closed 0

city employees don't do wrong too???

up
Voting closed 0

I think his point is that a City employee would have taken all of them, not just three ...

up
Voting closed 0

up to no good... would not necessarily take "all" the banners... that sure would seem to raise the risk of getting caught.

up
Voting closed 0

the logo doesn't match (look at the end of the video).

up
Voting closed 0

Bad enough that those scumbag tow companies (and drivers) extort thousands of dollars out of people for their tow jobs. The state legislature ought to act to curb some of their, err, liberties.

up
Voting closed 0

Yeah!!! the state legislature ought to step in and make it illegal to steal stuff that isn't yours.

umm......

wait a sec.....

.... never mind.

up
Voting closed 0

Someone videos a guy in a giant flatbed tow truck with distinct logos stealing Red Sox Banners off at Brookline Ave/ Landsdowne and the cops are going "to take a look around?" WTF?

BPD with any rudimentary investigative skills could find this asshole in about 5 minutes. Heck they probably know the guy. This city is seriously deficient in any basic level of civility or law enforcement. 15 minutes response time at 4am on a monday, really?

The witness himself thinks this is a "very minor crime." This is what this city has come to, open theft- on video- of RED SOX banners- located on sacred ground and no one cares. Send this video to Menino. Pathetic.

up
Voting closed 0

What else is the BPD doing at 4 A.M. that they're arriving late to this call? Investigating a honey-dip shortage at Dunkin' Donuts? These guys are Johnny-on-the spot if you roll through a stop sign. That's a revenue opportunity. But actually pursuing a thief? No. Too much effort. What more does the concerned citizen have to do if providing video and making a call while the crime is in progress isn't enough?

up
Voting closed 0

They're sleeping at 4am. Ask anyone who lives near a Police Station and they'll tell you that they find a isolated/enclosed parking lots and sleep with the car running from about 2-7am every night. I see them every day on my morning jog, 12 months a year for the past 5 years. The wasted gas angers me almost as much as the wasted salary.

up
Voting closed 0

These guys are Johnny-on-the spot if you roll through a stop sign.

They are? Since when?

up
Voting closed 0

lol yeah Boston cops do not care about people going through stop signs.

Also, it's a stupid banner from a billion dollar company, who cares. Not like they don't have thousands of them.

up
Voting closed 0

Got stopped by BPD special operations last week. No Right on Red turning into Kenmore square off charlesgate middle of day, no traffic. Pulling dozens of cars for basically de minimus violation. $50 ticket: $1000 in surcharges. That's since when.

Same guys do not want to do basic investigation of theft, city understanding of civic duty is total garbage.

up
Voting closed 0

Maybe not breaking the law would be a good way to avoid getting tickets but that could just be me.

up
Voting closed 0

Moves slowly, very squishy?

Yeah those. They appreciate being able to cross Charlesgate too.

up
Voting closed 0

The post didn't mention running over any pedestrians.

up
Voting closed 0

The witness himself thinks this is a "very minor crime." This is what this city has come to, open theft- on video- of RED SOX banners- located on sacred ground and no one cares. Send this video to Menino. Pathetic.

Hey, if he thinks the banners of a last-place team are worth something, more power to him. Maybe he has some Twins and A's banners at home that they can go with.

Either way, the truck driver has more steals this year than Ellsbury and Crawford combined.

up
Voting closed 0

3 games out of first, and 1.5 games out of the wild card.

up
Voting closed 0

That honor puts the Sox right up there with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Indians. Lofty heights, indeed. And at a whopping TWO games over .500 no less. For $173 million, who could ask for more?

Well, I guess Sox fans could ask for the cops to catch the guy who took the sign. If Aviles got caught stealing three times already this season, I'm sure this truck driver won't be too tough to find.

up
Voting closed 0

And there were STILL people at the game last night joking about how bad Baltimore is, just like the graduation speaker at Wellesley high. Guess what? They're a first place team and the Sox have done exactly nothing to climb out of last. I see that 3 in the GB column, but it feels like 10.

up
Voting closed 0

Did Henry move Anfield to Yawkey Way?

Sorry, but once Jimmy Buffett, DMB, NKOTB and the Backstreet Boys took the field, the ice was laid down and Celtic played Sporting to a draw, Fenway went from sacred ground to showroom. Maybe next year they'll bring back Sox Appeal. That'll move some bricks...

up
Voting closed 0

You're overlooking the possibility that the ground is hallowed *because of* the Celtic vs. Sporting match.

up
Voting closed 0

Because the second-best team in Scotland playing a team from Portugal really sanctifies the joint.

up
Voting closed 0

I had the same thought. Even without the tags this guy should be findable. You can figure out the make of the truck from the video. Go see what companies have black trucks of that type registered with them and then see who had them out that night.

up
Voting closed 0

You think? Are you a seasoned BPD detective? I mean like the Truck isn't distinctive or anything. Truck is clearly very unique make, has logos and is 100% likely to already be known to BPD. I mean do tow truck drivers ever operate in conjunction with police: like every day, all day. Do you really believe BPD didn't recognize the truck or driver? Ridiculous. Next time the witness should interview the tow driver about his views on the Red Sox playoff chances.

up
Voting closed 0

I actually didn't know that anyone lived on that street. Must be really noisy, with Fenway Park on one side and House of Blues on the other.

up
Voting closed 0

This is on the Brookline Ave. side of the park. I assume this person lives in the "Demeter at the Park" building just across from Game On (can't tell if it's all one property of several).

up
Voting closed 0

At least, that's what it looks like. I often wonder whether those apartments are worth the inconvenience and noise of their location, not to mention lack of privacy (especially when I check them out from the back of the Pavilion level where you're at eye level with them).

Unless you are a season ticket holder, in which case they are the best location ever!

up
Voting closed 0

If I were this guy, I would email this video to all the TV stations, the Fenway Neighborhood Association, and my City Councilor. Like everyone else said: 4AM on a rainy Monday morning, and BPD can't find this guy (or be bothered to show up before 15 minutes have passed?) The logo is recognizable enough so that someone should be able to identify it.

Maybe this is a "minor" crime, but it's pretty brazen. Inevitably, this tow-truck driver is hoping to make a pile selling these banners as collectibles. I feel like Red Sox mania has hit a new low when stolen city property has collector value.

up
Voting closed 0

what makes you think these are city property?

up
Voting closed 0

it could be a Cityside Towing truck out of Charlestown. They have black flatbeds with the silhouette of the skyline in their logo. Shouldn't be too hard to track them down -- I can't imagine they have dozens of trucks on the road at 4 AM.

up
Voting closed 0

Hmmh, It could be a Cityside truck. In Google Satellite view and you can see an image of their yard showing black flatbed trucks with the silver bar behind the cab and shiny chrome wheels. Just like in the video

up
Voting closed 0

A few years ago a car crashed into the front stairs of my apartment and drove away around 6:45 on a Sunday morning. I called the police and was told that they were in the middle of a shift change and I would have to wait. It is 4 years later and I am still waiting for them to show up.

up
Voting closed 0

The perp went on shift at BPD at 6:45 am.

up
Voting closed 0

I have never understood BPD's attitude of non-response. Sure, sure, it's a "big" city, but I now live in NYC and nothing for nothing, the NYPD precinct that covers my neighborhood will respond to a noise complaint. Someone got mugged on my street a couple years ago and there was a marked car on site within about 90 seconds. Try getting that out of BPD. Not gonna happen, and I don't understand why.

up
Voting closed 0