An Atlanta man has figured out how to legally beat parking boots — by selling the public master keys that remove the pesky devices.
“There are a few really big companies that have the majority of the contracts. I have all their keys,”Christian Verrette began selling master keys to the boots used within Atlanta’s garages.While Verrette has made a pretty penny off his product, having sold about 600 keys in just a few months, he says his end goal is being put out of business.
A proposed bill to ban companies from booting cars across Georgia failed this legislative session, prompting Verrette to call on Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta’s city council to ban it within city limits. “In the meantime, this is the people’s only alternative. Honestly, I don’t care if the business fails, I’m just here to help the people out,” Verrette said. “Honestly, I don’t care if the business fails, I’m just here to help people out.”Verrette says the keys are a better option than paying $75 to have someone remove the boot.Two women known as the Boot Girls use the keys Verrette made around Buckhead, an upscale Atlanta neighborhood.