We are staying @ the AgraCenter campground in Germantown, TN & I have seen this type of scam on the TV news the last 2 or 3 days: The scam in downtown Memphis, TN, is this: you drive downtown to enjoy a Redbirds baseball game or any other downtown function, you find a parking lot with an attendent collecting a $20 parking fee & you park it. Only problem is, he doesn't work for the parking company, he is stealing your money. When the legitamet parking people check their lot they "BOOT" your vehicle (you pay a fine to un-boot)or charge you $3o for parking. One of these "parking lot attendents" carrys mace & use it freely aginst citizens who approach him. Some have speculated that they may be "homeless or transients" in business for themselves.
There is a question of wheather or not the city, or the parking lot owners, will take action aginst these scamers. Time will tell. In the meantime, look for signs & or coin boxes in the lots--read & heed. As President Regan said; Trust but verify. My thought is, don't go downtown.

Wouldn't making sure the attendant had the parking ticket in his hand protect from this type of scam? No visible parking tickets, no official role.

We were in Memphis in June and went downtown to visit Beale Street.

If I remember correctly, there was an unmanned private parking lot on Beale Street just two blocks up from the river. If you're facing the river, it's on the left hand side. Just down the hill a bit from the Orpheum Theater. Is this the area that you're talking about?

I remember the rate was very reasonable...a couple of bucks? and because there's no attendant, you have to fold dollar bills up as much as they can fold and slide them into a collection box.

One thing...I was under the impression that this lot was going to disappear in the future as part of a new development.

I felt like my Jeep was pretty safe there.

.

[QUOTE My thought is, don't go downtown.[/QUOTE]

But you miss Beale Street, the duck walk, Rendevous rib joint (best in town).....

There is/was a parking garage across from the ball park and just North of the Peabody Hotel.

We used parking across from ball park also. Then walked.. Beale street was such a disappointment. ONly positive for us was the rib place west end of Beale on corner. Terrific food. Otherwise, we couldn't get rid of the homeless and beggars trying to get money from us. Tried listening to some free blues in outside park area, but bothered there as well. Definitely thought visiting at night for the real entertainment would be dangerous.s

quote:

Originally posted by Ann:
We used parking across from ball park also. Then walked.. Beale street was such a disappointment. ONly positive for us was the rib place west end of Beale on corner. Terrific food. Otherwise, we couldn't get rid of the homeless and beggars trying to get money from us. Tried listening to some free blues in outside park area, but bothered there as well. Definitely thought visiting at night for the real entertainment would be dangerous.s

Wow...I guess it all depends on your perspective. We were on Beale Street for two evenings, never felt threatened, not once approached by panhandlers. We caught some blues bands in the little park area and right in the street.

In fact, my comment to my wife was that Beale Street was a cleaner, less-crazy version of Bourbon Street in NO.

.

This type of scam has been going on for years.

At shea stadium they ended up gating all the lots in the area to prevent the scam. Then the scammers demand a payment for protection of your car. Usually, $10 parking fee to park on a public street. If you refuse , they say they're going to break your windows while you're watching the game.

One problem with using the money boxes, these guys use a hooked wire to fish your dollars out of the slots. I guess you could pay with coins.
Chanel 3 interviewd a retired couple who got cought up in this parking lot scam. When the parking lot mgr. arrived he charged them $30 bucks More(in addition to the $20 they paid to the scamer) to get their RV back.
I don't think they have 50 fond memories of Memphis, TN.
Talking about food, try the Bar-BQ Nachos at The Commissary, 2990 S Germantown rd, IMO,they are much better than regular nachos.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: firedog73,

Welcome to Memphis! I've lived here for 35 years and avoid going downtown unless I have to. As to your question about if any action will be taken against those scammers, NO. That's been going on downtown for as long as I've lived here. And, August is Dead Elvis Month!! More ripe pickings for the scammers. Stay away from Graceland!

Memphis, home of St Jude hospital. A real claim to fame.

quote:

But you miss Beale Street, the duck walk, Rendevous rib joint (best in town).....

Gridley's ribs are better (if they still exist, I admit it has been a while).

Stating that a parking attendant will have a "ticket" does not always hold true. Some lots just charge a flat rate, even with an attendant.

Paul

The same thing happened to us in June of 2007. We paid the guy that came over to the car, he had tickets and gave us a stub for the window. When we got back after walking around for a couple of hours, there was a boot on the car. A call to the parking lot manager did nothing! So $75 later and furious, we said we wouldn't return to Memphis.
For the very best BBQ you'll ever eat, go outside of Memphis, the road to Tunica, MS, (don't remember the road) but on the right hand side of the road is a place called "Neely's Interstate Barbeque" It's the best I've had!
Safe and fun travels!
Marcia

I am not familiar with Memphis, but we are thinking about taking our 4 year old grandson on an AMTRAC trip beginning and ending in Memphis.

My question is this, where is the amtrac terminal in relationship to this area under discussion?

Is it in a safe area to leave my toad for ten hours while we ride the train?

TIA

Dave O

Google Memphis, TN. Amtrac station. The station is just South of AutoZone Park, downtown and East of Tom Lee Park; not an area where you would leave your car for any length of time.

A related comment on Memphis crime rates in general:

Based on the Dept of Justice statistics for 2005 Memphis was ranked #3 in violent crime among metropolitan areas in the USA - and pretty high on the property crime list too but I don't have that stat.

Mac