Well done, the Star.

The Toronto Star followed up on its pylon story (see my post below). Take note of their calculation that "Impark may have earned $150,000 or more from drivers who would otherwise have snapped up the free parking".* The Star says that it intends to follow up further: "We're trying to reach parking enforcement and city officials to ask if Impark could face consequences for blocking legal parking."

* - Update (November 10, 2007): This story was later removed because of improper identification of Impark when, in fact, the culprit was Unit Park. The cached version of the story is here.

Don't hold your breath. You see, reaching into a till and taking $150 is criminal. Reaching into the street and stealing $150k isn't. At least as far as the cops are concerned. Watch the cops and the parking authority kick this matter back and forth until the the Star and we of the Great Unwashed go away.

It does, though, rather remind one of a very funny scene in a mafia movie. Some years ago I watched a telefilm on the rise of John Gotti. The screenwriters had inserted a fictional conversation between about-to-be-killed mob boss Paul Castellano and his driver as they look for a space to park the limo. Castellano is complaining about the high prices for parking, and remarks with considerable envy in his gangster voice, "we should get into this business!"