81-year-old man arrested for sawing off boots on car he says were unlawfully placed

Written by: A. Smith

Published September 8, 2025 @ 10:01 AM ET

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – An 81-year-old man was arrested last week after police said he sawed off two parking boots from his vintage Porsche and took it with him.

Fulton County Jail records show Bob Lane, 81, was arrested during a traffic stop on Wednesday and charged with theft by taking. He was later released on a $1,300 bond.

The case stems from an incident more than a year ago at a Krog Street parking garage in Atlanta. Lane’s 1972 Porsche was booted despite him having time left on his paid ticket.

According to reports, Lane said he asked the company to remove the boot since he still had 30 minutes left on his ticket and was told there was nothing they could do about it. He removed the device with a saw and left with it, saying he believed the boots were placed unlawfully.

The company that clamped Lane’s car, Empire Parking, was recently named in a settlement involving several class-action lawsuits that accused the company of illegal booting practices.

Legal experts caution that removing or keeping a boot can still lead to criminal charges, even if it was wrongly placed.

Lane’s case remains pending in Fulton County.