PORTLAND, Maine — More than 160 people found their vehicles towed after Friday night’s parking ban.

Police said the city towed 168 vehicles in all. Each owner had to pay a total of $155 dollars to get their vehicles back ($35 impound fee, $35 ticket, $85 tow fee), plus all outstanding tickets.





Some people said they thought they lucked out on parking spaces Friday night, only to learn later that there was a parking ban when they found their vehicles missing.

At least one driver said Portland businesses are also losing money because of the ban.

“I’ll tell you what, you know what I’m not doing?” said Audrey Alvarez, who came to Portland for the New Year’s weekend. “I’m not going to spend another $150 in the small businesses that I would have spent it in.”

“We had no way of knowing that there was a snow ban,” said Alvarez’s friend, Kristen Cuthbertson. “We’re not from here.”

The words “PARK” and “BAN” flash on top of the 14-story Time and Temperature building on Congress Street in downtown Portland each time there is a snow ban.