Car owners upset vehicles were towed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Police ticketed and towed more than a dozen vehicles parked along a motorcade route for President Bush, prompting angry protests from some owners who said they were never told to move their cars.

The Secret Service, along with city and police officials, said the route through the Country Club Plaza area was clearly marked with emergency "No Parking" signs on Monday, about 24 hours before ticketing and towing the 14 vehicles.

The vehicle owners had to make arrangements to pick up their cars at a city tow lot -- along with paying a $145 tow fee and a storage tab of $20 per day.

Parking tickets carry an additional penalty of $38.

"I still have to pay $200 for a car I think shouldn't have been towed," said one owner, Tim Hickman. "And I'm missing two days of work."

Capt. Rich Lockhart, a police spokesman, said his department did all it could to keep from having to tow cars.