The city must be strapped for cash. Either that, or boot season started way early—with prison-issue orange being this year's hottest (albeit unfortunate) hue. The new crop of styles strike me as clunky, and hard to kick off at the end of the day (think they're calling them "municipal chic.") At any rate, not cute. Still, as I drove home from work yesterday, it seemed every model on the street was wearing one. Late model Volkswagons right through this model-year's SUVs.

Seriously, folks, it appears that the City's parking enforcement division has embarked on some kind of wild booting binge, locking up drivers' side wheels as quick and efficient as a good Folly tasing. Just on my small city block in Harleston Village, there were a couple boots when I parked last night. This morning, one more had been added. So if you've got a stack of unpaid tickets and downtown's your haunt, you have three options:

1. Bite the bullet and pay them off. 

2. Buy your own boot to attach when you park. What are they going to do? REboot you?

3. Keep a low profile. There are good bars on James Island, right?