BATON ROUGE, LA – The East Baton Rouge Metro Council voted Wednesday to raise the city’s boot-removal cap from $75 to $150 after several booting executives warned that “exploiting stranded motorists simply isn’t paying what it used to.”

One council member said the increase was a “reasonable compromise” that came after “listening carefully to the people who profit from exploiting people around town.” The change was celebrated by local booting firms, who insisted that doubling the fee was the only way to “keep predatory parking enforcement financially viable in these tough economic times.”

Drivers, meanwhile, expressed concern that the council appears to have mistaken “regulation” for “fundraising by hostage situation.”

The ordinance also adds new signage and insurance requirements, ensuring residents will now receive adequate warning before being robbed in broad daylight for running in to pickup a to-go order.

Local booting firms told The Sadvocate they’re proud to remain the only industry in Louisiana where legalized extortion still comes with an invoice.