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Okay, so earlier in the week, I started my new job. For those who may have missed it, I'm now driving a tow truck, but, people still confuse me, take tonight for example.
Working the 6 - 1am shift, we had two back-to-back tows. Both were basic property tows, people parked in apartment lots they didn’t have permits for.
First car, Black Honda Accord, backed into a parking spot. Easy snatch, put the lift bars under the front, ratchet the straps, gone in 25 seconds. About 4 blocks down the road, the guy who I assume owned the car catches up to us in what must have been his friends Olds Delta, and starts blaring his horn at us. He then drives around us, truck and all, through a gas station parking lot and cuts us off. He demands to know how much it’s going to cost to get his car back. It’s a borough-wide flat fee of $95 for a property tow. He’s tweaked, “I thought it was only $55!” $55 is the drop fee, if you catch us in the act, but once the car’s been moved, it’s $95, the city sets these rates, not us. Plus, it’s after 11pm, so a $20 overnight fee is going to be charged, again, city ordinances, we can’t waive it. Total $115. He doesn't seem happy at this, but fortunately, the timely arrival of a township cop (who saw the whole thing) gets him calmed down a bit, he pulls out of there tires squealing, almost rear ends a slower car going up the street, and we probably won’t see him till tomorrow morning.
Next call after that, Green VW Jetta. This one is a major pain to get because it’s parallel parked in a narrow alley that isn’t much wider than the tow truck, took 4 tries before the lift bars got into it at the right angle to hook the front tires. Then, to top it all of, the E-brake is on, so we have to break out the dollies, and in the dark, our first attempt to set them up isn’t lined up right, so the whole dolly set falls apart when we move it, forcing us to put it back together again, in the dark. I notice the whole time that way up on a 6th floor balcony a pair of people are leaning out watching us and laughing at the whole scene. We get that car back to the impound lot, and no sooner are we inside than the phone rings, it’s the car’s owner, she’d like to come and pick it up. “Wow, news travels fast” I think, “We must’ve just gotten there ahead of them” They walk in and it’s the SAME TWO PEOPLE who were watching us. They were watching and laughing the whole time their OWN car was getting towed. “How much” she asks, $95 tow with $20 overnight fee, $115 total. “That’s it?” she says, “I was expecting more” She pays, gets her car and comments that we’re a fast bunch of guys, and she liked our truck.
I give up, I officially don’t understand people anymore……..
Working the 6 - 1am shift, we had two back-to-back tows. Both were basic property tows, people parked in apartment lots they didn’t have permits for.
First car, Black Honda Accord, backed into a parking spot. Easy snatch, put the lift bars under the front, ratchet the straps, gone in 25 seconds. About 4 blocks down the road, the guy who I assume owned the car catches up to us in what must have been his friends Olds Delta, and starts blaring his horn at us. He then drives around us, truck and all, through a gas station parking lot and cuts us off. He demands to know how much it’s going to cost to get his car back. It’s a borough-wide flat fee of $95 for a property tow. He’s tweaked, “I thought it was only $55!” $55 is the drop fee, if you catch us in the act, but once the car’s been moved, it’s $95, the city sets these rates, not us. Plus, it’s after 11pm, so a $20 overnight fee is going to be charged, again, city ordinances, we can’t waive it. Total $115. He doesn't seem happy at this, but fortunately, the timely arrival of a township cop (who saw the whole thing) gets him calmed down a bit, he pulls out of there tires squealing, almost rear ends a slower car going up the street, and we probably won’t see him till tomorrow morning.
Next call after that, Green VW Jetta. This one is a major pain to get because it’s parallel parked in a narrow alley that isn’t much wider than the tow truck, took 4 tries before the lift bars got into it at the right angle to hook the front tires. Then, to top it all of, the E-brake is on, so we have to break out the dollies, and in the dark, our first attempt to set them up isn’t lined up right, so the whole dolly set falls apart when we move it, forcing us to put it back together again, in the dark. I notice the whole time that way up on a 6th floor balcony a pair of people are leaning out watching us and laughing at the whole scene. We get that car back to the impound lot, and no sooner are we inside than the phone rings, it’s the car’s owner, she’d like to come and pick it up. “Wow, news travels fast” I think, “We must’ve just gotten there ahead of them” They walk in and it’s the SAME TWO PEOPLE who were watching us. They were watching and laughing the whole time their OWN car was getting towed. “How much” she asks, $95 tow with $20 overnight fee, $115 total. “That’s it?” she says, “I was expecting more” She pays, gets her car and comments that we’re a fast bunch of guys, and she liked our truck.
I give up, I officially don’t understand people anymore……..
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