Towing Tidbits, This Week In Review

[Null Requiem]

One day years ago, when I was working a hot food counter at a grocery store, and older man came by asking for my boss. One of the workers who had been there longer then I had a strange look on her face and quickly went to get the boss (who was in the back for some reason I don't recall).

It turns out that the man was the bosses ailing father, who lived with her so he could be taken care of by the family. He had a number of mental issues related to age, if I recall correctly. His liscense had been revoked a number of years previous because of those very same issues. It seems he used to visit her at work all the time after he retired to see how she was doing.

He remembered that the boss had a new job in a new store, and how to get there, but he didn't remember he wasn't allowed to drive anymore.

Boss did take her father home, and if I remember correctly, kept the spare keys to the spare vehicle on her at all times until he passed 6 months or so later.

She later said she was terrified he'd hurt himself or someone else when she found out he had been driving...

[Jester]

I sometimes wonder how many people around me on a given roadway are driving without licenses, proof of insurance, etc.

Personally, I don't worry about people who are driving without their licenses on them, or without their proof of insurance, or without their registration paperwork.

I am FAR more worried about the people driving around me who don't have licenses, who don't have insurance, whose registration is expired, or who may have "borrowed" or flat out stolen the car from someone else.

Not having something required like a license or insurance is a major problem. Not having PROOF of it is a far more minor problem, to be honest, for both the drivers and anyone driving around them.

[Chromatix]

That sort of thing is what ANPR is often used for in Britain (and probably some other European countries). ANPR -> Automatic Number Plate Recognition.

If you know the plate number, you can look up the insurance and MOT details in the computer, as well as the licence status of the registered keeper, and whether the vehicle is wanted in connection with investigations - the ANPR kit does all of that automatically, and sounds an alarm if it spots something juicy.

Naturally some people cry privacy violation over that kind of thing, but it seems to be used responsibly in the UK, at least as far as policing is concerned. There have been some reported problems over the use of ANPR for enforcing the London Congestion Charge, but these are mostly triggered by people driving on false number plates - hopefully the appeals process has been sorted out by now.

[Argabarga]

I sometimes wonder how many people around me on a given roadway are driving without licenses, proof of insurance, etc.

I mean, just the number of people I notice driving around on registrations that are up to 2 years expired is astounding.....

[2gigch1]

You'd be surprised how many lawyers, whose job it is to, uh, know the law, don't have their license on them... after having driven up to the complex.

True, however a few times I have forgotten my wallet and been pulled over, for some reason I have memorized my Driver's License # and can repeat it on command. Furthermore in Maryland police refer to it as the Soundex #.

Thus in those times when I have said "Sorry, I forgot my wallet, but my Soundex is B-123-456-789-012" I have been let go with a smile for just the knowin...

[mikoyan29]

I wish I were in an area with more rail traffic. We have quite a few yards but they aren't in photography friendly areas. But I guess i make up for that with Lakers....

[DiRF]

50% of Lawyers Graduate in the Bottom of Their Class You Know!

Where I work, lawyers come in ever so often, and it's a secured facility... to get a badge to enter the premises, we hold onto their driver's license. They return the badge, we return the license.

You'd be surprised how many lawyers, whose job it is to, uh, know the law, don't have their license on them... after having driven up to the complex. Should probably also mention that, due to the nature of the complex, police frequently drive up and down the road that we're located on.

[Jester]

Watched a truck get towed from the parking lot next to The Q this morning. (It's a private lot belonging to a local hotel, and ONLY for the use of their hotel guests and/or staff.)

Guy comes up to me as I'm standing outside, and asks, "Is that your truck?" I smiled and said, "Nope. I rode my bike today."

I know I shouldn't take such joy in other people's misfortunes, but as Argabarga might say, if you're dumb enough to ignore ALL THE POSTED SIGNS, well then, you deserve what you get.

[Sapphire Silk]

I'm watching the new episode of Parking Wars. This season they're interviewing private tow companies.

Wow. It's like Argabarga in live action.

Man, I give you props for what you do.

[Jester]

Then again, one of our colleagues that work in retail could post T.W.A.T. notes: This Week At Target.

Just saying...

[Geek King]

Going back to the title, if the This Week In Baseball short they show at ball games is refered to as T.W.I.B. Notes, Would a regular Argabarga update be T.W.I.T.* Notes?

*This Week In Towing

[PepperElf]

Don't know what the cops said to him, but he showed up 15 minutes later at the front door, cash in hand.

Makes me wonder if he's friends with Sneaky Pete.

[wolfie]

This thread had made me think up a lawyer joke:

Q: What do you call a busload of lawyers going off a cliff?
A: A good start!Waste of a perfectly good bus

Fixed that for you.

[cinema guy]

Now you just need to learn how to do it with Sylvester Stallones slur =p

Karl Urban, surely?

[dalesys]

What do you have with a hundred lawyers buried up to their necks in cat shit?

What do you tell those lawyers?

Coffee break's over. Back on your heads.