The Things You Hear & See In An Urban Environment (w/Video)
When you have your windows open in an urban environment you hear all sorts of strange sounds. Two weeks ago we heard a diesel engine plus something odd enough that we paused what we were watching to have a look.
A tow truck was into a corner after having pulled the Chrysler 200 from the other side of the drive. Curious how this would play out I switched to video.
The Chrysler 200 is a front wheel-drive car — which should be towed from the front. You always want the drive wheels off the ground — except, manual transmission vehicles in neutral can be towed with all four on the ground.
If the car was being towed to a mechanic for repairs, the owner would’ve given the operator the key so it could’ve been pushed away from the wall and towed from the front. The most obvious answer is the car was being repossessed, though parked illegally in someone’s reserved spot is a remote possibility.
The tow truck is from St. Louis Metropolitan Towing, center of the 2010 towing scandal.
— Steve Patterson
That is the laziest, most incompetent tow jockey I have ever seen. He has plenty of space to unhook the car and pick it up from the front. Alternatively, he can use the dollies that are on the back of his truck to remove the front tires from the ground. Either option forces him to actually do his job. The transmission may now be damaged. If nothing else, the tires are ruined with a nice big flat spot on them.
Yes, laziness and ignorance personified! The video should be sent to Fox 2 News (Elliot Davis) for his perspective and followup. I have a feeling that, if the SL Metro Towing bosses get wind of the video, that tow jockey may have towed his last vehicle. The victim here is likely some unfortunate person, probably down on his luck, who now has to come up with towing and storage fees and transmission repair costs. Where I come from, local residents would seek out and “admonish” a person who deliberately carried out such a rude act against another person.
If the car was being towed for being illegally parked, any damage is on the car owner (and good luck proving it and getting compensated). And if it was being repossessed, I doubt that the (previous? delinquent?) owner really cares what happens to it. The bank/lending company is just getting what they’re willing to pay for!
Illegally parked, repossessed or whatever–the tow was probably justifiable. But I object to the sorry ass who executed the tow. His methodology reflects that of a lazy spud, an obvious slouch who thoughtlessly puts in his 8 hours, then goes home, takes off his shirt, flops onto the couch, and then reaches for another Schlitz while his kids do their homework in front of Bowling For Dollars on the tube.