Why do Americans so afraid of being towed?

The Something Awful Forums > Main > General Bullshit > Why do Americans so afraid of being towed?

Wicker Man: Sep 5, 2007; Just like Columbus...; Clapping Larry

I'm very car illiterate, so if I'm understanding the towing an automatic thing right can't you just set it in neutral before actually towing it to prevent what I assume is forced friction against the internal gears that shouldn't be moving if it was in like, parked? I've only ever driven manual.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 09:11

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 13:31

UnfortunateSexFart: May 18, 2008; ð» ððð« ð·ððð·
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In my home town if you park illegally you get a ticket and they call the towing company right after. So you have to pay the city and the towing company and walk to the sketch part of town (biggest city without uber/Lyft and a shortage of taxis). Cost me hundreds of dollars.

Even when my car got stolen the thieves parked illegally and it got towed with four broken windows in the pouring rain. Had about lots of water inside by the time someone told me about it.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 09:24

interwhat: Jul 23, 2005; it's kickin in dude

Wicker Man posted:

I'm very car illiterate, so if I'm understanding the towing an automatic thing right can't you just set it in neutral before actually towing it to prevent what I assume is forced friction against the internal gears that shouldn't be moving if it was in like, parked? I've only ever driven manual.

Front wheel drive automatics should be towed with the non driving axle on the road mainly because when the engine isn't running, transmission fluid isn't being pumped through a cooler, therefore it could overheat and burn up the transmission. In a city setting, I doubt it would be an issue. All wheel drive vehicle should be towed on a flatbed always, because turning one axle while the other axle is locked causes center(the one connecting the front and rear axles, in simple terms) differential to slip in an extreme manner. They are designed to "slip" but uhhh not like that.

In short, all cars really should only be towed on a flatbed but gently caress you

# ? Oct 8, 2019 10:04

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Smythe posted:

when i was a lad my car got towed while i was on a date. rip. that was before lyft so i had to call a cab as at that time it was illegal to wave down cabs in los angeles or something. da gently caress. was a real bad time. getting towed sucks

In college they decided that 'parked in front of my house in the parking lot' meant my car was abandoned and both towed it and called my Dad to report they found it abandoned. Had to pay 300 bucks to get it back and replace the tire the fucks flattened by dragging it onto a flatbed with the parking brake on.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 10:41

Wicker Man: Sep 5, 2007; Just like Columbus...; Clapping Larry

interwhat posted:

Front wheel drive automatics should be towed with the non driving axle on the road mainly because when the engine isn't running, transmission fluid isn't being pumped through a cooler, therefore it could overheat and burn up the transmission. In a city setting, I doubt it would be an issue. All wheel drive vehicle should be towed on a flatbed always, because turning one axle while the other axle is locked causes center(the one connecting the front and rear axles, in simple terms) differential to slip in an extreme manner. They are designed to "slip" but uhhh not like that.

In short, all cars really should only be towed on a flatbed but gently caress you

drat, I had no idea. Much appreciated on the explanation. All the more reason to say screw automatics.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 11:01

Jarvisi: Apr 17, 2001; Green is still best.

Chinatown posted:

some people have nice cars and need them to go to work

couple of things you arent familiar with OP

i understand.

Why don't they just ride the train to work I don't get it???

# ? Oct 8, 2019 11:39

gleebster: Dec 16, 2006; Only a howler; Pillbug

Shamino posted:

It's loving $500 here unless you can get to the impound lot within the hour.

Which can't be done because the impound lot is on the outskirts of town where the rents are lower and the bus, if there is one, takes more than an hour to get there.

And that's not even taking into account that the towing companies are in a racket with the police, fabricating excuses for towing, and kicking back some $ to the cops.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 12:27

Good Ol Filbert: Jun 10, 2019

The fear of losing my baby, and having it kidnapped by some tow-truck, rough-handed bandoleros.

I briefly worked at a towing company, we were mostly hired by banks to repo cars. I felt badly for the people losing their cars, meanwhile I grew to detest the bank reps who would turn them in. Uppity scum. On top of the towing fee, if the car owner paid off the bank and went to collect the car, they'd be charged a storage fee for their things. We'd keep their stuff in a box, and if they just wanted the stuff but not the car, they'd have to pay the storage fee. ($15/day)

# ? Oct 8, 2019 12:52

interwhat: Jul 23, 2005; it's kickin in dude

Wicker Man posted:

drat, I had no idea. Much appreciated on the explanation. All the more reason to say screw automatics.

Manual transmissions are getting kind of rare unless you get a VERY economical car. They are way cheaper than automatics. I'm with you though, my next car as got to be a stick. But at the end of the day, if your car gets towed by a "hook"(not the flatbed kind), expect something to be hosed up when you get it back. Just park in a garage

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:36

Mozi: Apr 4, 2004; Forms change so fast
Time is moving past
Memory is smoke
Gonna get wider when I die; Nap Ghost

q: what do they call the animal who is always parking in illegal places?

a: the three-towed sloth

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:36

Pitdragon: Jan 20, 2004; Just another lurker

You should consider yourself lucky if you've never been extorted by a towing company.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:43

Mozi: Apr 4, 2004; Forms change so fast
Time is moving past
Memory is smoke
Gonna get wider when I die; Nap Ghost

q: what headline did the newspapers run after a man went on a killing spree after his car was towed three times in one day?

a: "One Tow Over the Line"

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:46

A Fancy Hat: Nov 18, 2016; Always remember that the former President was dumber than the dumbest person you've ever met by a wide margin

There was a local news story here about two tow truck drivers showing up to the same tow job and getting into a fight that ended with the one tow truck driver shot and paralyzed for life.

From that I discovered that towing companies have very defined service areas and that crossing into another tow area is effectively signing a death warrant. I also learned that most tow truck drivers carry some kind of weapon in the cab of their truck for this exact situation. One guy literally had a two by four, like he was professional wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:47

Pitdragon: Jan 20, 2004; Just another lurker

A Fancy Hat posted:

There was a local news story here about two tow truck drivers showing up to the same tow job and getting into a fight that ended with the one tow truck driver shot and paralyzed for life.

A feel-good story for the whole family

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:51

Bust Rodd: Oct 21, 2008; by VideoGames

gently caress this classist horseshit thread, we care about getting our cars towed because the tow is like $100 and the impound fees can be like $50-$75 a day so if you don�t have that much cash on hand then it just windfalls until whoops you owe $850 and still don�t have your car.

And that, goons, is why Bust Rodd can never drive in the state of New York

# ? Oct 8, 2019 13:52

ELI PORTER: Sep 16, 2007; I posted on Something Awful and all I got was this lousy t-shirt

Pump Jockey posted:

I always wondered about this, like if they tow my AWD Subaru with a hook and chain tow truck and destroy it am I just hosed or nah?

yes you're hosed

# ? Oct 8, 2019 14:09

Ghost Leviathan: Mar 2, 2017; Exploration is ill-advised.

A Fancy Hat posted:

There was a local news story here about two tow truck drivers showing up to the same tow job and getting into a fight that ended with the one tow truck driver shot and paralyzed for life.

From that I discovered that towing companies have very defined service areas and that crossing into another tow area is effectively signing a death warrant. I also learned that most tow truck drivers carry some kind of weapon in the cab of their truck for this exact situation. One guy literally had a two by four, like he was professional wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

There's a scheme. Find out the borders, park a car on the sidewalk, sit back and watch the fun.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 14:12

Private Cumshoe: Feb 15, 2019; AAAAAAAGAGHAAHGGAH

OP might have brain damage, what an ignorant rear end take like I don't even know what angle the ignorance is coming from it's so ignorant!!

Imagine not caring about being out at least $200 because you can't read signs lol

# ? Oct 8, 2019 14:20

mostlygray: Nov 1, 2012; BURY ME AS I LIVED, A FREE MAN ON THE CLUTCH

Because towing companies are predatory. Because the city is predatory. Because people get paid to spot someone that can be towed. Because the city makes nebulous laws that allow you to be towed for any reason.

It's why I avoid parking on the street in St. Paul. Apparently, there is an unwritten rule that states you cannot park within 20 feet of any curb cut. It's only enforced when they want revenue. This rule is not published and the curb is not striped. It makes it almost impossible to park on the street when it comes time to make money off tickets.

My brothers car got impounded twice in a week because of it. He had to go to the court house to find out about the law.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 14:21

The_Franz: Aug 8, 2003

A Fancy Hat posted:

There was a local news story here about two tow truck drivers showing up to the same tow job and getting into a fight that ended with the one tow truck driver shot and paralyzed for life.

From that I discovered that towing companies have very defined service areas and that crossing into another tow area is effectively signing a death warrant. I also learned that most tow truck drivers carry some kind of weapon in the cab of their truck for this exact situation. One guy literally had a two by four, like he was professional wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

i was told that when there is an accident here the tow call goes out and whichever company gets there first gets the fee, so they are quite literally racing to the scene of an accident

the guy down the street from me drives for a tow company and at random times, even in the middle of the night, he'll go flying down the street in a huge tow truck at 2x the speed limit. people have already yelled at him because he almost ran over their dog or kids. unsurprisingly, people who've been on the street for a long time and knew him as a kid told me that he was a real creep who did things like pull the fire alarm in school for fun, pointed bb guns and arrows at other kids and at 16 got drunk and crashed his hillbilly camaro into a utility pole

# ? Oct 8, 2019 14:37

Colonel Cancer: Sep 26, 2015; Tune into the fireplace channel, you absolute buffoon

Pitdragon posted:

You should consider yourself lucky if you've never been extorted by a towing company.

I don't even own a tv car :smugbert:

# ? Oct 8, 2019 15:12

Shamino: Mar 14, 2008; I am weary of loitering about Britain. There is much we could be accomplishing! Where hast thou been, anyway?

The_Franz posted:

i was told that when there is an accident here the tow call goes out and whichever company gets there first gets the fee, so they are quite literally racing to the scene of an accident

the guy down the street from me drives for a tow company and at random times, even in the middle of the night, he'll go flying down the street in a huge tow truck at 2x the speed limit. people have already yelled at him because he almost ran over their dog or kids. unsurprisingly, people who've been on the street for a long time and knew him as a kid told me that he was a real creep who did things like pull the fire alarm in school for fun, pointed bb guns and arrows at other kids and at 16 got drunk and crashed his hillbilly camaro into a utility pole

No one would be sad if his house burned down. #justsayin

# ? Oct 8, 2019 16:36

dew worm: Apr 20, 2019

Last Friday they tore up the asphalt on my block all night and only put fliers on cars that morning saying they would be towed!

# ? Oct 8, 2019 17:57

Literally A Person: Jan 1, 1970; Smugworth Wuz Here

Here is a story about towing:

For a few years my wife and I lived in north Jersey. For those of you not familiar with the area they run street sweepers like loving constantly. Because of this there are rules in basically every municipality that you have to move your car to the opposite side of the street as the street sweeper is sweeping that that day. We had just gotten married, moved across the country and were, frankly, super poor. Like, eating rice for dinner five days a week poor. We both ended up getting a job in upstate New York but needed transportation. We went to a used car lot and ended up buying some piece of trash 1989 Lincoln Town car. It was beastly and weighed a ton. Well after not too long it broke down. We had it parked outside out apartment on a road that was graded perpendicular to the street. So when we have to move the Lincoln the first time to stop it from getting towed it's totally easy the road slopes toward the opposite sidewalk and the car basically moves with it's own weight. Then comes the next day when the street sweeper is coming up the other side of the road. Well it turns out two people pushing an old towncar uphill really REALLY doesn't work. So we had to leave it where it was. They took it that day and we, though upset about losing out $500 dollar car, were actually relieved to have the POS out of our lives. About two months later I get a letter from New Jersey stating that they want me to pay some $400 fee for them smashing my car into a cube. Like the letter literally showed an itemized list of what I was being charged for. No towing charge, no lot fee, just a single line that read something along the lines of "fee for crushing." I never paid, New Jersey can suck my freakin' dick.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 18:03

Resting Lich Face: Feb 21, 2019; This case of an intraperitoneal zucchini is unusual, and does raise questions as to how hard one has to push a blunt vegetable to perforate the rectum.

quote:

Why do Americans so afraid of being towed?

We abolished royalty so there's no princesses to undo it.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 18:07

Ghost Leviathan: Mar 2, 2017; Exploration is ill-advised.

Literally A Person posted:

Here is a story about towing:

For a few years my wife and I lived in north Jersey. For those of you not familiar with the area they run street sweepers like loving constantly. Because of this there are rules in basically every municipality that you have to move your car to the opposite side of the street as the street sweeper is sweeping that that day. We had just gotten married, moved across the country and were, frankly, super poor. Like, eating rice for dinner five days a week poor. We both ended up getting a job in upstate New York but needed transportation. We went to a used car lot and ended up buying some piece of trash 1989 Lincoln Town car. It was beastly and weighed a ton. Well after not too long it broke down. We had it parked outside out apartment on a road that was graded perpendicular to the street. So when we have to move the Lincoln the first time to stop it from getting towed it's totally easy the road slopes toward the opposite sidewalk and the car basically moves with it's own weight. Then comes the next day when the street sweeper is coming up the other side of the road. Well it turns out two people pushing an old towncar uphill really REALLY doesn't work. So we had to leave it where it was. They took it that day and we, though upset about losing out $500 dollar car, were actually relieved to have the POS out of our lives. About two months later I get a letter from New Jersey stating that they want me to pay some $400 fee for them smashing my car into a cube. Like the letter literally showed an itemized list of what I was being charged for. No towing charge, no lot fee, just a single line that read something along the lines of "fee for crushing." I never paid, New Jersey can suck my freakin' dick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfqOQtiRWLA

# ? Oct 8, 2019 18:10

Rad-daddio: Apr 25, 2017

My FIL used to do towing and it was mostly repos and stuck cars.

But, he also did the towing for rural accidents through the CHP.

He mentioned offhand about how he was asked to help look for the foot of a motorcyclist who'd hit a guard rail at freeway speed and basically the dude broke apart into numerous meaty pieces that had to be rounded up.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 19:32

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

Literally A Person posted:

Here is a story about towing:

For a few years my wife and I lived in north Jersey. For those of you not familiar with the area they run street sweepers like loving constantly. Because of this there are rules in basically every municipality that you have to move your car to the opposite side of the street as the street sweeper is sweeping that that day. We had just gotten married, moved across the country and were, frankly, super poor. Like, eating rice for dinner five days a week poor. We both ended up getting a job in upstate New York but needed transportation. We went to a used car lot and ended up buying some piece of trash 1989 Lincoln Town car. It was beastly and weighed a ton. Well after not too long it broke down. We had it parked outside out apartment on a road that was graded perpendicular to the street. So when we have to move the Lincoln the first time to stop it from getting towed it's totally easy the road slopes toward the opposite sidewalk and the car basically moves with it's own weight. Then comes the next day when the street sweeper is coming up the other side of the road. Well it turns out two people pushing an old towncar uphill really REALLY doesn't work. So we had to leave it where it was. They took it that day and we, though upset about losing out $500 dollar car, were actually relieved to have the POS out of our lives. About two months later I get a letter from New Jersey stating that they want me to pay some $400 fee for them smashing my car into a cube. Like the letter literally showed an itemized list of what I was being charged for. No towing charge, no lot fee, just a single line that read something along the lines of "fee for crushing." I never paid, New Jersey can suck my freakin' dick.

Someone should crush new jersey into a cube and drop it in the ocean

# ? Oct 8, 2019 20:54

Smythe: Oct 12, 2003

house of the dad posted:

Why do Americans so afraid of towed, I ask. Why do man so afraid to am dead. Why do the world is to not be be so exist. Why am so?? Is yes??

quoting this again because i rememberd it and laughed

# ? Oct 8, 2019 20:55

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

Smythe posted:

quoting this again because i rememberd it and laughed

I'm glad you did because i missed i the first time and it's a gem

# ? Oct 8, 2019 21:06

Sjs00: Jun 29, 2013; Yeah Baby Yeah !

I now understand just exactly why Do Americans so afraid of being towed
Its because it costs money and we're all broke as poo poo
drat

# ? Oct 8, 2019 21:36

Xaintrailles: Aug 14, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w78g_TlKBJs

It looks like it would really hurt.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 21:54

Mr. Meagles: Apr 30, 2004; Out here, everything hurts

https://time.com/3182726/if-you-want-to-see-inequality-in-the-u-s-at-its-worst-visit-an-impound-lot/

quote:

A man waiting in line with me told me that he owned a landscaping business that depended on his truck, which had been towed three days earlier. �I can�t work,� he said. �The crew don�t work. Everything I need is in the truck.� It had been towed when he parked in a red zone in front of an auto-parts store. He�d been late to a job and ran into the store to buy a spark plug for a broken lawn mower. He didn�t have money enough that day to pay the $472 towing fee. After the first four hours, charges began accumulating�about $65.00 a day. (They didn�t include the $72 cost of the parking ticket.) He had borrowed $700, which he held near his chest in an envelope. He said it would take �I hope no more than a year� to repay the loan, for which he was being charged 50% of the loan amount.

if you're poor and your vehicle gets towed you're fuckin screwed, basically

cars get towed a ton in poor neighborhoods

# ? Oct 8, 2019 22:22

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

If I were a billionaire I'd free everbodys cars and buy the companies and launch the employees into the sun

# ? Oct 8, 2019 22:26

Sjs00: Jun 29, 2013; Yeah Baby Yeah !

Milo and POTUS posted:

If I were a billionaire I'd free everbodys cars and buy the companies and launch the employees into the sun

how would you ferry the launch mechanism around to the different tow companies across the globe smart guy?
you'd need what kind of company exactly?

# ? Oct 8, 2019 22:28

William Henry Hairytaint: Oct 29, 2011

Sjs00 posted:

how would you ferry the launch mechanism around to the different tow companies across the globe smart guy?
you'd need what kind of company exactly?

Just use elves to do it dude we're imagining poo poo here the sky is the limit

# ? Oct 8, 2019 23:42

Phi230: Feb 2, 2016; by Fluffdaddy

Getting towed means you gotta pay up like $100 bucks to get your car back from the chuds who run an extortion racket

I haven't been towed in several years but I remember last time I had to donate blood plasma to get my car back

# ? Oct 8, 2019 23:47

Kirk Vikernes: Apr 26, 2004; Count Goatnackh

I was arrested one night for a 110 in a 30 and the police were very friendly and fulfilled my request of a rollback truck for my Triumph and were sure to take good care of it. When I bailed myself out the next day, it was still in immaculate condition and drove off $150 poorer.

Other people I know have had them thrown on the back of an old school tow truck and are tossed around like a pendulum beating the poo poo out of it on the way to impound.

# ? Oct 8, 2019 23:54

gary oldmans diary: Sep 26, 2005

Mammal Sauce posted:

I was arrested one night for a 110 in a 30 and the police were very friendly and fulfilled my request of a rollback truck for my Triumph and were sure to take good care of it. When I bailed myself out the next day, it was still in immaculate condition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_LeJfn_qW0&t=104s

# ? Oct 9, 2019 00:12

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 13:31

Burt Sexual: Jan 26, 2006; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS; Switchblade Switcharoo

Mammal Sauce posted:

I was arrested one night for a 110 in a 30 and the police were very friendly and fulfilled my request of a rollback truck for my Triumph and were sure to take good care of it. When I bailed myself out the next day, it was still in immaculate condition and drove off $150 poorer.

Other people I know have had them thrown on the back of an old school tow truck and are tossed around like a pendulum beating the poo poo out of it on the way to impound.

# ? Oct 9, 2019 00:22

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