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Old 03-24-2011, 09:23 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land
2,465 posts, read 5,793,637 times
Reputation: 2733

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Now watch the sharks tow trucks towing the cars and charging for storage... What's the poor man gonna do now besides getting screwed even more?

That tow service may cost you soon | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
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Old 03-24-2011, 09:53 PM
 
Location: ATX-HOU
10,216 posts, read 8,119,861 times
Reputation: 2037
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethanw View Post
Now watch the sharks tow trucks towing the cars and charging for storage... What's the poor man gonna do now besides getting screwed even more?

That tow service may cost you soon | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Did you even read the article? The city can no longer afford to pay for its free towing service? I guess you'd rather traffic at a standstill?
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Old 03-24-2011, 10:02 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land
2,465 posts, read 5,793,637 times
Reputation: 2733
I did, DID YOU? What if I want to use my own insurance to tow my own car and they're not there in 6 minutes. Crap I drive a pretty expensive car and I won't let anyone touch it.....that's for sure.....


Quote:
Originally Posted by dv1033 View Post
Did you even read the article? The city can no longer afford to pay for its free towing service? I guess you'd rather traffic at a standstill?
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Old 03-24-2011, 10:06 PM
 
Location: Tricity, PL
61,725 posts, read 87,147,355 times
Reputation: 131705
^^^ I agree with dv1033: "it prevents accidents by getting trained drivers to the scene fast instead of leaving a car lingering while the driver awaits a tow or a relative."
The traffic signs warn of a stalled car but a breakdown on a freeway or bridge can be extremely dangerous. Drivers on fast-moving roads often get tunnel vision, especially on familiar highways. In some collisions, drivers claimed they didn’t even see a stalled car before they hit it.
The problem is that to many drivers stop because of a flat tire or because they sense there is a problem. They should keep driving until they find a safe area in which to pull over. The tire rim is less important than a life.
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Old 03-24-2011, 10:39 PM
 
Location: ATX-HOU
10,216 posts, read 8,119,861 times
Reputation: 2037
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethanw View Post
I did, DID YOU? What if I want to use my own insurance to tow my own car and they're not there in 6 minutes. Crap I drive a pretty expensive car and I won't let anyone touch it.....that's for sure.....
Driving isn't a right and there are some very large costs associated with traffic and congestion that goes way beyond your fancy car and insurance. I know you are just looking after your own interests, but this is why we have laws and rules.
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Old 03-24-2011, 10:47 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land
2,465 posts, read 5,793,637 times
Reputation: 2733
Agree to disagree. Now imagine some poor folks who can't even afford gas. How are they going to pay the $50 for towing and who knows how much for their car being in storage....

As for my fancy car, yeap it is mine and you try to tow that away from me....Is my PROPERTY..... And who said the laws and rules are right? I've seen a lot of nonsense and this is just one of them.. Is all about money and finding more ways to take money away from us.... If I am in the emergency line waiting for my tow that is paid and covered by my own insurance, why would I let those vultures touch my car?


Quote:
Originally Posted by dv1033 View Post
Driving isn't a right and there are some very large costs associated with traffic and congestion that goes way beyond your fancy car and insurance. I know you are just looking after your own interests, but this is why we have laws and rules.
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Old 03-24-2011, 11:17 PM
 
Location: ATX-HOU
10,216 posts, read 8,119,861 times
Reputation: 2037
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethanw View Post
Agree to disagree. Now imagine some poor folks who can't even afford gas. How are they going to pay the $50 for towing and who knows how much for their car being in storage....
They have 48 hours before they start incurring storage fees per the Chron article. Unfortunately, the poor are disproportionately affected during times of budget cuts like the ones we're about to face.

Quote:
As for my fancy car, yeap it is mine and you try to tow that away from me....Is my PROPERTY..... And who said the laws and rules are right? I've seen a lot of nonsense and this is just one of them.. Is all about money and finding more ways to take money away from us.... If I am in the emergency line waiting for my tow that is paid and covered by my own insurance, why would I let those vultures touch my car?

Not sure where you been for the last 6 years, but this program has been going on for sometime.

Again from the article, "The SafeClear program's operations will not change much beyond the pay-at-the-curb proposal. When a car breaks down in the emergency lane, a city-dispatched truck arrives within six minutes and tows it from the freeway, with or without the driver's consent. Currently, the city pays the towing company $50 per vehicle cleared from the freeway."

Not to mention that this only occurs on our freeways and tollroads (maybe the tollroads have a separate entity).
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Old 03-25-2011, 05:28 AM
 
1,632 posts, read 3,327,595 times
Reputation: 2074
Why was I paying for someone to get their car towed to begin with? Keep in mind, $50 is still a HEAVILY discounted rate -- try calling a tow truck next time you break down somewhere and get a quote.
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Old 03-25-2011, 05:50 AM
 
1,416 posts, read 4,439,525 times
Reputation: 1128
We all pay for things that we don't get a direct service for, but we all benefit from. My office overlooks the West Loop and 59, and I can't tell you how many accidents or stalled cars a day I see. If even half of those were on their own, they would tie up traffic like crazy. I will happily pay a little extra in my taxes to keep the roads clear. Traffic related to car volume is bad enough.
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Old 03-25-2011, 06:38 AM
 
23,976 posts, read 15,086,618 times
Reputation: 12952
Don't get on the freeway unless you have a totally reliable car. If you are driving anything less, stay off of the freeway. Drive another route or the service road.
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