Just had the pleasure of dealing with this great program tonight.
I get a call at 9 pm that my sister in law is broke down on the shoulder.  I throw some stuff in the car and head on down to help her out and if need be make sure the wrecker get there ect ect.
While on my way a nice LEO ask her if she is ok and if she needs help and if she has called for tow service.
He makes sure everything is cool and heads on down the road.  I was on the phone with her during this conversation with the nice policeman:)
I arrive on the scene and determine that car needs to be towed so I have her call and get the tow truck on the way.  
Now comes the stupid stuff....
While were waiting for the tow guy to arrive you guessed it another tow guy shows up and claims this "his tow".  I say we have a truck on the way that will be here in a few mins.  He starts talking in an aggressive manner (typical tow truck loser mentality); however I am feeling in a pretty aggressive mood myself.  This can only go one way...that’s downhill and fast.  
He claims that this stretch of road is "his".  I informed him I could care less what part of the road he thinks he owns but that doesn't change the fact that I have a tow on the way.  Guy then tells me I’m going to get towed no matter what.  I look him in the eye and ask him if you think you’re up to the task. I think he is starting to think if this tow is worth a good butt whippin.  
I told him the police officer who was just there had no issue with us having a tow truck on the way.  He replies how the LEO was an idiot and knew nothing about the traffic laws.  I was like ok I believe most are college educated and they take test regarding the law so they must know something about the traffic laws.
Now he starts talking about how he will get his supervisor on the line for me to speak to.  I am like he's your boss not mine. I have a tow coming. He replies that there is no way that he will "allow" this person to hook up to his tow.  I say well I guess you can fight it out with him once he arrives.  Next he tries to convince me to talk to some people called transtar. Again I am like they mean nothing to me why would I want to talk to them.  He say well F You and goes back to his truck and leaves.  
I know this is too good to be true and sure enough about 2 mins later he returns. He walks up and is handing me his cell phone.  He claims HPD is on the line. I get on the phone and it’s this Transtar Company.  This lady tells me she is working for the mayor’s office and blah blah blah.  I am like great but I don't really care who you work for I am just waiting for my tow to get here. She ask me if I am refusing to have my car towed I was like no it’s just going to be towed by the people I called not this guy.  I ask her why the guy said she was HPD since she just said she works for the mayor’s office.  Now she changes her story and she now is a Houston PO.  I tell her I do not believe her "new" story and ask for her name, position, and any kind of identifying number badge/ect.  She gives me an officer XXXX and that’s all.  Next breath she then resorts to threatening me...she says they are going to send a car over and have her friend do something to me. I am like WTH...So I tell her I am pretty sure the HPD would not threaten me with something so lame.  I tell her I will just contact the HPD myself and see what they have to say.  Well now she starts talking about how I wasting valuable resources to ask them a question for something that is not going to cost me anything.  Well I feel like this is 100% BS and at this point maybe having the po po come out and give me (or this guy) a ticket is ok with me I just want to know what is really going on.  I explain to the driver that I am not looking to harass him as I am sure he has a job to do however I do not believe this whole scenario. He assures me the first mile of the tow is free and that I can have someone else tow me from that point on.  At this point I decide I will let them tow it off the shoulder since all this aggression is making the sis in law nervous.  He then says to just drive up a couple of exits.  I tell him that will be several miles and as such will not be free from what he just told me.  He was like well yeah that’s true.  I tell him I will exit at the first exit and I will be watching the mileage to make sure it is under the mile.  So we get 1 mile away, exit, drop the broke-down car, fill out some form and he was off.  Now all of this time and energy for what???? It was like 10:00 something (at least an hour later) when this was done.  This program makes no sense.  Almost everyone has some sort of free towing these days.  If I understand the program correctly the mayor now has the city paying for this crap.  WTH???

A flawed program based on a brain fart.  Here's a hint, GET BAD DRIVERS AND BAD CARS OFF THE ROADS.

Quoted: A flawed program based on a brain fart.  Here's a hint, GET BAD DRIVERS AND BAD CARS OFF THE ROADS.

Yeah, that's like saying we're gonna ban all Fords cause they're worthless pieces of shit (IMHO).  What is your definition of bad?

Quoted: Quoted: A flawed program based on a brain fart.  Here's a hint, GET BAD DRIVERS AND BAD CARS OFF THE ROADS. Yeah, that's like saying we're gonna ban all Fords cause they're worthless pieces of shit (IMHO).  What is your definition of bad?

Valid safety inspection sticker.  There are far too many of the illicit inspection sticker shops that do nothing more than fill out the paperwork.

You won't find it in any stats but most of the break-downs have invalid inspection stickers.  They have been doing good work on the trucks but not cars.  

think the guy was just trying to get paid




i would have called the police reporting vehicle theft if he tried to tow my car

That "Safe Clear" shit is just that.  Shit.  NO one tows my car against my wishes.  Theft/kidnapping/blahblah.

Quoted: That "Safe Clear" shit is just that.  Shit.  NO one tows my car against my wishes.  Theft/kidnapping/blahblah.

Unfortunately down here it's law, sort of, a stupid city ordinance.  

Tonster,

I seriously applaud you for not taking shit from any of those self-serving pontificating idiots.

When it comes to ANY position within or associated with the government, it's all about creating the appearance that WE need them, that their job is VERY important.  


Well done.

CMOS

Quoted: Quoted: That "Safe Clear" shit is just that.  Shit.  NO one tows my car against my wishes.  Theft/kidnapping/blahblah. Unfortunately down here it's law, sort of, a stupid city ordinance.

jadams951,
   I know your a LEO...Question..Do you know if Transtar actually employs HPD officers to work the phones?

Quoted: Tonster, I seriously applaud you for not taking shit from any of those self-serving pontificating idiots. When it comes to ANY position within or associated with the government, it's all about creating the appearance that WE need them, that their job is VERY important.   Well done. CMOS

Well I eventually let them have thier way with the vehicle, but I'm sure that guy didn't want to see people like me often.  I can only imagine how many women they bully around.  It just does not make any sense to have my car towed off at a charge to tax payers when I have someone that will do it for FREE.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: That "Safe Clear" shit is just that.  Shit.  NO one tows my car against my wishes.  Theft/kidnapping/blahblah. Unfortunately down here it's law, sort of, a stupid city ordinance.   jadams951,    I know your a LEO...Question..Do you know if Transtar actually employs HPD officers to work the phones?

I don't know if they answer the phones but I do know they have officers at transtar that monitor those damn freeway cameras and then get on the police radio for that area when a car is disabled to dispatch a safe and clear wrecker there.  

Tony - that situation sucks, sorry to hear you and your kin had to endure that idiot's ranting.

Yours is not the first story that I've heard about things going south with these tow drivers who think they're empowered with some kind of authority.

To be honest I think that while I was firm and assertive the thing that may have kept them in check is that I was wearing a t-shirt... with a huge pic of an AR15 on it.
Not to mention all the pro-gun stickers on the back window of my rig.  
He (looked like the typical north side vato gang banger) may have thought I was one of those crazy gun people  
Well I am going to do my civic duty and call today and complain about this BS program.  
The company I use to tow me told me the guy that handles the safe clear contracts had been after them to join for a while.
He told me that there have been many cases of violence breaking out for the "required" tows.  He said he would never join such a messed up program.
WHEN WILL THE .GOV FIGURE OUT WE WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE.
Well I guess driving is "a privilege".

Jadams...Thanks for the info.  I am going to call and see if in fact she was a LEO or just an operator.  
I have never heard of a police officer who would not give out a badge number when asked for it.

My understanding of the ordnance is that a tow company has the contract for a given stretch of road.  The companies rotate the areas they work, so nobody can claim that another company has a better stretch of road.  In the event of a disabled vehicle, the company with the contract for that area tows the vehicle UNLESS the owner/operator has called another tow company.  That's the way it was explained in Dallas when they were using the fine example set by Mosquitoville Houston.
PS:  How's that train thingy working out for y'all?

Quoted: PS:  How's that train thingy working out for y'all?

Oh it's great!

We are up to over 100+ accidents involving it!

Quoted: He walks up and is handing me his cell phone.  He claims HPD is on the line. I get on the phone and it’s this Transtar Company.  This lady tells me she is working for the mayor’s office and blah blah blah.  I am like great but I don't really care who you work for I am just waiting for my tow to get here. She ask me if I am refusing to have my car towed I was like no it’s just going to be towed by the people I called not this guy.  I ask her why the guy said she was HPD since she just said she works for the mayor’s office.  Now she changes her story and she now is a Houston PO.  I tell her I do not believe her "new" story and ask for her name, position, and any kind of identifying number badge/ect.  She gives me an officer XXXX and that’s all.  Next breath she then resorts to threatening me...she says they are going to send a car over and have her friend do something to me. I am like WTH...

At this point, I probably would have lost control and chucked the fucking phone into traffic.   Safe Clear is a fucking joke.

Quoted: Safe Clear is a fucking joke.

+10000000000

Quoted: Quoted: PS:  How's that train thingy working out for y'all? Oh it's great! We are up to over 100+ accidents involving it!

Half of my family still lives down there, and my dad gives me the choo-choo scores every once in a while.  I can't believe the level of hell that drivers in Houston have with that thing, not to mention all of the grand schemes that have been developed.  
I left town way back when, sometime around Tootsie and Mayor Bob.  In the good old days of Da Chief (Brown) and Miss Betsy ( I can remember when the suckups at HPD all had ribbons on their squads when she hatched one out).  So the insanity spewing from the council and city government is nothing new to me.  I just can't help but laugh at that train.

The ONLY good thing about Safe Clear is it gets ACCIDENTS off the roads.  This is the problem, people get into a fender-bender and then WANT the police to see the accident scene, thinking they will call out CSI and then they can sue the crap out of the other party.

I have seen it too often.  Then the fender bender turns into an episode of Jerry Springer and everyone slows down.

They need to write tickets for this..Steer it and Clear it.

Quoted: The ONLY good thing about Safe Clear is it gets ACCIDENTS off the roads.  This is the problem, people get into a fender-bender and then WANT the police to see the accident scene, thinking they will call out CSI and then they can sue the crap out of the other party.

+1

Just move your POS off the road.

Quoted: Maybe I'm silly, but if I had some guy menacing me to tow my car, and some woman in collusion on the phone threatening physical violence, I would have called the police on them. ETA: Slaying Charge for Tow Driver P.S. I once had a car which was less than a year old blow a hose and break down.  Not all cars which break down are POSes.

And not all POS break down.

Quoted: Quoted: Maybe I'm silly, but if I had some guy menacing me to tow my car, and some woman in collusion on the phone threatening physical violence, I would have called the police on them. ETA: Slaying Charge for Tow Driver P.S. I once had a car which was less than a year old blow a hose and break down.  Not all cars which break down are POSes. And not all POS break down.

True...I once offered a ride to Mad Max (Cederick Maxwell sp?) when his new Porsche broke down....
Then again it was a Porsche

I fucking HATE tow truck drivers, with the way those guys drive, I'm guessing they CAUSE most of the god damned accidents they clean up.

I couldn't count how many times I almost got side swiped by some jackass tow truck speeding through a 55 at 90.

Quoted: I fucking HATE tow truck drivers, with the way those guys drive, I'm guessing they CAUSE most of the god damned accidents they clean up. I couldn't count how many times I almost got side swiped by some jackass tow truck speeding through a 55 at 90.

+1

jadams,
Can you validate the claim that certain tow truck drivers/companies have jurisdiction or rights over certain areas of freeway?
This sounds like a total crap story to me and furthermore what is wrong with using your own insurance/tow company to do it?

I think that after the intimidation shit, that fucking Vato would not have hooked up to anything of mine unless JSAdmas showed wup and told me my dog was in danger if he had to hook it up himself

Quoted: Maybe I'm silly, but if I had some guy menacing me to tow my car, and some woman in collusion on the phone threatening physical violence, I would have called the police on them. ETA: Slaying Charge for Tow Driver P.S. I once had a car which was less than a year old blow a hose and break down.  Not all cars which break down are POSes.

+1  

Quoted: I think that after the intimidation shit, that fucking Vato would not have hooked up to anything of mine unless JSAdmas showed wup and told me my dog was in danger if he had to hook it up himself

I work for the county and I damn sure don't enforce safe clear bullshit even though I patrol in the city.  

Curious to know about the Criminal History of the Tow Drivers.

I mean they ARE working hand in hand with H.P.D. on this program aren't they????

What about Back Ground History on the Tow Drivers??

An Austin news channel ran an expose on the background of the drivers in the Capital City after a spate of Illegal Tow Offs (towing and impounding cars that were legally parked with the Tow Company forcing the helpless citizen to pay to get their own car back!!!)  

Turned out that WELL over HALF the tow drivers in Austin were Ex-Cons!!!!!

Glad to see we are putting those "Steriling examples of moral virtue" out on the streets to patrol for Victims (Oops meant stranded motorists!)

What a Cluster Fnck!!!!!

Grew Up in Houston - Glad I don't live there any more!!!

BIGGER_HAMMER

Quoted: Curious to know about the Criminal History of the Tow Drivers. I mean they ARE working hand in hand with H.P.D. on this program aren't they???? What about Back Ground History on the Tow Drivers?? An Austin news channel ran an expose on the background of the drivers in the Capital City after a spate of Illegal Tow Offs (towing and impounding cars that were legally parked with the Tow Company forcing the helpless citizen to pay to get their own car back!!!)   Turned out that WELL over HALF the tow drivers in Austin were Ex-Cons!!!!! Glad to see we are putting those "Steriling examples of moral virtue" out on the streets to patrol for Victims (Oops meant stranded motorists!) What a Cluster Fnck!!!!! Grew Up in Houston - Glad I don't live there any more!!! BIGGER_HAMMER

I think the City of Houston contracts with towing companies and those companies hire and run the drivers.  

But yes alot of wrecker drivers are thugs.  On that note there are some decent ones out there that have helped my ass out in fights.