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BPD sergeant pays $99 to help elderly man out of a towing jam
By adamg on Thu, 03/17/2016 - 9:32am
District C-6 Capt. John Greland recounts how one of his officers helped a man out last night:
So last night my CSO [Community Service Officer] Sgt Tim Gaughan meets an elderly gentleman who is upset and crying turns out his wife was getting admitted to the hospital and now his car is missing, it turns out it was towed which really upsets him. So Sgt Gaughan drives him to the tow lot. The Sgt tries to advocate for him buts it's a no go. So the elderly gentleman is really crying that he has to get back to his wife.
So the Sgt says how much is the fee and its $99. The Elderly man says he doesn't have any money and the Sgt looks in his own wallet and sees that he has the money to pay it and does so. The Elderly man says he can't pay him back and Sgt Tim Gaughan says don't worry about and then shows him how to get back to the hospital.
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Comments
Tow companies and their employees
are basically the worst people on the planet. Politicians, lawyers, cops....no one comes close. Old man crying about his dying wife, cop standing there trying to reason with them. Nope, nothing. Can't help you. Literally wouldn't cost the tow company a DIME to let that car out of impound, just the worst, most greedy people on earth.
Lots of sob stories
I'm sure tow companies hear lots of sob stories from people trying to get out of paying. It actually would cost the tow company a lot to let the car out of impound without paying. How do you think they make money? There was work done in towing the vehicle to the lot, and expenses for doing that and storing it. They would go bankrupt if they just give everyone with a sob story their car back.
Are you effing kidding me?
Have you been to a tow lot ever? They are typically in the most run down (cheap) areas and are nothing but a chain link fence and a literal shack with a surly employee sitting in it. How much overhead do you think they are paying? Couple tow trucks that are paid for after say, a hundred days of towing and low wage for the drivers, who, by they way, swear up and down to me that they do not make commissions per car towed, so they get paid whether or not they are towing cars. So, quite literally, in this guys case, with a cop vouching for him, it would cost them NOTHING to just open the gate and let him drive away. NOTHING.
"Work" done in towing the car he says...you gotta be kidding me. Slide a tow bar under a car, hit a button on a hydraulic lift. OH THE PLIGHT OF THE POOR TOW TRUCK DRIVERS!!!
You are talking about the
You are talking about the worker getting paid no matter what. I am talking about the company. If workers just give back cars for free, then the company fails. It doesn't matter that you think it is low overhead, there are expenses and it can't do it's business for free.
Given that this sob story came with a cop, then I would have let this one slide. However, we don't know if the tow guy's boss would allow that, so I'm still not going to judge the tow guy for that.
While the old man's story is an unfortunate situation, there is more to it and it doesn't mean we should be angry at what happened. The old man broke the law, potentially ruined other people's days when he broke the law (depending on where he illegally parked), and now a tow lot worker who is just doing their job is getting attacked.
but..
But how many sob stories come in with a police officer with them?
Dying?!
I didn't read his wife was dying. From all I know she could've been drying drunk.
Uh
That's a kind act on the part of the sergeant, to partially make up for someone else's incredibly cruel, asshole act. The man was still taken away from his wife when she needed him most, and no doubt he still has to pay a parking fine, so it's not exactly a sunshine and flowers story, is it?
Yeah, lets not tow anyone
I'd agree with you if the tow truck driver spat in the guys face when he explained his wife's condition but most likely his car was parked illegally and the tow truck driver had no idea the guy's wife was sick when he did his job and towed.
It's hard to see why the guy at the tow lot wouldn't give him his car with a cop arguing his case though I bet the guy hears a lot of sob stories, most of which are bogus.
Regardless, it's always nice to hear of an officer going above and beyond to help someone in need.
So Karmically..
Humanity broke even.
How is towing cruel?
How is towing a car a cruel, asshole act? Obviously we don't know the details of why his car is towed, so I won't address this particular case. But in order to be towed, a car needs to be illegally parked. I have had to call to get cars towed a bunch of times - normally because the car is blocking me into my driveway, or (more rarely) they are completely blocking the street. Giving a ticket is not enough in cases of illegal parking. There are reasons why you aren't allowed to park in certain places, and the cars should be promptly towed away. If a car is illegally parked and gets towed away, the cruel asshole is the person who parked it there, not the one who had to go through the trouble of getting someone else's car out of their way.
perspective
In this case, it sounds like we have an elderly person who is distraught over his spouse, and I'd wager that he didn't realize he was parking in a spot that was illegal. It is not so much that the towing is cruel but the lack of sympathy by the tow company. This was also likely an elderly person who is on a very fixed income hence not having money to pay to get his car back. I am happy this story was shared and that the officer showed such kindness. As my parents age I've noticed that things they used to be able to take in stride are more frightening to them, such as financial paperwork, working out medicare choices, driving in Boston, etc.
Towing in general
The person I was responding to seemed to be directing their anger at the act of towing and fining in general. Not towards the tow company lacking sympathy:
"The man was still taken away from his wife when she needed him most, and no doubt he still has to pay a parking fine"
Clearly they are taking the position that the towing and parking ticket is the problem.
Thank you for sharing this
you'll probably be the only news outlet that does.
And bravo to Sgt Gaughan. The BPD and police in general get such a bad wrap (sometimes rightfully so), and it's nice to actually hear about the good things for a change.
Agreed
The police should publicize this sort of thing more often. More information, about misbehavior and good-deeds alike, will help everyone move away from their preferred narrative.
What tow company is it ? A
What tow company is it ? A public shaming would be nice .
Really?
A public shaming for doing their job?
for what?
They towed an illegally parked vehicle and did things "by the book." They're under no obligation to hear this guy's story and help, but neither was the C-6 sergeant...so why not focus on his act of kindness than an otherwise neutral act by the tow company?
Often?
You mean, every time they don't pull out their own guns and blast away, even though they have every right to do so, every time thugs pull guns on them?
Slightly modified
to "sometimes" to try to prevent this conversation.
tow companies dont care
boston police does. its been a good week for the sergeants. I keep picturing that old man crying and some smug asshole telling him "tough shit pal"
It's their job
This isn't some smug asshole telling him "tough shit". It's someone doing their job and expecting to get paid for it. I don't know about you, but I can't just give out free stuff at work. It's not the tow company's fault that this guys wife is in the hospital. It's not the tow company's fault that this man illegally parked somewhere.
No?
Neither could the cop. So he reached into his own pocket.
Right, and that's great. But
Right, and that's great. But something tells me a cop makes more than a tow lot employee. The focus should be on the cop's nice act. Instead people are complaining about someone who works at a tow lot doing their job.
The cop has job secuirty
The clerk would be fired.
Street Sweeping Pilot Program
The move to jack up the street sweeping fines and stop the towing would cut the tow companies out the process. If you view them at heartless bastards, this change is beneficial.
(Of course, they aren't all heartless. I had a driver release my car after it was already up on the truck.)
Drop fee
Usually they ask you to pay a drop fee in order to do release your vehicle from the truck. I believe mine was $50 cash, no cards or personal checks accepted. Which sounds like all sorts of illegal.
But I guess you were lucky to get one of those rare nice tow truck drivers.
Tow companies are shady as
Tow companies are shady as shit - when my stolen car was recovered and towed halfway across the city from where I lived, I called them specifically to ask if they took credit, and they said they did - then when I showed up, the cc machine was only for parking ticket tows, not stolen vehicle tows. Cue me wandering around a pretty sketchy part of Roxbury in the dark looking for an ATM to pull out 200$ cash. Bullshit.
Only 50 bucks?
A tow truck likes to lurk in the shadows across from a lot at Centre St. and Redlands Rd. in West Roxbury. When people are getting back to their car after picking up a pizza or sandwich, the guy (who by now has it up on his truck) offers to let them have it back for a "fee." I heard it is a lot more than fifty bucks. And of course it goes straight into his pocket and he goes straight back across the street to watch and wait.
Wish people would be more
Wish people would be more knowledgeable about MA laws
"part IV, title I, chapter 266, Section 120D. No person shall remove a motor vehicle which is parked or standing on a private way or upon improved or enclosed property unless the operator of such vehicle has been forbidden so to park or stand, either directly or by posted notice, by the person who has lawful control of such way or property. No vehicle shall be removed from such way or property without the consent of the owner of such vehicle unless the person who has lawful control of such way or property shall have notified the chief of police or his designee in a city or town, or, in the city of Boston the police commissioner, or a person from time to time designated by said police commissioner, that such vehicle is to be removed."
"Any person who is called to remove by towing a vehicle illegally parked or standing on a private way or upon improved or enclosed property may, at his discretion, if the owner appears to remove said vehicle before the towing is completed, charge said owner one half of the fee usually charged for such towing"
Hi, anon. Come here often?
That's not helpful. Because there's no law saying HOW MUCH a tow company can charge you for a tow; it's completely at their discretion. Also, "may, at his discretion... charge said owner one half of the fee," means that Mr. Tow-man doesn't have to charge a drop fee, but he likes to. And referring back to my first point, you have no idea much that tow costs, and so the drop fee can cost you anything. Also it has to be paid in cash, and you don't get a receipt, so if there's some sort of problem or you have to prove you paid a drop fee, you can't.
WRONG
The DPU (and formerly the DTE) sets towing rates for police and trespass tows. 220 C.M.R. § 272.00, Please do the slightest bit of research before you post and look stupid.
When I used to work in
When I used to work in Harvard Square, I'd watch a tow truck lurk around the corner from Pinocchio's Pizza all night. There were a couple of parking spots right out front that were privately owned, but not well marked. People would park there and go in to grab a slice, and he'd snatch up their cars as fast as he could drop them back at the tow lot.
I talked to the driver a couple of times when he came into our place to get a drink... on duty... and he said that between drop fees and the commission he claimed to get, he made a small fortune. For a while, I considered dropping out of school and driving a tow truck. I still think about it when work sucks.
Where was the car parked?
If the car was parked in a fire zone and a car had blocked emergency vehicles there wouldn't be much sympathy for the guy. I'm not suggesting the guy deserved to be towed but you can't have it both ways.
That said, The guy at the tow lot who wouldn't give him his car is a true asshole.
Boston Police and towing
More than once I've had Boston Police knock on my front door (front door for 4 units) to say that someone in the building has a car in a tow zone for moving or construction. So doing the right thing isn't limited to one Sargent.
True
This happened to me when I lived in East Boston. I'm still grateful for the officer giving me the chance to move my car before she called for a tow!
Yup
When my husband and I had a moving permit in Allston, someone parked in our spot after the permit went into effect but before the movers arrived. We called the police to notify them (as stated on the permit) and gave them the plate number. Somehow, the police managed to call the car owner and get them to move their car before the movers arrived, rather than towing it.
We were impressed and thankful that the problem could be solved in a sensible way, rather than towing.
Thanks everyone for all the
Thanks everyone for all the nice comments! I know this sergeant personally, and I'm not the least bit surprised. He really is that kind. Great, great guy.
And yeah, pretty much every cop will try to find you to just have you move your car whenever possible. We get absolutely no joy from towing.
- Boston Cop
Ever meet Tow Operators Socially?
I used to work at a restaurant next to a tow lot that mostly did trespass towing. They had a wall of stopped checks so they'd could only take cash. I suspect the same issue with credit cards. They were some badass dudes and had to be. Dealing with drunk angry self-entitled pricks at 3AM ain't for the faint of heart. Their counter was pretty banged up from where they would slam a motorcycle chain to shut down threats. They pretty much have to be cynical and hard hearted to do the job.
There's a lot of regulation of tow companies by the City and State. You won't win trying to get your car back for free but you might win restitution if you got screwed over.
The guy was lucky the cop was so helpful. I hope his wife turned out OK.
I've heard plenty of stories
I've heard plenty of stories of people getting scammed by towing companies who didn't follow the law, but none of them ended with the victim winning restitution.
Anecdotes = data!!!
Anecdotes = data!!!
It's not clear from the
It's not clear from the twitter exactly where the car was parked and exactly where the old man was. It's apocryphal and vague. I would ask, why waste time with the car ? If the old man is not at the hospital, then take him to the hospital and deal with the car later. If he is already at the hospital, then what's the problem ? He's where he needs to be at this point and the car is a really low priority thing to worry about. I'll wait to pass judgement until after the story inevitably makes the full media cycle and eventually gets proven and/or debunked on snopes.com.
Announcing ones own charitable acts is questionable
While I always enjoy the rare media story that is favorable to our brave and generous police, the fact is that officers quietly perform acts of charity each and every day. I'm wondering how this came to the captain's attention? The story smacks of publicity hound Richard Davey proclaiming to anyone who'd listen that he had donated his car to charity upon taking the job as head of the MBTA or the Clinton's donating their used underwear. These things, if genuine, are best left unsaid.
True, but outweighed
It's 2016 and the police have an enormous PR problem. Consequently, they need to be loud about lauding good police and equally loud about punishing bad ones.
What you say is true, but I'd say outweighed by their very real PR problem.
Why don't you call Captain Greland and ask him?
I'm sure he'd be more than happy to tell you - since you missed it right in his tweets - the guy is Greland's community service officer. Maybe things were different in the State Police, but I hear that BPD captains and their officers actually talk to each other.
Add to the fact that Greland is pretty chatty on his Twitter account, and why wouldn't he want to boast about something good one of his guys did?
TBT tow truck flashbacks!!!!!!!!!!!
this guy was special.
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/why-you-never-want-park-wrong-place-all...
Predatory towing
Private, involuntary trespass towing is legal and necessary because property owners should have a right to keep trespassers off their property. It becomes predatory when parking lot owners do the bare minimum with signs are barriers, even though they know that the signs are not enough to keep away trespassers to the point where tow trucks wait nearby to snatch up cars. It's like surrounding your house and lawn with a scrawny rope fence, and then shooting kids who trespass. You can't do that. If you install a 12 foot electrified barbed wire fence, then shooting trespassers might be okay, because you made a serious effort to keep people out. Nobody's going to wander in.
These places that where there is a lot of towing really need to demonstrate that they're making a serious effort to keep trespassers out. Every space should have a sign saying that towing companies monitor the parking lot with cameras, and that walk-offs get towed immediately. And if someplace still does a lot of towing outside of business hours, then maybe they need to put up a chain or traffic cones. Without those kind of rules, lot owners have a perverse incentive to attract trespassers, because they can tow them and make money off it.
The rest of the story
WFXT interviews the sergeant:
That is a class act!
That is a class act!