NYPD Tow Truck Drivers "Screw" Motorists For Overtime

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NYPD tow truck drivers say they're being pressured to meet a quota of four tows per shift—or else they're punished with less overtime, assigned undesirable shifts, or have their time-off requests delayed. One veteran driver tells the Post, "You have to get your number. That's it. If you don't get that number, you know that when you roll into the pound, the bosses will be all over you." Another source says, "If it's a judgment call, we'll frequently go against the driver for that reason. It's screw them or screw me. Either way, someone's getting screwed." As of early July, 69,419 cars were towed this year, putting the NYPD on track to impound 138,838 vehicles by year's end. There was a 13 percent increase in tows between 2007 and 2008, for a grand total of 136,632. At the Manhattan tow lot, incensed driver Elizabeth Gillies of the Upper West Side tells the Post, "It's disgusting, absolutely beyond disgusting. It's been getting bad lately. They have no respect for people." But an NYPD spokesman Ed Mullens insists it "is absolutely not true" that there is four-car per driver quota, and denied any policy of screw or get screwed.

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By John Del Signore in News on August 4, 2009 12:59 PM

Comments [rss]

jaycjay

"They have no respect for people."

Doing the job my tax dollars are paying them to do? That's all the respect I need from them. That and, of course, not towing my car if it's actually legally parked... but that doesn't seem to be a complaint here.

Guest

same crap goes on in the NYPD. If you don't come in with your "goal" or quota, they send you to the hospital to sit on hospitalized prisoners aka hiv infected bums. they make your life miserable by giving you the worst assignments possible. people think cops are assholes but the truth of the matter is that they are forced to give out x amount of tickets or arrest x amount of people per month. if they dont meet these quotas their hours get changed. these men and women have families just like all of us, so they have to do it or else they cant pick up their kid from school or whatnot. rule by fear is what they call it. i'm just glad i was able to leave that nonsense

blondeinthecity

my friend got a zipcar towed once. that was a lot of fun.

Matt Joyce

NYPD Traffic... are the scum of the earth. At least criminals steal for the purpose of self betterment. This ilk steals for no reason at all.

silver

Tow truck drivers are just paroled auto thieves that need a legal income to avoid going back to prison.

ANGRYGOD11

Some of these guys are scum of the earth, but towing 4 cars in an 8 hour shift doesn't sound like too much work.

JenChungsBaby

The one time I got towed when I got my car back at the west side piers it was covered in what looked like Spaghettios. Like someone had dumped a 10-gallon pot of pasta and sauce on the windshield and let it run down and then congeal in place. But I guess that's better than getting one of those sanitation street cleaning stickers stuck to your window.

americaonline

If they published a report saying that the amout of tows for the year was down, and that the avg. driver only pulled in 2/shift, everyone would call them lazy. Don't park illegally, you won't get towed.

Tpooh2

They are sometimes predetory in their towing practices.

CR

Like when they're hungry, or when they're bulking up for the long, harsh winters?

Tpooh2

Oh hush, you know what I mean. I was eating soup, reading the article and pretending to do work at the same time. Forgeeeve me master. :-)

fax

As an ex-nyc'er I would say that it's not worth it, get rid of your cars, it's only going to get worse as the city needs more revenue.

valeriob

This is what more NYers should do:

http://twurl.cc/1dq8

buttface

Here's an idea: use an approved parking space.

If you can't find a standard parking spot, sell your car.

Thespis

Yeah -- if they're only towing cars that are actually illegally parked, then check the sign next time.

If there is a quota, though, my concern is that it would create an incentive to tow cars that aren't illegally parked. I mean, all you have to do is write down that the car was parked five feet closer to the hydrant than it really was and, bang, a quarter of a way to the quota. The driver isn't ever going to be able to prove that he was legally parked -- so he's pretty much screwed.