Just had my six towed from Riverside to Redlands on a flat bed and realised the dumb cock smoker crushed my rear valance with the load strap coming through one of the paddle holes on the alloys and it also rubbed right through the finish on both alloys.Oh and by the way the vallence was a mint condition factory six porthole valance. When I called the tow company back the driver came back and I pointed out the damage to the driver he called me a liar right there in my own drive way and said that the damage was already there! Needless to say I can only hope to see that cock smokers face on a milk carton or on americas most wanted!

I tell them how to strap down my 914 and get a ration of $h!t for it every time. But it's better than bitching after they fuch'd up your junk. BTDT - Condolences.

So don't f@#k 'em .......................

The Cap'n

dude, that sucks!... they better fix that



second, you're from Redlands? How come I've never seen you? Was the car at Precision Motion?

Hey Ben! Its me Shawn from Redlands you know Hirschels sidekick and yes the car was recently at kravigs for maintenance.

Don't just talk to the driver, call and ask for a manager or owner to come out and look at the damage.

Yeah I agree because of course the driver is going to want to cover his ass and not man up to the mistake he made and no I am not being a smart ass while making this remark its unfurtunately the cold hearted truth of the matter. The dispatcher of the company said to file a report on monday with the owner because unfortunetly this is not the first time this has happened with this particular driver! If that is the case then why in the hell is he still employed?

Hey Shawn. I didn't realize you were on the world. I saw your car there after the fan incident when I got my new front rotors. That sucks about the tow truck, that valence was mint. I hope it gets resolved soon, and you can get the -6 back on the road.

Sorry about your problem with the driver, definately deal with a manager. I've got an Original 914-6 Valance in the classifieds, it's not mint, but with a little work it would be nice

T.C.

Thanks Ben I hope so too. It wont be too long before it gets back on the road.

Thanks for that T.C. I will definetly take that into consideration! Keep me me in mind if nobody else jumps on it first!

Good to hear. I really do like your car

File a police report. It was damage done, just as if some one ran into your car. Set the record straight in writting and have the police investigate. That will send a message to the tow truck company that you mean business

Yeah I really hope you follow thru on this. I have been in the same situation a few years ago when a tow truck driver dropped my honda civic off the flat bed on purpose. Just wanted to unhook it fast and leave. Tilted it back and pulled a release the just dropped my car into my driverway. The front bumper smacked into the ground and was completely ripped off the car. The car also almost rolled into the house.

Needless to say I wasn't at all surprised to see the driver jump in his truck with the bed still tilted and floor it down the street.

The bitch of it is, every time you call a tow truck, on the legal end of things that driver can only tow the car to the best of his ability. When they get into a situation where they're dealing with a car they don't normally tow, they can essentially "get away" with damaging it because they "don't know any better" which is probably why this particular driver is still employed even tho he's had complaints filed before.

At least, that's the way it is in Iowa... I don't know about Cali.

That's crazy!!!!!


Hopefully they can replace the valence. It'd be a bitch move not to. And Herschel needs a trailer

Hirschel has a trailer he just was not around to come and get the six until later today. I suppose I should have waited till today! Oh well!

Hindsight is 20/20 though... it will be repairable or replaceable. Hopefully the company pays for it, but could have always been worse.

Let me know if you need any help, I think you have my number. Also, you coming to WCR with Herschel?

Thanks for the offer! I think I have your ph# but pm it to me anyway.
Unfortunetly I have too much time off for vacation already this summer to request the time off for the WCR. Oh well maybe next year.

Talk to your insurance people about help with a claim against the co.

Here's a tow-truck driver story that might make you feel better:

A few years ago after the last major hurricane, all stop-lights were out. When the stop-lights are out, you are supposed to treat each intersection as a 4-way stop. I pull up to the intersection, look both ways and proceed slowly when it's my turn. RRRROOOOMMMMMM....this m-f'er in a tow truck (the big mo-fo's they use to tow 18-wheelers) comes roaring through the intersection without stopping (didn't even slow down or look). I jam on the brakes and the truck misses crushing me by inches. I catch up with the driver and...lo/behold...it is a company that I had done work for in the past...and I recognize the driver. He doesn't remember me, though.

I'm yelling at him while we're driving down the road, telling him to pull over. He points to the flashing amber light on the roof of the truck and says he's an "emergency response vehicle" and has the right-of-way... He continues rolling and I turn off.

I call the towing company and bitch out the owner. He apologizes and says he'll talk to him... (more ).

Fast-forward two years. There's a front-page article in the paper about a tow-truck driver who jumped the curb in his rig and flattened an old lady waiting for the bus. They had to jack-up the truck to get her body out. The driver is charged with reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter, etc. and they post his mugshot...GUESS WHO!?!

I contact the family of the old woman and give them my contact info, asking them to forward it to their attorney. I also contact the County Prosecutor and offer them my testimony.

I will be testifying against this mo-tard in his civil and criminal trials, both scheduled for later this year.

Payback is a beyotch...

Just goes to show what comes around goes around.Its a bitter sweet incident about this particular tow driver but sounds like justice is going to be served in the end.Its just sad that somebody had to pay with their life in order for this jack off artist to finally be taken off the street though. But I appreciate it never the less becuase what happened to me doesent even remotely compare to that..I mean after all its just sheetmetal that can be fixed! So in a way you just made me feel better.

Shawn, I just noticed the Vin# of your Six. The Valance I offered up is off 9140430673.

T.C.

keep a cheap disposable camera in the glove box at all times..when there is any kind of accident or something like that,break down ..wrecker called. take pictures of the car or cars involved maybe next time it will help your case .....where you there when he was loading the car doesnt! sound like it .... if my six broke down on the side of the road i would stay there the whole time tell a wrecker showed up.i would not leave my car alone on the side of the road.. thats why they call them wreckers must of those guys deal with smashed up cars they have to move quikly so there not used to being gental...best of luck in your fight hope you get some resolve

I feel ya...

This is what the dope did to my 73.5 911T, and this is after I assisted loading it up, and explained everything to him. I was not able to follow to the drop location and that's just what he did, bottomed out the front end rolling it off at to steep a angle, both front hooks hit and tore upward.

The good news is I was using AAA for the tow, they took care of everything, ripped them a new one, and I was paid out for the damages.

Funny thing... I have always had the towing insurance on my cars and have never used it until I got my 914... I used it once with the Bumblebee Racer because there was no gas guage and I ran out on the way back from a Santa Rosa autocross, I have used it at least 3 times for my silver 914. The thing I notice is that the drivers are UBER CAREFUL with my cars. I think perhaps USAA goes after them if they damage anything. I had one build a ramp because he wanted to make sure he didn't scrape the spoiler...

My buddy is a Placer County Sherriffs Deputy and he says that about half of all tow truck drivers are ex-cons.

I do not know that the police will be interested in your problem; it is not a criminal matter-it is civil.

File a small claims action (CA is $7,500 max.) and make them pay. Hopefully you have pictures of the car close to when the damage happened and also people familiar enough with the car to prepare written declarations under penalty of perjury stating the car was flawless prior to being towed.

Then document the conversations you had with the tow truck driver so your memory is not all you are relying upon when it actually goes to court. I think this is the kind of stuff one does personally and does not file with their insurance company. Just remember it is all about the documentation. Sworn declarations or better, personal appearances to testify if your friends/family are able. Then a good set of pictures of your car to allow the court to see the condition in which it is kept.

Good luck and have fun- make the unskilled, careless driver pay.

On a personal note, I bet you could have expressed the exact same level of dissatisfaction without using the harsh language. Maybe?

Is there a good link here to the proper way to have a 914 tied down.

Partial Agreement:

One of the gals I used to work with at the bank in Texas dated a guy who worked on the side as a repo man. Come to find out that he was quite far into a number of controlled substances and eventually was wanted for cooking / distribution / using meth. (A continuation of a trend - her father was locked up for the same things - but that's a different story)

There are a few (dwindling) good wreckers back home. But for some reason the PDs screw the good ones and then use the bad ones, eventually turning full circle and begging the good ones to put in a bid, which they no longer do. Most of the remaining ones are crooks.

Not that I'm taking the side of the driver, but as a [non towing] truck driver myself, he wasn't entirely wrong in claiming to be an emergency vehicle. What he should have done was slowed down as he approached the intersection and tugged on his air horn before proceeding to warn anybody else that he was coming thru. Note the words should have.

There's no excuse for reckless driving, particularly in a commercial vehicle. Every day I go to work I remind myself that I'm driving an "80,000 pound death machine" to help me drive just a little bit safer. While it is our job to know so, a lot of drivers tend to "adjust" their driving habits for their trucks. It's not uncommon for a driver to get used to the way their truck handles [just like a car] and not necessarily drive it "by the book." This includes things like not downshifting when approaching stop lights/signs or taking an inside turn lane when they're supposed to be in the outside turn lane in hopes of getting thru the light just a little bit faster.

The pressure of time weighs heavily on a truck driver, because in the trucking industry, time is everything, and a lot of drivers tend to do things not so safely in order to save a little time. It doesn't make it right, but it happens.

I just want to remind everyone here that most drivers- those of us that take our jobs seriously- do their best to drive safely. In the case of this tow truck driver, he was just a f*cking idiot and had no regard for his own safety let alone that of others. But next time you see a truck do something drastic, like block off 3 lanes of traffic to make a sudden left hand turn [I hate to admit I've had to do it once or twice] he's not necessarily being ignorant, just doing what he [or she] feels has to be done. It's bad enough being lost in a car- imagine being lost in a 70 foot long train.

[Apologies if I kind of went off on a tangent there- I'm just very passionate about my job. I love driving a truck and I realize that most people don't understand what it takes to drive one, which is why I tend to get long winded about it.]

Wrong, wrong, wrong...100% wrong.

A flashing amber light displayed on a vehicle traveling on a surface road does not define an "emergency vehicle". If he were on the side of the highway, hooking up a wreck and attempting to re-enter (same direction) traffic, maybe. If he were towing a vehicle from the intersection, maybe.

Cruising down a surface road with your amber light flashing DOES NOT give one permission to blow through a stop sign nor does it give you permission to slow down, honk your horn and roll through a stop sign.

An emergency vehicle is typically an ambulance or a police cruiser and those have flashing red/blue lights, often with siren. They can "slow and blow" as you describe, but not a tow-truck driver under any circumstance.

And, the problem is (was) this driver, as do you, erroneously believed he was operating an emergency vehicle and legally able to run stop signs. That's what causes accidents/deaths...irresponsible "professional" drivers.

Sorry...you (and the tow-truck driver) are absolutely wrong.

FL Statute 316.126 Operation of vehicles and actions of pedestrians on approach of authorized emergency vehicle.--

(1)(a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle, while en route to meet an existing emergency, the driver of every other vehicle shall, when such emergency vehicle is giving audible signals by siren, exhaust whistle, or other adequate device, or visible signals by the use of displayed blue or red lights, yield the right-of-way to the emergency vehicle and shall immediately proceed to a position parallel to, and as close as reasonable to the closest edge of the curb of the roadway, clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, unless otherwise directed by any law enforcement officer.

b When an authorized emergency vehicle making use of any visual signals is parked or a wrecker displaying amber rotating or flashing lights is performing a recovery or loading on the roadside, the driver of every other vehicle, as soon as it is safe:

1. Shall vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicle or wrecker when driving on an interstate highway or other highway with two or more lanes traveling in the direction of the emergency vehicle or wrecker, except when otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer.

2. Shall slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or greater; or travel at 5 miles per hour when the posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less, when driving on a two-lane road, except when otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer.

© The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall provide an educational awareness campaign informing the motoring public about the Move Over Act. The department shall provide information about the Move Over Act in all newly printed driver's license educational materials after July 1, 2002.

This section shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.

(2) Every pedestrian using the road right-of-way shall yield the right-of-way until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, unless otherwise directed by any police officer.

(3) Any authorized emergency vehicle, when en route to meet an existing emergency, shall warn all other vehicular traffic along the emergency route by an audible signal, siren, exhaust whistle, or other adequate device or by a visible signal by the use of displayed blue or red lights. While en route to such emergency, the emergency vehicle shall otherwise proceed in a manner consistent with the laws regulating vehicular traffic upon the highways of this state.

(4) Nothing herein contained shall diminish or enlarge any rules of evidence or liability in any case involving the operation of an emergency vehicle.

(5) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.

(6) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable pursuant to chapter 318 as either a moving violation for infractions of subsection (1) or subsection (3), or as a pedestrian violation for infractions of subsection (2).

And if you did something like this in FL, you would be subject to a ticket (although most cops here are ignorant and let truckers and tow-truck drivers slide):

316.1515 Limitations on turning around.--The driver of any vehicle shall not turn the vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction upon any street unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic and unless such movement is not prohibited by posted traffic control signs. A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.

The last time I had my car towed it didn't work out too good. The driver backed the hookup into my oil pan, broke the motor mounts and then shoved my engine up into the hood. I filed a claim with AAA. They were great. Tore the tow company a new one.

Wanna9146- what, are you waging war on trucks now?

First off, I may have been wrong about the emergency vehicle situation... in Florida. In Iowa, particularly in inclement/hazardous weather conditions, tow trucks are considered to be emergency vehicles if they are attempting to clear the roadway of wrecked cars to keep traffic moving. The snowplows here flash amber lights but when the snow is falling they are considered emergency maintenance vehicles to keep the roads clear.

Second, with the blocking off traffic thing- again, it may not be the right thing to do, it may not even be legal, but sometimes it is necessary- and it was just an example. Like I said, it can be bad enough getting lost in a car- imagine what it can be like getting lost or missing a turn in a vehicle that can't make a standard u-turn, or can get caught under a low bridge or even take out a power line if it's hanging low enough. All situations no truck driver wants to be in- so sometimes drastic measures are absolutely necessary because if they're not taken, the driver could end up in a much worse situation.

Again, I'm not trying to defend this particular tow truck driver or take his side- I was just trying to help everybody here understand what it takes to drive a truck because most people have no clue.

No, not trying to bash truck-drivers (although most I've seen here deserve to be bashed...tailgating at 80mph...weaving in/out of traffic at speed...using their size to intimidate smaller vehicles, etc.), but only trying to provide a clue to anyone who wrongly believes it is ever OK/legal to run a stop sign in any situation.

Had the tow-truck driver who almost killed me (and went on to kill the little old lady) known the law, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation and the little old lady might still be alive. I don't know all the details about the incident, but he may have had the "emergency vehicle" mind-set when driving that day and crashed because someone didn't yield to him...(?). We'll see if that's his defense.

I doubt you will find a law on the books of any state permitting tow-trucks (or snow plows or any pseudo-emergency vehicle with a flashing yellow light on its roof) to run stop signs.

And I doubt you find a law on the books of any state that says it's okay for cops to turn their cherries on just to get thru a red light- but it happens. I'm sure everybody here has seen that at least once.

Yeah, you're right.

So...lesson learned everyone. It's OK to blow through stop signs/red lights from now on as long as you have an amber flashing light on your vehicle.

My bad.

AAA is the best insurance...photos speak volumes. I'm also going to buy a microcassette recorder. A simple click and you've got the whole converstaion on tape.

A proper tie down methood for our cars is the nylon straps that go over the wheels. The owner would be well served to own a set...."I" have a travel kit that I use that includes them.

My 911 and the former Speedster are lowered and need them to be transported correctly.

Speaking here as the education director for the largest ambulance company in the US and a supervisor, tow trucks cannot run red lights period. Those amber lights are warning lights for traffic approaching scenes and nothing more.

I see these guys rolling with them on quite frequently. Probably because they forgot to turn them off...