Towing companies are the worst around college campuses. So many people park everywhere, but the stupid college has their own system of getting more money from you. The world would be a better place if there were no parking tickets and no tow trucks.

Except for the tow trucks that help you.

I believe the biggest difference in our views lies in our locations. Here in my city it is illeagal to just show up at an accident to get work. Here the police agencies use a "next in line" procedure. Tow services must meet several requirements before making it onto the city's list of acceptable businesses and the services are called out to an accident on a rotational basis. If you fail to have a reasonalable response time or display poor professionalism, you can be removed from the list.With this type of setup the police and rescue also hold a minor amount of control over the prices as well. so I guess it all come down to regulation of the business as well as the nature of the individual who is to do the tow. Again, I am sorry that your experiences where less than pleasent. If I had received your call for help I can assure you It would have been differtent.

Campus Crusader you beat me to the real story on AAA. I worked as a dispatcher for AAA as well as a private towing firm in Kansas City many years ago. AAA plays very little to the companies that contract with them. Other Motor Clubs like Cross Country and Amoco generally pay more to contractors but not a lot more.

Contracts for city/county/state towing are the more lucrative business. Course in some areas there are no contracts just vultures in Ford 350's with a Vulcan/Holmes /Challanger/Century tow body on the back. Kansas City/Jackson County had, at least uptil a few years ago, a policy that it was first first in, first out on a tow scene. You would have tow drivers sitting on almost every corner waiting for an accident to happen. They would listen to other tow companies dispatch channels (that included AAA's) and run like mad to the scene to grab the tow. They would also particapate in a little low ball bidding as well. Heard a story about a group of drivers starting to low ball bid the tow and got down to a price of $20 when one of them said they would do it for free. Course since he had witnesses he had to do it for that cost.

The industry is definitely interesting. A lot of scum out there running tow companies and then there are a few that really do know what a business is all about.

Max...