





                        THE LONELY TOWMAN

                    The Last Link In The Chain

                            Foreword

         I have been a Tow Operator for almost 15 years now. Most

         of my work is Police Towing for two small towns. I cover

         7 days 24 hours, and most of us work alone. Our only help

         is brother operators and sometimes a welcome hand from a

         Police Officer or Firefighter. This is not intended to

         discredit any training, performance, or dedication of any

         person working with us in the Emergency field. My past

         includes many years as an E.M.T. Ambulance, Firefighter,

         Civil Defense and Highway Dept cleanup and make safe crew.

         The point to be made is we are not ambulance chasers, we

         must be called by the Police to work, and many people

         feel once we hook a car, we can just sit back and wait to

         get rich on each job. Many feel we are just as cold and

         unfeeling as the trucks we operate. We have a lot more to

         cope with and handle than what the public feels is just

         a money making mechanical function. Our biggest fear is

         arriving at a scene and finding one of ours or someone

         close has been involved. No one is exempt.

         Read on---


         A lot of our work is simple, arrests, unlicensed, expired

         papers, warrants etc. Just hook and go. But 25% of these

         people don't want to claim their cars or even release them to

         me. There are a lot of accidents of varying degrees, some

         involve a lot of engineering and recovery work.













         Many people don't realize how much being a full time

         tow operator can run your life. You and your equipment

         must be ready to roll on an emergency at the ring of the

         phone. your life and movements are controlled by your place

         on the rotation list. Real time off does not exist; (A), No

         work no pay; (B),Police depts. don't like unavailable drivers

         cluttering up the list. We are not like the person working

         a shift in a shop and towing only during those hours. We

         cannot plan ahead, and spend a lot of time listening to a

         scanner to keep track of the rotation. It may take several

         attempts just to get the list right to go out for a meal.

         Visiting can't be too far away, and call forwarding and

         a radio are a must. When you invite people in for a meal

         or a party, Murphy will be sure you get a call just a

         few minutes before the food is ready. You have to go,

         sick, hurt or lazy, as too many refusals end your career.

         You can't function without understanding family and friends.

         How often do you see a Towman get any direct credit in the

         Media? We sometimes have to assist in ripping open cars to

         access victims. Pull it out of a building as a fire is

         starting, We have even had to do hookups in the water, not

         knowing if there is still someone inside. The public has a

         morbid curiosity. It is impossible to keep them at a safe

         distance, in case of a cable breaking, or something not

         falling the way you had planned. Once the recovery is

         complete, or the victim is removed, 200 onlookers can

         disappear in 15 seconds.













         Many times due to my past, the police call me out with the

         ambulance and rescue unit to provide an extra hand, and

         a truck to lift, pull or stabilize. Once you are there

         sometimes there is quite a wait before you can do the tow.

         This is how I ended up here tonight, sitting on a stone wall

         with an old man. having a smoke, shielded from the summer

         rain by a thick maple tree. It sounds a little like the words

         of Tom T. Halls song. Old dogs, children and watermelon wine.

         Night workers are a different and close group of people.

         We have an unspoken understanding and sense of protection,

         for each other. We, the ones taken for granted, out doing

         our jobs while the rest of the world sleeps. Included are

         the Emergency service people, the store and gas cashiers,

         the all night taxi drivers and more. We look out for each

         other, understanding what it is like to spend much of a

         long night on your own.

         Across the street lay the twisted, unrecognizable remains

         of a Camaro that slid into a large tree at about 80 mph

         The fire dept. worked frantically with the Jaws of Life,

         while I pulled the car away from the tree, and tried to take

         out some of it's U shape to better access victims. Tonight

         it was Emergency Team 0, Fate 1. The photos had been taken,

         the diagrams drawn, all that was left was to hook up, we

         were still waiting for the Medical Examiner and the

         Undertaker.

         How many times do you think you will see this, this season,

         asked the old man. Too many, maybe 1/2 a dozen more, not













         always this bad though, I answered. Many teens today think it

         is their birthright to demand their parents buy them a fancy

         car when they reach a certain milestone in life. A lot of

         these cars are over powered, and too much for even veteran

         drivers. You can't tell this to a 17 yr old though.

         In the hands of a Novice they become a Death trap. We learned

         as time passed, the parents reluctantly gave this boy his

         Dream Car as an incentive to go back to school for his

         senior year. It was delivered that afternoon, and it was

         too late to register and insure it. The boy could not wait.

         He grabbed a friend, a case of beer and a couple joints,

         and proceeded to cruise the town. You see them all the time,

         seat way back, baggy shorts, no shoes, cap on backwards,

         and the radio up so loud, they couldn't hear a Fire Truck

         beside them. They showed off for some time and then headed

         home, hopefully before the parents return. Couple an over

         powered car with speed, beer, and a new driver, coming

         into an unbanked curve, lined with unyielding 24- 36 inch

         across trees and you can imagine the results. In an instant

         the Camaro was heading side ways. The right door hit the

         tree, which pushed its way to the center of the car.

         The removable T-roof type top robbed some strength from the

         body, and the boy still had the gas to the floor. Air bags

         would have been no help, due to the direction of impact,

         and seat belts would not have done much, with the velocity

         of the tree entering the car sideways.  No more than the

         first two letters of the planned string of expletives ever













         got a chance to leave their mouths.

         Again the old man questioned me. Do you ever get used to

         working with death and destruction? No, I answered, but

         when you have been around it as many years as I have, you

         do become hardened. A lot of people, including veteran

         Towmen cannot work with it. You just have to put your

         feelings aside, and go into a mechanical mode doing the

         job you are trained for. Some can do their job well and

         then go to pieces when they leave the scene. Some think

         I am cold and unfeeling, because I don't display any

         emotions while working a scene. Sometimes an accident

         will break through to me, but I contain myself in a

         lonely silence. The quiet of the night is settling in.

         Another cigar, the old man and me, with Blue Eyes Crying in

         the Rain coming from a house nearby.

         The Medical Examiner arrived, just a formality though. He

         took a quick look at the victims and the scene, asked the

         Police if they had photos and diagrams, and authorized

         the removal. He would follow up the next day. The undertaker

         was on standby, so it wasn't long before he arrived. I pulled

         on my gloves and went over to help load. As soon as the

         zippers were pulled the remaining onlookers departed into

         the night rain, as usual. Now it was time to hook up and

         try and tow this twisted mess home without calling for a

         ramp truck. It was a slow noisy ride, but we made it back

         to the yard. Most people think the story ends here, but is

         only the beginning.













         In the morning, the swarm of friends begin to arrive. They

         all want a look, and many of them will try and remove some

         type of small souvenir from the wreckage.

         Now my after accident work starts. Each time I have to go to

         the yard with a car, there it is, relive it. It is not

         generally a problem, except in a few cases.

         No amount of security, warning signs or enclosures keeps

         the curiosity seekers out. They all feel they are the only

         one stopping by, and feel they have the right to trespass,

         remove personal effects from the car, and strip something

         from it to take home. They climb over the fence, dig

         under it, sometimes they come with tools and pry off

         some boards to get in. Remember, I am trying to hold the

         victims belongings for the family to claim, and in some

         cases, preserve evidence for a continuing investigation.

         They just don't understand that their pawing, probing,

         moving contents, and removing items could have a real

         impact on an investigation to find the true cause of

         the accident. I have had several cases where it was

         unknown who was driving, until prints were taken, and

         hair embedded in the glass was compared to each victim.

         But they don't care, it is their "right" to climb through

         their friends bloody car and belongings. There is always

         one in the crowd to remark, Hell, this is nothing, remember

         last summer when Jimmy hit the cement truck? His car was a

         lot worse and he walked home. These are the same kids the

         school has to bring in counselors for, to show them how to













         "cope" with the loss. I would love to have the counselors

         peek in at these morbid, trespassing thieves, and see that

         all the counseling does is get them time off from lessons.

         Many think when a car is an Insurance total loss, that it

         is open season for stripping and stealing. They believe it

         just gets pressed or left with me. The Insurance company

         tries to get back some of their payout by auctioning the

         wrecks to rebuilders or parts dealers. When radios, tires,

         and parts are removed, their value can be deducted from the

         settlement, or backcharged to me. I am not talking about the

         common thieves, but of "heartbroken" friends and family,

         who don't see a problem if they take just one morbid

         memory from the wreck.

         Sometimes if the car is insured, I have no family contact.

         It just gets appraised and picked up for salvage auction.

         Sometimes the family wants to see the car. This can be worse

         than the wake. I stand off to one side with my faithful

         cigar, watching the parents and the time. Like clockwork,

         in about five minutes they walk over to me. It is almost like

         a script is handed out at the funeral. How long were you at

         the scene, did you see any sign of life? What was the road

         like, and do I feel speed or road conditions contributed?

         How many other bad ones have I seen at the location? Was

         there a chance of a second vehicle? Did it look like they

         suffered much, or was the end quick and merciful? Then

         they take a quick last look, and head back to their car.

         Many times you will see the people around town, you













         really want to ask how they are doing, but you never know

         if it is something best left alone. You just turn your

         head and change your direction of travel.

         Now comes the problem of the uninsured car as this one was.

         Contrary to belief, I cannot just make the car go away,

         even though it is a total loss. You need a release, the

         title, and you must be sure it is not collateral for a loan.

         Now you have to find the right time to contact the family.

         Too soon is not right, but the storage fee goes up every day.

         You would like to make a deal and hold the car until they

         come forward, but sympathy doesn't put food on the table.

         I might have about $200 in fees, but this family not only

         lost a son, but paid cash for the car, did not get to

         insure it, and are now looking at a $5000 plus loss, and

         my bill. The most they might recover shopping the junkyards

         would be less than $200. None of them want to take it home

         and try and do better selling parts for six months.

         So you take a chance and make a call, some are a little

         hostile, not realizing I want to help them settle before the

         bill gets any higher, Some are glad I gave them the nudge to

         settle one more detail. Now they come to meet me, the same

         standoff and viewing, the same questions. Then we have to

         start with what do you want to do with the remains?

         Another regular statement is, If you keep the car, why do

         I have to pay anything? There are some good parts left you

         could sell. I am not in the parts business, I don't have a

         repair shop where I might eventually use something.













         It is always a relief when a settlement is made and the car

         is removed. No more fence climbers until the next one. Also

         you know the family has one more detail out of the way.

         Lets get back to the night of the accident. Just dropping

         the car at the yard is not the end of the tow. I have to

         check again and see that I have all of my equipment, and

         enough gas to do another of any type if called soon. Time

         to head home and dry off and clean up. The sun has not quite

         poked up its head, maybe I can get a few hours sleep, I never

         did have much luck sleeping in the daylight, even with a long

         night behind me. The cats are trying to tell me it is time to

         be fed, but I convince them to wait for their mother who will

         be up in half an hour. Off with the clothes, into bed, RINNNG

         Hot phone line, grab phone in head of bed. Mornin' this is

         the Sgt. we have a bad head on just south of the lumberyard.

         Would you go down and see if you can help out at all? I don't

         know how long you might be tied up -------------


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