QuestionDEAR RICHARD I DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHERE ELSE TO TURN TO BUT YOU SEEM TO BE A VERY WISE & KNOWLEDGEABLE GENTLEMAN.I'M HOPING YOU CAN GIVE ME SOME ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER.WE LIVE IN HAWAII AND MY HUSBAND IS A TOW TRUCK DRIVER. ALTHOUGH HE HAS BEEN TOWING FOR ONLY 2 YEARS I MUST SAY HE ALWAYS TREATS EACH CUSTOMER AS IF THEY WERE FAMILY.UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WILL TEST HIS PATIENCE, BUT HE ALWAYS SEEMS TO NOT LET IT BOTHER HIM. RECENTLY HE DID A TOW FOR A CUSTOMER WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN WAITING OVER 2 HOURS FOR A TOW WHEN A PREVIOUS TOW CO CANCELLED OUT AND HAD THE CALL REDISPATCHED.GUESS WHO WAS THE LUCKY DRIVER THAT GOT THAT REDISPATCH? ANYHOW, ETA WAS FOR 45 MINS AND HE ARRIVED AT 55 MINS(WE DID CALL TO NOTIFY HER THAT HE WAS RUNNING LATE BUT GOT HER VOICE MAIL AND SO WE LEFT A MSG WHICH OF COURSE SHE SAID SHE NEVER GOT). BY NOW THE CUSTOMER IS NOT A VERY HAPPY CAMPER AND IS GRUMBLING AND YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. WHILE HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HOOKING UP SHE KEPT ON FOLLOWING HIM AROUND THE TRUCK AND HER JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE (WHICH BY THE WAY ENDED UP BEING A RENT A CAR) SO BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP TO HER VEHICLE HE HAD ADVISED HER THAT FOR SAFETY PURPOSES SHE NEEDS TO STEP AWAY FROM THE TRUCK AND VEHICLE OR HE WILL NOT PROCEED. SO FOR THAT BRIEF MOMENT SHE DID. WELL AS HE PROCEEDED TO BACK UP TO THE VEHICLE SHE ATTEMPTED TO GO BETWEEN THE TRUCK TOW BAR AND HER VEHICLE BUMPER TO WHAT SHE CLAIMS "SEE THAT HE DON'T DAMAGE HER CAR". AFTER SEEING HER ATTEMPT TO GO NEAR THE VEHICLES AGAIN HE PULLED AWAY AND ADVISED HER THAT HE WILL NOT DO THE TOW BECAUSE HE ALREADY WARNED HER ABOUT GOING NEAR THE VEHICLES WHILE HE IS HOOKING UP AND THAT SHE IS A HIGH RISK LIABILITY. CALLED HIS DISPATCHER TO ADVISE HER THE SITUATION AND SHE CALLED THE INSURANCE CO TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SITUATION AND ANOTHER TOW CO WAS REDISPATCHED TO HER. WE GOT A PAID GOA FOR THAT SERVICE CALL. 45 MINS AFTER HE LEFT THE SCENE THE CUSTOMER CALL THE POLICE DEPT AND FILED A CLAIM STATING THAT HE HIT HER CAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WITH THE TOW TRUCKS BALL HITCH CREATING 2 DENTS. THE TOW TRUCK IS A 450 WHEEL LIFT. WHERES THE BALL HITCH??!!! ANY HOW COURT IS TOMORROW AND WHO KNOWS HOW THIS IS GONNA TURN OUT. SHE SAYS THE DAMAGES WERE CREATED WHILE HE WAS BACKING UP TO THE VEHICLE. I'M ASSUMING WHEN THE TOW BAR MET WITH HER VEHICLE'S TIRES AND THE JEEP NUDGED IS WHEN SHE ASSUMED HE HIT HER CAR. BUT AT THAT TIME SHE WAS ONLY WALKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE TOW TRUCK SHE WAS NOT THERE YET. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE HE GOES TO COURT TOMORROW IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. BUT IN DEFENSE OF THE TOW TRUCK DRIVERS, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE THE DON'T GIVE A S____ TYPE WHEN IT COMES TO THE CUSTOMER'S CAR. SOME REALLY DO TREAT YOUR CAR AS IF IT WERE THERE OWN, BY NOT LISTENING TO THE DRIVER AND LETTING HIM DO HIS JOB CAN MAKE YOUR WHOLE TOWING EXPERIENCE A NIGHTMARE.
AnswerWow, first of all, I hope that court went ok on this... I guess that is happening because of the damage done as reported in the police report.
Now she blames the tow truck ball hitch, well if there is not one then it becomes her responsibility to find and explain how it could damage the vehicle in such a manner without one
As to her attitude of being in the way, and watching and most likely trying to tell the driver how to do the job, it's amazing that some people do not think we know how to do the job we do, and that they know more than us..
Heck Jeep Grand Cherokee, that is wheel lift and dollies or it is flatbed truck for damage free towing, I bet she did not know that one.
Rental car, well she most likely was trying to "cover her butt" for damages she did... 2 dents, on the passenger side, wow that is bad for anyone at all, since that means it was either way off center with the tow truck or that she does not know how to drive...
Again sorry I did not get time to answer this earlier, but it's been a week and a half for me in 4 days....
