The efficiency of the tow trucks

Since last weekend there has been a car parked on the street in front of my office. It has many many tickets on it and a tow notice pasted prominently on its window. At 3:30 everyday there are tow trucks prowling the opposite side of the street like ghouls looking for cars to tow. (And in the process blocking the "rush hour" traffic they are there to facilitate.) The car just sits there staring out at them.

In the middle is the view of the other side of the street that swarms with tow trucks at 3:30. 

4 before 4.

Remarkably yesterday they towed 4 cars before 3 O'clock. 

This is Truck 1 with his first on board and soon to snatch up the one behind him.

Truck 2 behind him with his first car preparing to block all three lanes for his second.

Towing equipment in place the 4th car is readied to go.

New Year's Towing

    Nothing is as happy for me as seeing the lovely traditions of the season which the city cherishes and shares with her inhabitants, guests and visitors. From the lovely religion-neutral stars and blue circles hanging about the intersections to the, well, I can't think of much else. Most every other thing is paid for with private money. Those stars and circles may be too, for all I know. But what better way to ring in the new year with a right-at-3:45 towing of the first car off of Water Street. An act Scrooge would find heartwarming, the second tow truck was already lined up blocking traffic and waiting for a victim. Sure enough not 3 seconds into the towing of the first, with a tow truck sitting there no less, another car pulls up. Of course, the guy driving the tow truck did the decent thing and said nothing. A meter reader was along in just two shakes of a rat's ass and bingo. . . you can see the meter reader running anxiously to get to the car before the owner returned in the second picture.

They must be exhausted

One can imagine the rigors of the search for the illegal parker and just how terribly tired the champions of truth and justice (as it were) must become. This must be why the meter readers naps so frequently. I found this particular one just last Thursday at around 7:30 am. I'm sure she was refreshed and up to her task after her 40 winks.