A new pet peeve

General Lee 01 · March 27, 2003

Ok let me set the stage...

Mom let me drive the X-Terra to and from Charlottesville (2 hour drive) Tuesday (we were working there).

Well, we got off at night and I drove back.

The main Highway that takes you from Charlottesville to Richmond (I-64) is quite a fun road to drive on at night. It's kinda like Sleepy Hollow.

Everybody does atleast 70 on this highway,even the old grannies.

Well, I was doing 70mph, on the right lane (Not a single car in-front of me for atleast a mile), and I see a faint object. Before I even have time to think I'm right on top of it. I swerved just at the right time (A second later I would've impaled the thing).

I pass it and I couldn't believe what it was.

This little F-350 "Wheel-grabber" Tow Truck (The smallest possible Tow truck you could have) was towing an Asplundh Tree Service truck (If you don't know what that is, ask and I'll show you a pic) without any lights at all. The Tree Service Truck was so heavy, the Tow Truck couldn't go faster than 25mph. (Remember, all the regular motorists are doing 70 or faster)

The Tree service Truck was so big, it was blocking my view of the orange beacon lights on the top of the tow truck.

Ok here's my peeves.

Why didn't they put either the parking lights or the blinkers on the Tree Truck? If they couldn't, why couldn't the Tow Truck driver put a beacon on the Tree Truck? All the tow Truck drivers I know have those beacons that you can put on the cars that are on the wheel lift. My understanding is they're not that hard to find around here.

Why use a small Truck for a Big Truck's job? You can't tell me that you can't find a more adequate Truck. I see those 18-wheeler Tow Trucks on the road all the time.

Getting off the soapbox now. I guess when something #### near kills you, you take notice.

SnakeEyeSS · March 27, 2003

Yeah, I'm familaiar with those tree trucks, that company was in town for a while. Was it loaded with chopped wood? That'd explain the 25 MPH!!!

General Lee 01 · March 27, 2003

No, it was empty.

awdvkd · March 27, 2003

What is the speed limit through there, that is why they say don't overdrive your headlights. It may have been a stupid thing for the tow truck to do but you should still drive defensively. From you description of the road I would bet its a 55 zone. Just something to think about, at least your still here to complain. ???

MarkD · March 27, 2003

In SC there is a law for improper lighting. He would have been found at fault if you weren't charged with "too fast for conditions" in case of a collision.

General Lee 01 · March 27, 2003

Speed limit is 65 on that road.

Weather was as Clear as can be.

k1500chevy97 · March 27, 2003

Geez what some tow companies would do for a buck

cowboy02 · March 27, 2003

The dude that had the tree truck probably called to tow company and told them he had a truck... Then the dude comes out and isn't about to leave without hooking up. What do you think the company would've said if he came back to the shop without towing the vehicle?

Like you said......... Anything to make a buck.

SilveradoWV · March 28, 2003

I am familiar with both trucks, the tree truck and the F350 wrecker, we have a few around here. They look like a plain F350 with an arm in the back and the necesarry tow equipment. I imagine it would have a hard time pulling a normal truck its same size so I am thinking they are for cars and such so there is no way it should have been towing that tree truck. Also we have I-64 here in WV and the speed limit on I-64 here is 70mph. Its pretty dead during the day and even worse at night.

99silveradoz71 · March 28, 2003

I see it at work frequently enough. The 1 tow company we use is pretty disciplined and takes the time to do it right. The other...God help us.

General Lee 01 · March 28, 2003

we have I-64 here in WV and the speed limit on I-64 here is 70mph. Its pretty dead during the day and even worse at night.

It's pretty much the same for the stretch of 64 that I was on, except a little flatter.

Basically people feel more confident in themselves going faster on I-64 once you get out of Richmond, Because Traffic for the most part is few and far between. But when there's a wreck, it's not pretty. I counted about 7 Roadside memorials between Richmond and Charlottesville.

####, if he would've had that thing on I-81, he would be a goner. The 18-wheelers will sometimes match speed with the highway number on that interstate. Epsecially at night.

General Lee 01 · March 28, 2003

I've got another "Un-orthodox towing Strategy" story for yall.

The names have been changed cause I don't remember them.

Prepare to laugh.

We were at my relatives' "Weekend place", A campground for camping trailers, and we hear a crash. So a bunch of us go check it out. Remember, this is a weekend, so some of the people that went to check it out were "Gusssied up".

A dump Truck Flipped over, and this Mini van towing a new-ish boat ran into somebody in the melee.

Mind you,the front was ust messed up on the Mini-van just a tad, but the Rear of the van, the Boat, and the Trailer were all intact.

Well, Bubba's Towing shows up in this roll-back. Jethro steps out, has a looksie, and says: "Welp, we gotta git this trailer here of dat dere vehikle so I can tow it." Well, the trailer tongue is locked onto the van's hitch via Dead-Bolt lock.The mini-van's driver, couldn't tell anybody which one of the 500 keys on his chain unlocked the trailer cause he was en route to a hospital.

So Jethro says "Aw screw it, I ain't got time to fudge around

with keys, let me get mah tools!", walks to his truck and picks up a sledgehammer, and starts banging away at the lock.

Meanwhile, Davis's Recovery service shows up in this state-of-the-art Truck recovery tow truck. While Jethro is still banging on the trailer, they back up to the dump truck, hook up a winch, put the dump truck on it's wheels, hook it up, and they're ready to go. All while Jethro keeps sledging away at the trailer.

5 minutes later, the shaft part of the trailer chasis that runs from the A-frame to the Tongue is taking the shape of a V, but (As you might guess) the Master-lock is still doing it's intended purpose, and staying locked.

At this point, our Drunk on-lookers start yelling obscenities at poor Jethro, pointing and laughing, making fun of him. But he takes it in stride, that is Until he turned around, and notied the cops and firemen were pointing and laughing at him too.

So, that was the last straw Jethro has had it! He hops in the ol' Roll back, backs up to the van, puts the ramp down, puts the van on the ramp, rolls the ramp back up and he's ready roll... with a boat trailer in-tow at a 60 Degree angle, still attached to the Mini-van.

We watched in amazement as Jethro pulled away in a blaze of glory. Blaze as in the sparks flying off the boat's screw scraping on the pavement as he left.

And yes, all of this is True!

knuts · March 28, 2003

Well, Bubba's Towing shows up in this roll-back. Jethro steps out, has a looksie, and says: "Welp, we gotta git this trailer here of dat dere vehikle so I can tow it." Well, the trailer tongue is locked onto the van's hitch via Dead-Bolt lock.The mini-van's driver, couldn't tell anybody which one of the 500 keys on his chain unlocked the trailer cause he was en route to a hospital.

You ain't Jethro is ya? ? ? ? ? ?

KK