TOW TRUCK SUPERMAN

TOW TRUCK SUPERMAN

What a day, what a night. Whew. Here it is, almost 3 in the morning, and I am first sitting down to compose a blog entry. The original plan was to send out some e-mail and work on the blog at around 10PM, yesterday.

Usually I work in an office in NYC on Tuesdays. Some weeks it is a different day, but for the most part, Tuesday is my ìcity day.î Yesterday was a Tuesday, I ëd made some appointments, and was also asked to be ìon callî for a possible face-to-face meeting being arranged by a venture partner with a new business associate. So off we went to the city. We being me and my son, here with me for part of the Summer.

The ride in was uneventful. Thatís a good thing when coming from up here in the burbs. First we went over to the nearby across-the NY/NJ-border filling station to gas up the car. They have the second lowest rates around, and are more convenient than the lowest rate place. And that 1¢ makes too little difference to worry about.

We stopped off at a friendís place for a moment to take care of some biz, and also at a Palisades Parkway rest stop/parking area/gas station/convenience store to overpay for drinks and snacks (kudos to my son for picking up those Andy Capp Hot Fries!).

The weather was good for a change. Hot as can be, humid, but the car is air conditioned, so all was fine. We had a pleasant drive. As has been noted before in this space, the Palisades Interstate Parkway is one of lifeís little joys. What a beautiful drive!

At work in the city office things were going pretty well. A meeting, although a little late, was very productive. Some interesting new opportunities were discussed. I learned that I would not have to rush over to the face-to-face meeting, that was a calming fact. Work was completed. My son had use of a PC (with a gigantic monitor!) while I worked, it worked out nicely for all.

Then we went to a favorite restaurant where we met up with Susan for dinner. Then we drove over to Brooklyn, at the pier right by The River CafÈ, where thereís a really neat ice cream shop (not an option for this Diabetic). Then back into Manhattan, drop off Susan, and away we went, on the trip back home.

The tide turns.

Iíd noticed when I got out of the car by Susanís place that the tail pipe and the muffler seemed to be at an odd angle. Hmm, better get it to Augie the Honest Car Mechanic soon. This surely must be looked at, and quickly.

As we drove up the highway, making our way toward the George Washington Bridge, all seemed fine. We heard the Yankees tie the game back up, even regain the lead. They went on to win the game. We had plenty of time to hear it, as fate would have it.

Just as we get over the George Washington Bridge, it becomes apparent that something is very wrong. Thereís a noise outside the car, and it is coming from our car. Uh-oh. Yep, the tail pipe is dragging, and we can hear that the muffler is going, although not quite gone.

Just past the turn of where the GWB ramps onto the beginning of the PIP North there is a gas station with a rest area. I drive the car over there, to review the damage and call the AAA [1]. I have what they call a Plus Membership [2], so AAA will tow me as much as 100 miles without any charge.

That turned out to be worthless.

First the AAA people could not figure out how to help me, who should help me, and what could they do. For this, of course, I pay extra. Since I am a NY member, but was in Jersey, the NY group had to send me over to a Jersey group. But then I bounced around a number of Jersey groups, including one bonehead who transferred me to a Maryland AAA office. ìAre you in Fort Mead?î ìNo, I am Ft. Lee, in New Jersey!î ìWhy did you call the Maryland triple A, sir?î ìI didnít, a Jersey woman transferred me.î ìHold on while I transfer you to the proper New Jersey office.î About 20 minutes later I learn that the nearest NJ tow truck provider is south of the Newark Airport, and it will take forever and a day for them to get to me. And thatís if no-one else is ahead of me in need of service.

Worse yet, since the Palisades is an Interstate Parkway, AAA is no good there. Only the franchised tow provider can work with me. And they can only come after the Parkway Police file a report.

A lifetime later the PIP trooper shows up. He reiterates that my AAA membership wonít be any good, as the franchise tow company will charge me, and then I can get submit this to AAA for them to refund me. He offers a guess that the tow back to the garage I use will cost about $100, and the tow guys take plastic if I am short of cash. He gets my info (license, registration, the usual routine), writes up a report, and is off on his way.

About 20 minutes later the tow truck arrives. At this point we have been at the rest stop for so long I wonder if we should start receiving mail there.

The driver, an imposing looking bruiser of a fellow, explains that everyone else was wrong about most everything they had explained to me. Yes, he can tow me. And yes, AAA will probably refund the money. But to take me where I am going will cost CASH, and it is $250. Also, from the moment he hooks up my car to his truck, until he gets the $250 cash, he canít release the car.

If I like, he says, he can tow me to the nearest exit, drop me off there. I sign his receipt, no charge, they will bill AAA. Then I can call in a new report and have AAA tow me back to my local guy, no cash out. As attractive an option as this seems, he then lets me know just exactly where the AAA contract tow guy for the area is located, and that they will never find me right off the GW Bridge, and further points out that the only way to get to that exit is to come over the bridge from the city side. He suggests that it will take till maybe 5AM for the guy to get to me, if that soon.

At this point my cell phone rings, as a neighbor Iíd called is calling me back to let me know he will, indeed, come pick us up wherever we need it, even at the late hour. The tow guy excuses himself as I take the call. He comes back a few moments later, having visited the convenience store, with a sweet honey roll in his hand. We surmise that he was hungry.

Then he reviews the options. He tells me his boss would want him to sell me on the $250 cash ride, as thatís where their bucks are made. But he tells me I have other options. He repeats the possibility of towing me to and dropping us off at the next exit. He says if I donít have $250 cash on me, he can drive us to an ATM where maybe I can get the necessary cash. Then he excuses himself again. When he returns, this time it is with a bag of pork rinds.

He looks under the car, checks out the fallen tail pipe and muffler. He pulls it off, apart and away from the car. ìNow you can drive it up there yourself, you donít need me anymore,î he says. ìI used to work on mufflers when I was in High School. Itíll be loud, the car may vibrate some, and you could also maybe blow out some collected debris from whatís left of the tailpipe. But you can get home with no problem. Itíll be like driving a sports car or a performance car.î

If we get stopped, just show the cop the muffler piece and the pipe (he put it in the trunk for us), and tell them the PIP Police have a report of the mishap, that we are going to fix it right away, this is just the drive home.

He points out that the car is a stick, and it will drive well. Go on our way, he says. I ask him if I can do anything for him, write a letter to his boss, whatever. I don't have much cash on me, not even enough to give him something as as token of my appreciation. I really did need to get to an ATM!

He asks me to simply put in a good prayer word for him, and then he even was nice enough to follow us for a mile or two to be certain the car was driving alright.

Some motorcycles passed us on the drive home; they were louder than my car. We made it home. They car wasnít the loud, sputtering, farting and belching noisemaker Iíd feared. In fact, it was relatively quiet, except for a few vrooms as I changed gears.

Nice guy, the tow man. He got his honey roll, his pork rinds, and we shared some discussion about Superman, Seinfeld, cars, and the lack of professionalism shown by the AAA.

This could have been a miserable ordeal. Instead, we lost some time, but came through unscathed. Often one hears horror stories of road hell. This is the opposite. Superman the Tow Truck guy was our knight in shining chrome.