Now Whitey's has shown once again the type of business they are according to police sources who wish to remain anonymous.
Earlier today, a Hartford resident from 777 Park Street had asked someone at the Hartford Fire Department's Engine 8 Firehouse on Park Street where she could park to be in compliance with the city's parking ban. She apparently was directed to the Maria Sanchez School on Babcock Street and told to park in their parking area. That was also the message put out to the general public by the Mayor's Office, Hartford School parking lots were to be utilized for off street parking during the storm.
Anyone without off street parking was encouraged to use the school lots to free up Hartford's streets and avoid a $100.00 ticket and potentially the cost of the tow.
The resident at 777 Park Street heeded the call to do the right thing and parked her vehicle in the parking area at the Sanchez School. Apparently someone at Sanchez School didn't receive word that residents were being encouraged to park at the schools. The Hartford School's system is not typically known for its communications skills internally.
So anyway, the person at Sanchez School proceeded to call Whitey's Towing and have the offending vehicle removed as a "trespass tow". Even though the resident was doing what the Mayor had asked every other resident to do, at 5:30 PM her vehicle was towed to Whitey's Towing.
Apparently when the resident realized what had happened she contacted the Hartford Police and the Hartford 911 dispatch center. They all agreed with the woman and went out of their way to get the car back. They realized the woman was doing what residents had been asked to do under the parking ban. Unfortunately though, with Whitey's it apparently is never an issue of right or wrong, it is all about "who's gonna pay the bill".
Even after the Hartford Police had offered to drive the woman to Whitey's to retrieve her car and have the City square it away tomorrow, Whitey's still refused to give the car back.
Whitey's did originally tow the car legitimately, somewhat,but once they realized it was a mistake the car should have been released. The resident trying to do the right thing should not have been inconvenienced, especially after the police promised to "make it right" tomorrow.
Maybe a 30 day suspension from Hartford's towing rotation would make Whitey's think twice about how they treat Hartford's residents and how they respond to the Hartford Police Department.
Mr. Mayor, I hope you make this right for a resident trying to work with you.
I agree with the 30 day suspension. Whiteys is known for the mistreatment of people. Stuff like this has been going on for years.
ReplyDeleteHow about the City just getting rid of Whiteys, and contract with a more reasonable tow operator.
ReplyDeleteBecause the requirements of who can tow for the city are in writing and it's a government contract it's much harder to remove a selected company, who meets those requirements, from that list. It's one of the pitfalls of governments having to be fair and help prevent corruption (see Eddie Perez).
ReplyDeleteEven so, the city should start looking at some kind of recourse because Whitey's has been non-stop problems since the owner turned over the office to his daughter.
Whitey's does stuff like this all the time! I too agree with a 30 day suspension at the very least. The people of this city need to be respected by the business who operate here.
ReplyDeleteNot sticking up for Whitey's, but who was the douchebag who called in for the tow? Everyone knows to park at any public school when a parking ban is in effect. This is nothing new. I've been parking at Naylor school for years, so whoever called Whitey's should bear some responsibility.
ReplyDeleteahhh, winter in hartford. the simplest of policies know no limits of convolution when it comes to hartford's powers that be.....this is nothing new. when i was unfortunate enough to live there and do the "right thing" (park at a school during a parking ban) i got a ticket from an officer who claimed he had worked in HFD for 15 years and never heard of such a thing as parking at schools during snow emergencies....just one of dozens of examples of incompetence. if this person spends, say, 40 hours dealing with the city's bureaucracy to rectify the situation they will STILL NEVER get their towing fee reimbursed....something seriously wrong in hartford that truly seems like it will never be fixed.
ReplyDeleteNot sticking up for Whiteys. But blaming Whiteys isn't the answer, who should pay for the tow? Who should pay for the driver? I think the person who called in the tow should pay the tow. Enough said.
ReplyDelete