You can't get good health care in America, but you can get your car towed at 3 in the morning, then argue over the price.

I remember trying to change fuel filters in a Diesel when it "jelled up" because it was too cold. This is not fun. I remember Charlie Johnson's hands were badly swollen from being frozen so many times after going out on the road to get trucks started in extremely cold weather. I know there may be some "out-of-stater" towing companies that are extortionists but the local guys downtown Janesville are honest.

I've never heard of a cheap tow. A couple of years ago my van stalled and I needed it towed alittle under a mile back to my house. Mind you it was summer time and great weather. I called the local tow truck company in my town and they wanted to charge around $100 to tow it. Needless to say, I called someone I knew who had a big truck and they just pulled it home for me. My husband has "towed" quite a few people with his Chevy Silverado who couldn't afford to call a tow truck. Do towing companies have to be so darn expensive?

There is a difference between pricing according to "supply and demand" price gouging to take advantage of someone in an uncontrollable situation.

Get off Pat. Pat lives in Pat's myopia and seems to have a lot of time to be critical of the problems with the world on the outside.
As some of you have eluded to earlier, pricing is a function of supply & demand. The higher the demand, the higher the pricing. Unless we're relocating, we'll all deal with it at one time or another.

I think what Pat here is referring to is that the prices that Towing company charges are not regulated. There has been some stories going around where people are being charged at $500 a pop. I'm not sure if that's true or not. Either way I applaud these people who come and save all those from sitting in ditches, or need towing service done at odd hours of the days and nights. If people don't like the charges, do what I do... by emergency road service through your insurance policy. Cripes almighty, that only cost me $4.00 for every six months. That's well worth every penny spent and I've had to have my vehicle started 3 different times in winters that were cold enough to prevent me from being able to start my car. Just to get a jump start ranges to $40 and up.

I live in Janesville but work in Madison area. Like everybody else, we all got to make a living and yes... that's my choice on where to work being that it's long distance. For the past 18 years I have not yet hit the ditch (knock on wood). But I have been in long lines of non-moving traffic. Of course I didn't go into work on the 2 snowstorm days last week. Every day is a judgement day whether it's worth coming in or not. But I got to take into consideration that my job is my income to provide for my family just like everybody else.

Pat - imagine what life would be without Towing companies? Better take a shovel next time.

To all those that brave the storm to help all those stranded and keeping our community clear of mother natures obstruction, I thank you, keep up the great work.

Hey Pat
Have you ever had to miss Thanksgiving dinner and not eat it until the next evening? These people work incredible overtime for ungrateful people like you. They devote their time, missing their family's events. Missing their kid's Christmas pageants, no beers at the BBQ because THEY'RE ON CALL FOR YOU!! Yes they SHOULD charge more after they've been out. So what, a garage shouldn't charge more for oil because oil went up? Unappreciative people disgust me!!

ITS not my problem how much it cost them to set up their business. ONCE you call them its a little to late. Most people are just so anxious to get out of the ditch they don't stand on the side of the road thumbing through the yellow pages. If they can't handle the hours , stay home. Some of them did as they started pulling their own trucks out of the ditch.

I repeat shame on them

localboysince1968: You are absolutely correct on this . We run a snowplow Business and the Phone never stops ringing ! People expect help imediately and don't understand it will be a While . We had 2 trucks out constantly trying to help . Many people expect it done for free . It costs a great amount of money to keep them going too. We keep the Gas stations , the Auto Parts stores and the Auto repair shops in Business all Winter also . On the time frame , there is twice as much snow to move and it takes twice as long to get the Job done . We have mountains of piled snow and more coming soon with no place to put it . Enjoy !

Hey Pat~ NO THEY DIDN'T. Ok so picture this, I guess you would be the one who is calling around on your cell phone looking for the "cheapest" place after the fact that you have run off the road into a ditch and is stuck! Meanwhile... you are posing a hazard to anyone else while in this situation, because a snowstorm might begin, and someone might not see you then run into you as well because THEY went off into the ditch at the same location! Oh wait....you "could have" been pulled out before this might of happened but you were on the celly comparing prices! Now you are in a double accident! COME ON GET A GRIP on what these TOWING AND RECOVERY specialists actually do! They leave their families at all hours of the night in such minus whatever weather to deal with you and YOUR situations! Do you seriously think they "want" to do that? Oh wait... I know what you will say...."It's their job"....PLEASE!!! They are putting their lives (butts) in danger to "recover" you! How can you put a price on that?!

Memo to Pat: If the Tow Truck company charged more than regular, don't use them. Call somebody else. Did you read the hours they had been putting in? I am sure you know ALL about the business. You probably already know that one of those trucks cost app. $80,000 to begin. Then the insurance, the upkeep (on something that is running for days without ever being turned off), the additional equipment added to the units. You probably already know how dangerous it is to be lying underneath a stalled or stuck or damaged vehicle while cars, trucks, and semi's whiz by. Even more dangerous in slippery conditions. You probably already know that you have to leave your warm bed when you get calls in the middle of the night to go out in -30 weather to help somebody. Pat, thanks for being an expert and identifying when somebody is being taken advantage of. Us readers should be thankful for you.

I am sorry but many of these tow trk. company's took advantage of a very bad situation this week. When they charged over and beyond what they normally do.

Shame on them.

I wouldn't exactly say that all the tow truck drivers" I've come across were "specialists."
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BUT a rose by any other name........

Isn't the correct title for a tow truck driver a Towing and Recovery Specialist?