CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 Jan. 12, 2005, 4:19PMMayor proposes free tows for someBy RAD SALLEECopyright 2005 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES Houston's Safe Clear program requires disabled vehicles on Houston's freeways to be towed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 I've said ever since the controversy began that the $75.00 charge should be handled the same way that a ticket is handled: the vehicle owner/operator has 30 days to pay it. In the meantime, the city can pay the towing company/driver in advance and recoup (sp?) the costs by the end of the month (in theory).But to force someone to pay $75.00 on the spot for, say, a flat tire when they already have a spare, only $20.00 in cash on them and no check book (and possibly no credit card) is being awfully unfair.Giving them 30 days at least gives them a chance to budget that into their monthly expenditures, and they don't face the prospect of being stranded because their car was confiscated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoRanch-HoustonResident Posted January 13, 2005 Author Share Posted January 13, 2005 That is what I hated about this ordinance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 It is still a great idea in theory and the execution is improving. I didn't vote for him, but I give the mayor props for doing something about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I've supported Safe Clear from the start, and think this will be a great improvement to the program. I agree that there should have been provisions for people who could repair the car themselves in a short amount of time or people who couldn't afford the $75 fee. However, one thing that many people forget is that hte program had a trial run on the Katy Freeway for much fo 2004 and there were only a handful of complaints. The ordinance that went into effect city wide on January 1 was based on the results of the trial on the Katy. Obviously the issues people have been up in arms about the last two weeks weren't major problems in the trial period because modifications to the plan would have been made before January 1 if they had been.I'm glad that Mayor White has taken initiative on this and has once again proven that he is a reasonable leader. I've already noticed some improvement in traffic flow that seems to be the result of this program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I've said ever since the controversy began that the $75.00 charge should be handled the same way that a ticket is handled: the vehicle owner/operator has 30 days to pay it. In the meantime, the city can pay the towing company/driver in advance and recoup (sp?) the costs by the end of the month (in theory).But to force someone to pay $75.00 on the spot for, say, a flat tire when they already have a spare, only $20.00 in cash on them and no check book (and possibly no credit card) is being awfully unfair.Giving them 30 days at least gives them a chance to budget that into their monthly expenditures, and they don't face the prospect of being stranded because their car was confiscated.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>That's a good idea, as there are lots of people, especially illegal aliens, who don't have checking accts, credit cards, or $75 cash, and they drive the junkiest cars. The downside of that will be that they will become warrants for a lot of the same people. $75 is very steep for a 1 mile tow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Well, this program has been in effect for a while, and it has been refined a great deal. So whaddaya think? Is this still a good program? Do you think it is unfair to low-income families?I think this is a wonderful program. I think it was OK as it was, but even better as it is now. As to being unfair, I never thought it was. I could sympathize with someone who runs over something on the road that flattens a tire. But if a person has bald tires and has a flat, then stay off the freeways. If you run around with an empty gas tank, then don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Free tows? Does the phrase "camel" come to anyone's mind besides, well, mine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw2ntyse7en Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 The city should just team up with MAP.This is freaking ridiculous. Why reinvent the wheel, just becuase previous mayors chose not to join it?smuggling yo-yos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Looks like the city will be joining MAP according to the article in today's Chronicle about the compromise White and Whitmire worked out in Austin last night. But Safe Clear will also continue.I think both are good programs. MAP can't do everything, and it's much safer for the minor repairs (out of gas, tire change, etc.) that MAP can handle to be done off the freeway shoulder. Safe Clear wreckers can get disabled vehicles to a safer location where a MAP officer can assist with the repair if necessary. Sounds like a workable plan to me.Besides MAP isn't perfect - it doesn't operate during late night periods or on weekends, and congestion can still be bad during those times. Safe Clear is a 24-7 program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 I always wondered how morons run out of gas. Anyway, MAP may not be perfect, so here is a prime opportunity to make it better.Focus White, focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.