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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis AAA employee is refusing to tow a car with a Biden sticker on the vehicle. Let's make him famo
The next tweet following this says the man has been terminated.
This AAA employee is refusing to tow a car with a Biden sticker on the vehicle. Lets make him famous...
Raised fist
Raised fist
Raised fist
Raised fist
Raised fist
Link to tweet
?s=20
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)Just sayin. (My ongoing irritation with context-less tweets)
ret5hd
(20,482 posts)What other interpretation is there?
Ok. Let me give you the contrasting example This tow operator could have been called to maliciously tow a vehicle that was quite legally parked at the side of the road while the owner went to seek gas, as but one example. Do you not see the difference? Context matters.
ret5hd
(20,482 posts)hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)ret5hd
(20,482 posts)What should be done to prevent this confusion?
hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)--that conveyed that the tow operator refused the owner request.
I don't want to argue with you, but is this really so difficult?
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)And dealt with the absolutely corrupt system of bloodsucking cockroaches and low-lives involved.
obamanut2012
(26,047 posts)They don't just tow some random car. They need your keys, make contact with someone, etc.
hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)and those independent tow operators in some locales also serve the general public (non-AAA members), so no that would not necessarily apply. I know this first hand, given time spent in several less populated areas recently. In fact, most of the tow operators nationwide that AAA contracts with are independent operators (and that is the case here if you read the response from AAA).
Bottom line is that no context on tweets is an increasingly irritating issue, whether you want to dissect the point so finely or not.
DLCWIdem
(1,580 posts)Just a surmise that is probably correct
hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)They acknowledge as much and have cancelled the contract with him.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)I don't know what your problem is, but consider yourself ignored. You can disagree without posting a ridiculous and obtuse stating of facts not in evidence just to be contrarian.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)I stated that I just don't understand your objections. I was not meaning to be critical or insulting. I still think the actions taken by the driver were stupid and that seems to be in agreement with the Tow Company's actions. Just hook the car and tow it that is what he is getting paid for.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)The OP (and tweet) says that the driver refused to tow a car with a Biden sticker on it.
This could mean one of two things:
a) The driver was called on at the owner request to tow his vehicle. Driver is an asshole.
b) The driver was called on either by the cops or a property owner or someone other than the driver to tow the car (away, which will cost the owner a bundle and be a huge inconvenience) and he saw a Biden sticker and refused to tow it. Driver is way cool.
Just because a driver has a AAA sticker on the truck doesn't mean they don't ALSO tow cars in the punitive way as well as the helpful way. Most AAA tow truck drivers do NOT work for AAA, they are contractors. As was true here.
The complaint was that the Tweet/OP was not specific as to these two wildly diverging possibilities WRT the underlying story.
Make sense now?
Bengus81
(6,928 posts)riversedge
(70,089 posts)hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)spelling out exactly what was going on, this could have been interpreted in the exact OPPOSITE manner.
Context matters-- EVEN and in fact, especially on twitter.
riversedge
(70,089 posts)I found this tweet.
Have a good day.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Based solely on that first tweet the driver might not have been a AAA member and refused to pay.
I'm glad we got further clarification.
hear he was fired.
pazzyanne
(6,543 posts)Have used AAA for 73 years and never have they broken that contract with me. Not surprised that that driver was fired, as they have a 118 year reputation to protect (established in 1902).
usaf-vet
(6,163 posts).... paid out of pocket. There was NO local AAA contractor.
The pickup truck was blocking a small business driveway.
We finally resorted to calling a towing service our garage recommended. They picked up the truck 30 minute later.
Dropped it at the garage. They replaced a warrantied starter the only charge was the towing fee. Which we paid. I have all the receipts.
When I got home I called AAA and complained they NEVER responded back.
Covid times maybe but after reading this, two things will happen. I will recall AAA. Two we WILL NOT RENEW it ever again. This actually is not the first time we had a problem with AAA locally. The nearest apparent AAA provider (at the time) is 70 miles away.
PatrickforO
(14,559 posts)from AAA about no longer using River's Edge.
While I hear the arguments on here about context, and admit that I might not have called had I read the arguments about what this MIGHT be instead of what it looks like, because of the lack of context, I did call.
AAA is an institution. They've been around for YEARS, and are part of what we depend on. We have a long way's to go, but when an organization like AAA won't 'serve' you because of a bumper sticker, that is not OK.
JohnnyRingo
(18,619 posts)I figured at first there may be another explanation for what happened there. Maybe he didn't tow it because the motorist was hostile and told him to go fuck his Trump loving ass, for one example.
we can do it
(12,173 posts)hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)as AAA acknowledges, but contract operators. They rightfully canceled their contract with this guy.
As a decades-long AAA customer, I'm well aware of how AAA works.
kcr
(15,315 posts)At first reading, I thought it meant the tow truck driver was pro-Biden and that's why he was refusing to tow the car. I don't get why you're being attacked over this. Do that many DUers not realize that plenty of cars are towed without the owner's consent?
hlthe2b
(102,136 posts)venting phenomenon.
NoMoreRepugs
(9,371 posts)all of us are douchebag Deplorables.
Dave in VA
(2,035 posts)As a fellow old geezer, with very little hair, I would like to recommend your reply!
iscooterliberally
(2,860 posts)I have since graduated from a forehead to a 'fivehead'.
LuckyCharms
(17,413 posts)Stages of old man:
Duffer
Codger
Geezer
Coot
MontanaMama
(23,296 posts)Your post made me laugh out loud.
LuckyCharms
(17,413 posts)I'm starting to do the whole "get off my lawn" thing. I think only coots do that.
MontanaMama
(23,296 posts)I definitely have a get off my lawn thing brewing. What does that make me? Im scared to ask... I
LuckyCharms
(17,413 posts)I'll give you an example.
Have you ever heard of the "old man smell"? There is this smell that attaches itself to old men. It's a real thing. A very distinctive smell. There is a scientific reason for it too, but I can't remember what it is.
For the same reason that there is not an "old woman smell", there are no names for women when they pass through various stages of life.
As an aside, there are two stages of being a coot. The most severe stage is when another man passes the coot on the sidewalk, a complete stranger who is minding his own business, and the coot gives him a dirty look and says "fucker".
MontanaMama
(23,296 posts)You should write a book.l.or at least a pamphlet. Bookmarking tonsils the spouse after work. This is awesome.
druidity33
(6,445 posts)paleotn
(17,884 posts)trc
(823 posts)in my ears. Seems inefficient.
paleotn
(17,884 posts)riversedge
(70,089 posts)durablend
(7,455 posts)I wouldn't renew their membership from 2012 either!
montana_hazeleyes
(3,424 posts)😎
pazzyanne
(6,543 posts)2021
phylny
(8,368 posts)It looks like they're upset that this person didn't tow the car.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)who contract with them to refuse service to AAA members. It's also very likely StalledBrain himself won't follow through after his wife weighs in.
dalton99a
(81,404 posts)RAB910
(3,489 posts)BWAHAHAHA!
Piasladic
(1,160 posts)Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)An offer I couldn't refuse.
MineralMan
(146,262 posts)Recently, my old Ford Ranger's brakes failed. I called AAA and the tow truck arrived within 30 minutes, put my sad old Ranger on the flatbed and towed it to the auto repair place. i was close to home, so i walked back to the house and drove over to the auto repair shop, where the truck was, and arranged for the repairs.
Cost to me for the tow: $0.00.
I rarely need their services, but every time I have needed them, they showed up promptly and took care of the situation quickly.
BTW, there is a Veterans for Biden sticker on the tailgate of my pickup.
Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)I have a Defend The Earth sticker on my Jeep, which is risky here. Where I live, if I put a Biden Sticker on a vehicle, there is a good chance the windshield would have been smashed, or the brake lines cut, etc.
SCantiGOP
(13,865 posts)I have twice had a flat tire while in my office parking garage. They came, put on the spare and I could just take the flat to the shop that weekend for a patch.
llashram
(6,265 posts)Joe Biden's victory, I think you are on very safe ground in your interpretation of this event.
erpowers
(9,350 posts)There is no reason to not do your job because someone has a sticker for a political candidate. Even if this two truck driver was a Biden supporter and did not want to tow a Trump supporters vehicle I would say the person is being stupid. Unless the Biden, or Trump supporter insulted the tow truck driver for being a supporter of a candidate they opposed there would be no real reason not to tow the vehicle because of a political candidate sticker.
davsand
(13,421 posts)The individual tow companies have agreements with AAA. If one tow company can't or won't provide service some other one can in most areas. Not saying it wouldn't be annoying or inconvenient, but it really is some asshole driver acting the fool.
Not trying to hate on tow truck folks, but I have met both good ones and some really stupid ones over the years.
Laura
exboyfil
(17,862 posts)I do wonder about the celebrations on the board when prominent Republicans are chased out of restaurants for example. I always thought it was bad optics and counterproductive.
Renew Deal
(81,847 posts)They are locally dispatched and don't work for AAA.
pazzyanne
(6,543 posts)Their guarantee is that their members will recieve emergency roadside services - end of story. The guy lost his job because he did not forfill the AAA contract his company had with AAA.
Renew Deal
(81,847 posts)My point is that hes not an employee which we both seem to understand.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,852 posts)... by the most racist white guy that I've ever personally met. (The owner of a private towing company in Huber Heights OH.)
The fat-ass looked like the stereotype of a bearded old white guy at a Trump rally.
His anti-Obama comments clearly bothered me, despite my silence, so then he turned up the dial of his racist comments.
About every three sentences, he'd boast about how he'd unhooked cars and kicked out passengers if they annoyed him at all. He also bragged that he was a retired union worker and an independent owner to "stay busy", so any complaints from n-words and their friends meant nothing to him.
It was a fairly brief tow to a repair shop, thankfully, because I couldn't stand to be near him much longer.
That was about 10 to 12 years ago.
Edit: He waited until after my car was hooked up and I was in his cab before the verbal rape.
Ilsa
(61,690 posts)ratings so you could explain the threat, hostage-taking, etc.
Buckeye_Democrat
(14,852 posts)... after my post, but I'm not sure if he's listed anymore. I know the company had his name in it, but I can't remember it now.
I didn't have a cellphone back then, so his veiled threats of abandoning me and my car in a secluded area kept me quiet. I had called him from a business' phone on my way to work (after notifying my employer that I'd be late to work), and I had a loaner car awaiting me at the car dealership.
I remember that he demanded payment in cash, and he also asked over the phone if I was a AAA member. I said "No", and he replied that was good because he didn't like AAA. That struck me as odd, but I had no idea he'd be such as asshole later.
Edit: I bought a cheap flipper phone soon after that experience, so recalling the incident helped me estimate how long I've had a mobile phone.
Ilsa
(61,690 posts)There are some horrible people out there, supposed to be "helpers" of one kind or another, and they are really just a-holes. I'm sure he cheated Uncle Sam out of plenty of tax revenue, too, with cash-only payment. Even a decade ago, who carries $70-100 for a cash-only emergency?
Who knows? Maybe he got busted for one of his hateful behaviors?
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Not an employee of AAA.
pazzyanne
(6,543 posts)Their guarantee is that their members will recieve emergency roadside services - end of story. The guy lost his job because he did not forfill the AAA contract his company had with AAA.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Just wont be doing any contracted work for AAA anymore.
Bengus81
(6,928 posts)Doodley
(9,048 posts)Sanity Claws
(21,841 posts)River Edge breached the terms of its contract with AAA by not providing the towing service. Therefore AAA terminated the contract with River Edge.
River Edge employed the driver. Any word on whether River Edge has responded? It might be too small to have a twitter account.
Sanity Claws
(21,841 posts)The driver has been disciplined by Rivers Edge Towing but this article does not say fired. According to Rivers Edge, this driver will no longer be used for AAA towing but apparently will be used in other towing jobs.
It looks like Rivers Edge has been able to salvage its relationship with AAA by taking this action.
Scruffy1
(3,252 posts)They are usually contract workers paid by the tow.
Tanuki
(14,914 posts)to do the job, only to potentially refuse once he gets there and strand the driver if he doesn't like their political persuasion? Bad solution👎
Response to riversedge (Original post)
sl8 This message was self-deleted by its author.
kacekwl
(7,014 posts)context no explanation. Should be removed.
pazzyanne
(6,543 posts)This post inspired the research gene in us.
nsd
(2,406 posts)People shouldn't have to do research to figure out what a post means.
In this case, it could mean that (1) a pro-Trump driver refused to help a Biden supporter or (2) a pro-Biden driver declined to tow the car of a fellow Biden supporter (who didn't want their car towed).
womanofthehills
(8,661 posts)And usually all the info people know will be posted.
Fla Dem
(23,590 posts)AAA can terminate their contract with the towing company, but it's up to the towing company to fire the driver. However, the driver probably owns the towing comapny.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Arg.
Liberal In Texas
(13,532 posts)very helpful and cordial.
But there are sure a lot of tow truck drivers out there who are real assholes. They drive too aggressively.
I once had one who thought I wasn't driving fast enough after a pretty good snowfall with streets that hadn't been plowed yet. He got up on my bumper and essentially chased me until I pulled over into a gas station lot. Then he followed me in and jumped out of his truck and started to charge in my direction. I drove out of the lot and was gone before he was able to get back into his truck and start it up again. (This was before cellphones, so there wasn't an option to call 911.)
pandr32
(11,559 posts)He's not a young guy, likely isn't wealthy, and will need to live on something. Social Security?
Liberal In Texas
(13,532 posts)He's still out there refusing to tow "libruls."
MontanaMama
(23,296 posts)They contract local towing/service companies for their roadside service. AAA always asks for feedback after an interaction or service call. Ive known them to be very responsive. I had one tow truck driver that bent the axel on our trailer when repairing a flat and AAA made sure the company they contracted replaced the axel at no charge.
Further, there was a tow truck company in our city that openly defied the mask mandate with signage at their facility and on social media. I noticed that they were a AAA contracted company and called AAA to inform them. The AAA agent I spoke with said theyd received several complaints. Browns towing is no longer contracted by AAA as a result.
Im confident AAA isnt the problem here. This particular driver is the problem and AAA cant do anything other than not use the company this maskhole works for.
rwsanders
(2,594 posts)for vets, if you have USAA auto insurance (you should), it includes roadside assistance.
Better World Auto Club (I have no experience with them) advertises in Sierra Magazine.
https://www.betterworldclub.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9vfw66z47AIViLzACh1DewDeEAAYAiAAEgJKSvD_BwE
So why use AAA at all?
njhoneybadger
(3,910 posts)LAS14
(13,769 posts)BobTheSubgenius
(11,560 posts)I've never known a tow truck operator that wasn't paid on a piece-work basis, so losing a good chunk of his potential customer base would have to hurt.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Even so, it is stupid on his part. AAA would be a large contract, I would think.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)BrightKnight
(3,567 posts)Blue Owl
(50,271 posts)Cha
(296,859 posts)than have your job.
Lisa0825
(14,487 posts)for sending a driver from the nearest location failed, and sent them to a different, far away location. The first time, I had to wait 3 hours for help. The second time, I was at almost 2 hours, when an independent driver saw me stranded at the top of the Galveston Causeway, and pulled over to help, so I canceled the tow.
AAA will never get another cent from me. I made a complaint to AAA and no one ever even followed up with me to try to keep me as a customer!
Many people don't even know that their auto insurance often includes roadside assistance coverage, and so do some credit cards too. I found out my insurance has me covered.