# towing cars **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115 "2016-09-28T13:21:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stosh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@stosh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/1 "2016-09-28T13:21:59Z")
I live in a apartment building and I have a reserved parking place with a sign that says that. Of course, this sign means very little and my space is taken often. There is another sign that states unauthorized cars will be towed away. Most cars pull into the space and since most cars today are front wheel drive, how would a tow truck tow them when it can only get to the back of the car ? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/2 "2016-09-28T13:28:12Z")
Tow drivers typically have “break-in” tools. Open door, release brake, put in neutral. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/3 "2016-09-28T13:38:13Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Tow drivers typically have “break-in” tools. Open door, release brake, put in neutral. That might work for a stick, but I think for most automatics you need a key to take it out of park. If it’s a flat bed tow truck they will just drag it backwards onto the bed. If it’s a hook type, they will drag the car out until they can get at the front wheels. Dragging the tires for a few feet at low speed isn’t a problem. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/4 "2016-09-28T13:42:53Z")
Some drivers just drag 'em out til they have room to switch around. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/5 "2016-09-28T13:50:03Z")
Check with your management, they might have a deal with a local towing company. This kind of work is quite lucrative for the towers. A friend of mine has 22 units a half block away from a fairly large university and his towing company drives by and checks every 30 minutes or so when classes are in session. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/6 "2016-09-29T00:52:18Z")
Besides the easy option of just dragging the car out until they can get at the front end, many tow trucks also carry tow dollies that they can use. These are basically small wheels that are put beside the front wheels of the car, then jacked up so that the cars wheels are off the ground, and it is carried by the towing dollies. Then it can be towed away. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/7 "2016-09-29T02:02:05Z")
There’s a nifty little invention that’s quite popular in Japan for moving illegally parked cars into a position to be easily towed. I’ve seen the thing used in Tokyo and also in Seoul, Busan, Beijing, Maoming, Singapore, and San Francisco. The thing is essentially a smaller, yet much stronger, version of those hand jack/dolly combinations used in many stores. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/8 "2016-09-29T12:21:16Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > There’s a nifty little invention that’s quite popular in Japan for moving illegally parked cars into a position to be easily towed. I’ve seen the thing used in Tokyo and also in Seoul, Busan, Beijing, Maoming, Singapore, and San Francisco. The thing is essentially a smaller, yet much stronger, version of those hand jack/dolly combinations used in many stores. You’ve actually seen cars towed in China? I tried for five years to figure out how to get cars towed out of my parking space from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/9 "2016-10-01T09:35:48Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > You’ve actually seen cars towed in China? I tried for five years to figure out how to get cars towed out of my parking space from time to time. The towing company doesn’t want to get sued for the damage to the vehicle, or embroiled in testing the waters on the complex set of laws that apply … which can vary based on the state, the city, the apartment, the owner, the tennant, the guest of the tennant (a doctor visiting may be more successful in claiming damages ? ) … and the actual owner of the vehicle… basically too hard unless its a big contract that an insurance company will protect. Maybe the building management can buy the dollies … or the spot can be protected with the lock up / down thingy ? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/towing-cars/767115/10 "2016-10-01T11:55:14Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > You’ve actually seen cars towed in China? I tried for five years to figure out how to get cars towed out of my parking space from time to time. Yep. Amazing, isn’t it? Of course, in Beijing it’s always just near the end of a calendar quarter. It seems the communist government also needs a boost in its fiscal coffers every quarter. A big contrast was when I lived in Maoming where they didn’t screw around with any of the traffic laws. It’s serious enforcement. For fun on my walk home every night, I would watch the [del]idiots[/del] folks who didn’t get the memo get their vehicles impounded. No parking zones were happily clear during my time in that burg. Friends there tell me that the enforcement (originally planned for one month) is still ongoing. I wish that concept would spread throughout the country.