Gone in 60 seconds... Towing cars in the EU...

"doodon2whls" (doodon2whls)
10/13/2013 at 15:25 • Filed to: Gone in 60 seconds, EU, towing, SORRY !

EU-based Opponauts are probably very familiar with the speed and efficiency with which illegally parked cars are removed from the busy CBD's of the EU's largest cities. The rest of us might watch in horror as someone's car is literally disappeared in front of us in less than 60 seconds.

In June, while on a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I witnessed these guys in action just off of Stephansplatz in Vienna's CBD hauling away an illegally parked Peugeot 207 cabrio... In less time than it took for the tow truck operator to finish his cigarette, the car was rigged, lifted onto the bed of the truck, and they rolled away (I assume they tied down the car when they left the congested street, or maybe not). Bingo Bango. Wham bam, sorry about your luck, ma'am...

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Has anyone seen similar trucks in use here in the US ? I imagine it would be tough to lift/move our generally larger/heavier cars in the US, but in at least two videos (below) these trucks lift an S-Class and a Volvo Wagon. Impressive.

Wheel hooks on:

Initial lift complete:

Swing the car over the bed:

Set 'er down, retract the outrigger, and roll away:

I shot stills of this madness, but there are several video examples on youtube:S-Class in Vienna:

Volvo Wagon in Prague:

VW Golf Plus [EDITED: thx eagle eyed commenters] Hatch in Paris:

DISCUSSION (100)

KnowsAboutCars > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 15:36

I've never seen that method used here in northern europe. BTW that car in the last video is VW Golf Plus.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 15:43

Kinja'd!!!

Those people are one of the most hated here in Bulgaria. You get a fine ontop of a ridiculously high fee to release your impounded cars and points are deducted(demerit points).

Recently those bastards scooped my CLK in under 2 minutes, happily I saw them, ran after them and they released the car after a small bribe(yeah I live in such country) and a fine for incorrect parking. Sneaky bastards.

Alex87f > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 15:44

Kinja'd!!!

Really?

I did get my car towed away like this, not because of parking but because it had broken down (Alfa, yes, haha, hilarity ensues). The speed at which they take the car is impressive, and the responsiveness is too. Between the moment I called the guy and the moment he dropped my car off in a garage 3 miles away, less than 40 minutes had passed. Not that expensive either, he charged me 60€ for it.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 15:46

I suspect the larger trucks and SUVs that are common in the US but rare in the EU limit their capabilities while the sheer space limitations that the EU has that makes them so good isn't as common in the US. Just a right tool for the location difference.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
10/13/2013 at 15:51

Actually those trucks can get almost any car/suv, except for something like Hummer. I have seen even a G-Class taken by them

lawlence > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:06

I have video of an X6M being towed in the same manner when I was in Germany. It was impressive watching the tow truck crane lift a near 6000lbs car. I'll try to find the video to post up.

Michael Ballaban > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:10

I've seen the NYPD tow a car in about two seconds, but with nothing near as elegant as a crane. Your drivetrain be damned.

In_Sweden > KnowsAboutCars
10/13/2013 at 16:12

Scandinavia? Sweden, Norway, Denmark?

I live in Sweden and Norway, and to be honest, I've never seen a car get towed because of parking, even if I've lived in some of out largest cities. Perhaps they are just that quick.

Iwaswonderofwonders > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:12

'Murrica

Kinja'd!!!

MrPedantic > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 16:13

'Yeah i live in such a country' - well you're not exactly helping that by bribing the guy?

Eyaare > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:14

I don't see how scooping all four wheels then lifting it onto a flatbed is faster than just grabbing two wheels, lifting a bit and driving. Sure, it's better at dealing with cars with shitty ground clearance, and you're not gonna fuck up any drivetrains by grabbing the wrong wheels (not that I think the average parking tower gives two shits), but quicker for the majority of cases? I'm surprised.

And weight aside, I'd imagine the sheer size of Expedition/Tahoe/Suburban/Navigator L would be too much for one of these to handle.

Mailbox Cancer > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:14

Impressive, save for 2 caveats: (1) Parking enforcement operators are opportunistic bastards (sorry, their existence makes my teeth itch), and (2) the moments when the lift chains slap the sides of the metal body panels is very very sad. Seen that happen way too often when they use these trucks.

Ce he sin > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:16

You write as though this is an unusual thing. How do they tow cars in America?

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 16:18

You are right, but it is a sceme that in way is forced on you. You want to be let off easily, those guys offer you the chance.

If I was in a more suitable place to where they grabed me I would have accepted the consequences.

1carfreak1 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:20

Mercs and Volvos aren't the only ones:

Kinja'd!!!

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 16:21

Bribing people and paying unfair fines/taxes is the same.

MrPedantic > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 16:22

Fair enough, I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same. It's a horrible problem.

RW53104 > Alex87f
10/13/2013 at 16:22

So, it's terrific when need a tow- but a f*cking curse when you just need to run into the store for just a second and.. Damnit!

Pdexter > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:23

Never seen one around Nordics. That is kind of weird actually as I have no idea how they move cars around in Helsinki center in winter as streets are being plowed.

550F2 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:27

I don't even want to talk about these pricks. It takes them less than 2 minutes in Amsterdam. I timed it. That's $570,- in a few minutes (excluding the ticket).

steve62 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:30

We need more of this action, and don't be afraid to damage the car.

Biostar01 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:30

Anyone else think of this when they saw this?

http://www.lego.com/en-us/technic/…

I guess this would be more suited for America:

http://www.lego.com/en-us/technic/…

fintail > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 16:40

Solution, park properly?

fintail > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:42

I saw this the last time I was in Cologne, some idiot had parked on a median near a wall. A Ford Focus, I think it was. Pretty amusing, I was the only passerby who noticed.

sirgentlegentile123 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:45

We need this for cars who park in handicap spots and ones that take up two spaces.

dieselwagon > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 16:47

It is a horrible problem and I don't know the answer, but speaking from experience in overtly corrupt countries... Following the 'rules' just leaves you with more people to bribe later. Or, be prepared for paperwork and 'admin fees' to be lost several times and things to take 6months or a year for non-greased bureaucratic wheels to turn, if at all.

Might also find lots of parts missing from your vehicle afterwards, if we're exclusively talking about having your car impounded.

If you have an interest in corruption, this is an insightful talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/afra_ray…

myleadfoot > Eyaare
10/13/2013 at 16:50

Parking spots in Europe are often too tight to get a tow truck in close enough to pull it out. This way, they don't even need to worry about access, they just pull alongside, and up it goes.

Fisha695 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 16:52

A guy at the local short track had something like this for his car years back. I guess it was like an old 84 Lumber delivery truck but it was the same basic principle and it worked pretty well. It was faster to load then those who had enclosed trailers (generally have to push car in) and rollbacks (have to put the back down & wench on), but it took more time then those who had open trailers that they could drive right on.

ramajastang > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 16:58

They do that here in the US too,. If you are getting towed and they have you hooked up and are ready to leave but you catch them, you can pay a "reduced" fine and have the car released instead of having to go to the impound and pay the full fine. It kinda depends on the two company though and local rules etc. some won't let it be released once it's been hooked up and some say as long as it hasn't moved even if it's hooked up it can be released. some are as long as it's still in the lot etc.

ValN > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 16:59

Same shit here in Romania man :( People in the west always give crap about bribing the officials but they have no idea how shitty laws are in this part of the world!

kent-skinner > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:02

What keeps the front wheels from rolling?

Assumption: RWD and parking brake set.

Squabbler > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 17:03

Paying the fine would somehow be better?

Squabbler > Michael Ballaban
10/13/2013 at 17:06

Yeah, I would much rather have my RWD car lifted onto a flatbed than towed on its drive wheels.

What a bunch of pricks.

Burt > Michael Ballaban
10/13/2013 at 17:06

Yeah, just don't park your AWD car where you're not supposed to:

Kinja'd!!!

ValN > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:08

You forgot to show all the cars they drop, scratch or generally mistreat. Did I mention they're not liable for the damages because "you were breaking the law" or that insurance companies will not insure damages for these situations? This is far from being more "civilized". This is one very good example of unnecessary force, towing and impounding your car for illegal parking is like getting arrested and convicted for loitering. What happens is because this is a very quick procedure for "extracting" cars, they tend to use this A LOT and use it for cases where it's uncalled for, like illegally parked cars that actually do not hinder traffic. So yeah, we get screwed over big time by these guys...

kschang > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:12

Those are fun. They're an integral part of one of those Cobra 11 games, for those who play such games.

special_k_side > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 17:12

Hey, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, a $50 hook fee is common place.......saves the impound fee, and cash is king! And the Tow Truck driver has his beer money for the day.

newtexian > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:21

Takes a hell of a lot longer than "less than a minute" to park the truck and set that apparatus up. Guess it's ok if the "officials" interfere with traffic... the rules don't apply to them, so...

GearHeadfromBrazil > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:21

The Renault is actually a VW Fox.

dodfaefife > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:24

Seen this often enough in Edinburgh, sometimes with the driver howling in protest. The rule seems to be: once it's 'wheels up' you proceed to the lock-up. I was also told they're not allowed to lift cars with a disabled badge or an infant seat fitted. Don't know if that's still the case.

Smulders > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:25

Meanwhile in Belgium:

0FF > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
10/13/2013 at 17:25

They can lift up to 3 or 4 (metric) tons (depends on crane type and size/length of truck). So Range Rovers, Q7s, Cayennes, Escalades - nobody's safe

alan666 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:26

always best to get the professionals in though.

MrPedantic > Squabbler
10/13/2013 at 17:28

Are you serious?

downforce > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:35

It's a business with very strong profit margin. Laws like this are intentionally made against the regular people, because you eiter pay absurdly high taxes to park your car around the center of the city (even if the street is wide and your parked car don't affect the traffic), or get your car impounded like on the videos above and then pay lots of fines and lose too much time until you get your car released. The whole process is intentionally made very slow and painfull (even though they tow your car for no time, the law don't say that it must be released fast, and you must go to several locations to pay fines), so no wonder that bribing those workers is a very popular "business" for them.

JLsAuto > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:47

America can do the same thing. Only more efficiently...

Silvermannn > Michael Ballaban
10/13/2013 at 17:49

I don't get how people get away with this.

I've seen mini coopers get towed with the front wheels on the ground and the wheel at full lock.

xirho > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 17:53

+ you have to pay `parking` fee after that...

Carwood > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 17:56

"This method is quicker and doesn't damage the car! I hate it!" - NYC DOT

Carwood > Michael Ballaban
10/13/2013 at 17:56

Pains me to see an AWD-er being hooked up in NYC.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot > 1carfreak1
10/13/2013 at 17:57

Which Bond film is this from? I don't recall this scene. The rocket launcher kind of gives something away...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot > Michael Ballaban
10/13/2013 at 18:00

THIS! This is two minutes flat, and the guy was taking his time. I've seen the repo guys on TV do it in 10 seconds flat.
There is no way those crane loaders do it faster. It takes time to setup those pylons and then hoist the crane over the car, position the tire catchers, and hoist it all back onto the flatbed of the truck. Way more than two minutes.

Maxaxle > Carwood
10/13/2013 at 18:02

They're not really concerned with the state of the car, I suspect.

Carwood > Maxaxle
10/13/2013 at 18:03

Yeah, its one of those..well the owners the idiot for not being mindful of the rules sooo

Lars Vargas was hoping 2020 would be quieter > Smulders
10/13/2013 at 18:03

The tires squeaking sound like a dog whimpering.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:04

I guess by "under a minute", you mean the amount of time to just pick the car up and drop it on the truck. You aren't counting the minutes to set up the anti-tip pylons and get the catchers under the tires. And then to retract everything back into the truck to be able to drive away.

Sorry. The US has them beat in terms of speed. Watch some repo guys at work. They are masters.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
10/13/2013 at 18:05

Lol ten seconds flat with a lot of TV editing

Stang70Fastback > Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
10/13/2013 at 18:07

Johnny English! Awesome movie! Was trying to find this clip on YouTube but I can't find it anywhere.

79MZsidecar > Smulders
10/13/2013 at 18:12

that was brutal!

chadanthony > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:13

These guys must be awesome at "the Claw" game.

Stang70Fastback > 1carfreak1
10/13/2013 at 18:13

I love Johnny English! For everyone who wants to see an awesome car chase, skip to 1:30 in this video.

Stang70Fastback > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:15

They also make great chase vehicles. (2:45 if the video doesn't start there)

Giulia Sprint > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:16

While I applaud the relatively zero damage method of towing I just have to say that this is downright EVIL

79MZsidecar > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:17

Germans are known for being very strict, but they are actually very reasonable. They'll only tow your car if you are blocking a street or the very important "Feuerwehrzufahrtszonen", the acces ways for the fire trucks.

Even fines are not that bad.

On the other hand, if you park without permission on private property, you're gonna have a bad time.

RogueTorino > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:21

I need a setup like that from myself, would sure beat loading and unloading the trailer.

ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:21

When I was in Barcelona last year, our car got towed from a spot by the beach (and the car behind the spot we parked in was also towed...otherwise I might have realized they were loading spots only). Didn't see it happen, but I did see another car get towed down in the Ramblas district later that evening. Little different. Floor jack lifted each wheel to get casters under them. Then the car was rolled sideways out into the lane behind the tow truck, which then hauled it up onto the flatbed. Still, it was quick.

sanman357 > Smulders
10/13/2013 at 18:30

When that strap snaps and cuts his leg off, maybe then he will respect his equipment.

LTA > Carwood
10/13/2013 at 18:31

Makes me feel sick to my stomach... so sad

Nacon > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:33

You say it's a tow truck with a crane...

I say it's a flatbed truck with a crane.

There's a difference. Stay in school.

Bloqs3 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:39

In Paris they have literally dozens of those trucks roaming until they get a call from the cops to take a car away. They get paid by car, so the more they tow, the more they earn. So if you get spotted by a cop, usually it takes less than 10 minutes for you car to be impounded, and those fines are expensive, not Switzerland expensive, but they hurt.

AlBosnien > Smulders
10/13/2013 at 18:43

So, you're too important to be bothered by looking for parking, so you park in front of someone's driveway...serves you right.

Squabbler > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 18:45

As a fuk'n heat attack, bro.

F10M5 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:46

Kinja'd!!!

In the last video, it isn't a Renault, but a Volkswagen Golf Plus.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
10/13/2013 at 18:47

Nope. No TV tricks either. They don't tie the cars down until they're a couple blocks away.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
10/13/2013 at 18:48

This one is slow and careful and still about a minute.

julien > Smulders
10/13/2013 at 18:49

ok, een beetje meer... et voila, hein, merci'kes

lazydave42 > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:56

They call these things HIABs (a trade name which became generic) and here is the 'medium duty range' page on their website:

http://www.cargotec.com/en-global/hiab…

Lifting capacity is up to 23 tonne-metres (eg 4.6t at a 5m reach). Think they could handle an F350 dually just fine :-/

julien > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 18:57

or.....

Kinja'd!!!

Turkina > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 18:59

I wouldn't consider it a bribe, really. The guy is towing your car, and spent time hooking it up. You're paying for the time and effort to do that. He brings the car back to the impound lot, and puts it down, you're now paying for more time, effort, and now storage fees. Just think, 'bribing' him to release your car has just freed him up to tow another car. Catch and release before getting to the impound lot is probably more lucrative.

handschaltgetriebe > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 19:08

I recorded this in Germany. It's some type of Skoda

Chuck Fickens > Nacon
10/13/2013 at 19:11

It's a flatbed with a HiAb in Euro speak.

Chuck Fickens > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 19:22

I see a lot of posts on here complaining about people that park like douchbags, but it seems from most the responses that you all think when the douchbag parkers get towed (or lifted) it suddenly becomes the people doing the towing that become the bad ones...

It's pretty simple... if you park like a dick expect to be treated like a dick immediately , as far as I'm aware there is no time limit on parking like a dick.

G6GT > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 19:26

Meanwhile in Russia:

Intending_Acceleration > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa
10/13/2013 at 19:33

So you illegally parked, and you're calling them bastards?

Park your car legally and it won't be a problem, now will it?

Built BMW Tough > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 19:54

Owners of Airmatic-equipped Benzes better have deep pockets, for how much damage this would do to the system.

Pobthebuilder > Built BMW Tough
10/13/2013 at 20:00

Why? The forces are trivial compared to using the car on the road and Airmatic doesn't try do anything clever with the ignition turned off. Given the prevalence of this system in Germany, I'd also hazard a guess that Mercedes thought of that.

1carfreak1 > Built BMW Tough
10/13/2013 at 20:24

Oh? Do elaborate...

FrankZappa > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 20:39

I've been towing in the Boston area for 28 years and never seen one of these knuckle-boom trucks used for towing. The closest thing to it that we see is used mostly for heavy construction materials delivery. The GVW of such a truck requires at least a Class B CDL plus a hydraulics license to operate here in the US, which would eliminate most of the people currently driving tow trucks and ramp trucks. Cost of these units is also prohibitive for most tow companies, because a standard flatbed equipped 25,000 lb GVW International or Hino chassis is nearly $70,000. A knuckle-boom truck is easily twice that. Also, such a truck is limited in it's usage, it's specialized for picking up parallel parked cars from city streets. You don't usually have the option of taking up two lanes width when you pick up a car off the highway.

llednewnad > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 20:46

Even my four year old knows about these tow trucks and he has never been to Europe.

Kinja'd!!!

llednewnad > FrankZappa
10/13/2013 at 20:52

Most of these trucks are traditional flatbeds too, so they can also just use a single lane.

Spasoje > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 20:54

Nice to finally see some North American love for Europe's so-called "spider" trucks!

I never understood why this didn't catch on here, since it's better for both the offender's car and the truck operator...

Spasoje > MrPedantic
10/13/2013 at 20:55

To be fair, every country besides the US and Canada are one such country...

FeistyGoat > doodon2whls
10/13/2013 at 20:58

In my town in Eastern Europe, I've seen one of those standard trucks lift an Audi Q7 3.0TDI without any problems.

FeistyGoat > handschaltgetriebe
10/13/2013 at 21:02

Yup, a Skoda Fabia wagon.

MrPedantic > Turkina
10/13/2013 at 21:15

The OP stated that in Bulgaria you get a fine (on top of the fees) and points deducted form your license for this. If you line the tow truck driver's pocket with cash for releasing your vehicle before you get to that point, how is that not a bribe? And yes obviously it is more lucrative for the truck driver, but in most european countries they are not self employed, and probably have hourly wages. So now the towing company gets nothing. Market Failure. How does the fact that the guy did some work to "earn" his bribe make it more legitimate? I'm not saying I wouldn't do the same if I was getting my car towed in Bulgaria, but this attitude that bribes and "fees" are not a crime is terrible; corruption's costs to society are enormous.

doodon2whls > Michael Ballaban
10/13/2013 at 21:27

Many of the CBD's of large EU cities are based on horse-cart path widths from 400 years ago, not large boulevards like in the US. There is no room to maneuver a Jerr-Dan rig across two lanes. The only streets that small in the US are in the colonial-era neighborhoods in the mid-atlantic (Philadelphia, New Castle, Williamsburg, etc.), and they are usually considered alleys and closed to non-resident traffic these days.

MrPedantic > Spasoje
10/13/2013 at 21:29

You should travel more. I live in scandinavia, Denmark to be precise. So I guess I am preaching from the high horse, as we are ranked as the least corrupt country according to the CPI published by transparency international . The US is number 19 on that list. Canada faired considerably better at 9. http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2012/result…

doodon2whls > FrankZappa
10/13/2013 at 21:33

Interesting ! Never thought of the operator certification angle...

The knuckle boom trucks can lift cars from the rear up onto the bed as well...

Dirty Hooker > 1carfreak1
10/13/2013 at 21:41

Speaking out of his ass. Lifting a car by the tires is lifting a car by the tires. It would be no different than parking on an elevator during a mild earthquake.

Zibodiz > Smulders
10/13/2013 at 21:43

I do't care how much of a jerk the driver was, that poor car was getting abused! It may have just been an optical illusion, but that wheel didn't look quite straight after they were finshed with that. Surely a tow company there had some 'coasters' (they're a little wheeled platform that basically works like a piano dolley; they strap on both sides of a wheel, then list the tire off the ground)