Jersey Mike

This is a follow up to Carrie Cassidy’s article in today’s Patriot-News regarding mistreatment of customers shakedown victims of Don’s Towing on Cameron Street in Harrisburg.

Cassidy contacted me last week after doing some Google research on Don’s Towing- and this here blog- God love it- was the number one source of information regarding this company who has held a contract to handle the city’s towing since nineteen seventy eight.

Cassidy reported how Dennis Early- the brother of Ray Thorn Jr., who was killed in a motorcycle accident recently- was forced to fork over nearly a thousand dollars- and only had the amount reduced to five hundred after the intervention from Council President Linda Thompson.

When Cassidy and I spoke on the phone, we conversed for about ten minutes. And I explained, in the most colorful terms possible, my opinion of Don’s Towing.

Mike Van Jura, a concert promoter known as JerseyMike, said in the roughly four years he’s lived in the city, he’s had his Saab boot ed twice for unpaid parking tickets. The only time it was towed was when it was hit by another car and pushed partially in the road, he said.

Van Jura said the Saab had been on Don’s lot for 12 hours when he called to find out how much he owed. When he was told the bill was $150 and there was nothing he could do about it, Van Jura said he asked to speak with Don, who promptly got on the phone.

“He knew I was com plaining about the amount owed and, as a way to try to intimidate me, he said, ‘You got the boss, now you owe $175. Wanna keep complaining? I’ll make it more,’” Van Jura said. “So that was a power trip on his part.”

Fisher said that he didn’t recall the Van Jura incident, but that sometimes he says things like that when customers aren’t treating him or his staff properly. Van Jura probably didn’t have to pay that extra $25, Fisher said. Van Jura confirmed that.

What I also offered the reporter was a slew of comments left on this site regarding instances of other misdoings by Don’s over the course of thirty years.

And the quote that was used from me was quickly rebutted by Don- he claimed that he didn’t recall “the Van Jura incident” – well, Donnie- let me remind you-

http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-people-vs-dons-towing/
From Stephanie in the comments: The operator said that he wouldn’t if I gave him money, so I went across the street to the ATM and couldn’t get money out at the time; I can’t recall why. I explained this to the driver, so he agreed to take all my jewelry, watches, rings, necklace, in lieu of the money I “owed.”

http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/so-much-for-carpooling-my-saga-with-dons-and-the-city/
The guy wouldn’t unhook her car until she gave him $20 to NOT tow it away. When my landlord told me my house came with 1 parking space he had failed to mention I had to register the plate numbers & car makes of the cars that would be parking there regularly, up to 3 three cars. My mother was pissed of course, I gave her $20 to replace what she spent, but she only came 1 other time to visit me after that.

http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/true-story/
Don’s was called in by the temple to tow his car. well, the car owner came right over and didn’t want to be towed so got in his car to try to move it.the tow truck driver and then, Don himself, proceeded to beat on this man through his sun roof. the man had a heart attack and died on the spot. this is a true story, I was a witness. It went to trial and of course, Don’s towing company was found not guilty. It was July 1987, true to God story…and it appears that some things with Don’s have never changed!!!

Remember my old Red Saab that got hit, towed and held ransom by Don’s Towing last January?
Here’s something of an update; file this under “One Man’s Garbage Is Another Man’s Gold”-

With all of the body damage and starting issues, coupled with the fact that she had well over two hundred thousand miles on it, I had it on Craigslist for five hundred bucks.

Got a few calls immediately and one of the first people to check it out was a guy named Ben and his wife Chrissy. They told me this grandiose story about a somewhat-underground race which participants main rule is that the vehicle they use in the race cannot cost more than two hundred fifty dollars.

The race runs from New York City to New Orleans over five days of Memorial Day weekend- and because of the start and end points, the trip is known as the Babe Rally- Babe meaning Big Apple to the Big Easy.

Part wanting to just be done with the Saab and part happy knowing that at least my dear car would have a somewhat-glorious and fun filled afterlife, I agreed to their offering price of two hundred fifty dollars.

The only caveat in the deal, however, was that they must keep me updated on the trip and if my favorite little red sun faded orange car wins the Babe Rally this year.

Yesterday afternoon, I got a text from Ben: “www.teambornfromjets.com is our site for the rally. Car is doing great so far, on our way south from new york on day 1″

After typing in the URL, I nearly hit the floor when I saw what my beat up little red Saab had morphed into:

And so it goes. My car- which had become a parking ticket attracting hit-and-run magnet over the course of two and a half years gets a new lease on life- because of four young, eager and fun loving kids who decided to enter what looks like a pretty fun race.

Check out a slideshow of the BabeRally here

Watch Ben and Chrissy’s site for their trip updates here

And this is the official BabeRally website here

The following are actual stories- copied and pasted from public message forums and emails gathered by me.

You tell ME if you see a pattern-

From the forums at PennLive.com-

The year was 1987 and I lived in a high rise in the 2300 block of front street. one of the residents of the apt. bldg. parked in the synagogue lot next door and was sitting on riverfront park with a lady friend when Don’s was called in by the temple to tow his car. well, the car owner came right over and didn’t want to be towed so got in his car to try to move it.the tow truck driver and then, Don himself, proceeded to beat on this man through his sun roof. the man had a heart attack and died on the spot. this is a true story, I was a witness. It went to trial and of course, Don’s towing company was found not guilty. It was July 1987, true to God story…and it appears that some things with Don’s have never changed!!!

From a comment on this site:

Years ago, I was shaken down by Don’s towing.

I parked in the parking lot across the street from the old State Restaurant. There was a tiny sign that said, “No parking ” in the parking lot of what used to be the business “Reprographics”.

Well, I didn’t see the sign, suffice it to say, so I parked there. No sooner did I walk away, when I saw Don’s

I ran up to the driver and said, “Please don’t tow me.” The operator said that he wouldn’t if I gave him money, so I went across the street to the ATM and couldn’t get money out at the time; I can’t recall why. I explained this to the driver, so he agreed to take all my jewelry, watches, rings, necklace, in lieu of the money I “owed.”

I had to send someone out to their “office” and give them cash to get my jewelry out of hock. Keep in MIND that they never even towed my car.

I went to the Patriot News to report this and the story was ready to run (Allied Pix even took a shot of me beside my car) and in the end they cut the story.

I asked why and was told that the editor didn’t want to “hurt the small businessman.”

Do you have a story to share about an interaction with Don’s Towing in Harrisburg? Good or bad, I want to hear it- email me. Confidentiality, if requested, is assured.

Do you have a war-story regarding Don’s Towing in Harrisburg?

Would you like to see their criminal ways changed and see that us, the people, the community that enables them to do business get some sort of retribution for the countless headaches they’ve caused?

Either leave your story in the comment section below or email me.

More to come…