Go With The Tow

On October 29, two tow trucks circled the newly paved staff parking lot, looking for cars. Two teachers, Mr. Tannen and a substitute teacher, had their cars towed away. Both cars lacked a Masterman parking decal, which led to their prompt removal. Regular and substitute teachers alike are required to have a visible parking placard in their vehicle. Without it, cars are subject to ticketing and towing. Car towing is an expensive inconvenience, as described by Ms. Diffenderfer.

“I think the tow alone is $150, plus they charge you for keeping it there, and then you have to take a taxi to get there; so you could end up paying $250.” The fee varies from each towing company and the number of days the vehicle is kept. Fortunately, Ms. Brown ensured that the fees were waived for the teachers. She even took a step further for Mr. Tannen, “She drove me to the place it was towed. [It] was not too far from where I live in southwest Philly... I got it [back] an hour later.” In the end, both teachers reclaimed their vehicles without much trouble. Mr. Tannen walked away with a valuable lesson, “In the future, I’m going to make sure that I always have my car marked.”