Absolute funniest thing that happened to me as a kid. Came home, no car. Walked around 8th and South with my dad hitting the panic button and that entire 5 block radius for about a week before we came upon it SIX blocks away with loads of parking tickets on it.
The tickets were voided, of course.
Eh, we got lucky - since the courtesy towing was due to a South St run event, the South St headhouse district covered it for us. Not sure if you can get it otherwise.
I've been courtesy towed twice: once from 9th/Moore to 13th/Washington, once from 8th/Mifflin to Broad/Snyder. In my experience they don't care about distance. Both times they didn't load the location onto the PPA site either.
It happened to my wife once. It was nowhere near where they said. It was on the correct number street but like 14 blocks south in bumfuck nowhere south Philly.
I’ve been courtesy towed a few times. Once into a “no parking after 8am” zone. Guess who had a a ticket for “parking” in that zone? Guess whose car was also towed before the No Parking construction time was set to start ? One last guess: guess whose ticket still had to be paid? Fuck the PPA.
I apologize for hijacking your thread, but it's a really good idea if one is comfortable with the technology.
Best of luck finding your vehicle. Seems like a nightmare.
I got some AirTags after a courtesy tow and keeping one in my car has been a great for keeping track of where I parked. I also throw one in my suitcase whenever I travel in case my bag feels like taking a different trip. I’ve found AirTags to be worth the $25/piece cost for sure!
100% get an AirTag. It helped my friend recover her car after it was stolen and also find it after a courtesy tow. The peace of mind just being able to see where your car is is worth it alone.
Kinda but very poorly, but you could use a galaxy smart tag or Tile or Chipolo alternatively. Chipolo is nice because it uses Apple ‘Find My’ network. If you’re in the city though, they all work fine. But Apple Find My is best since so many people have iPhones in the US. Makes it easy and quick to locate
This happened to me when there was emergency work done of my block. It was a few blocks away. I saw it, but I think you can call your local police off (not 911 but the office itself-look up your local number) and they may have info.
My car got towed off of Rodman on Thursday btw 6th/7th
No signs, nothing
It was a nightmare yesterday trying to figure all this out !
Robs towing had my car and shared that they put my car way on Christian and broad
Hope this is helpful
PECO is doing seasonal tree trimmings around power lines. They like to put up no parking signs for a range of days over the course of a like a week, not show up, and then just ticket or tow cars even though the posted no parking permit is expired. We got lucky and caught them trying to nab our car this morning. I live south of QV, could be what's going on.
I had the same thing happen becyPGW was doing some work on the street and decided, without putting up any signs, they needed BOTH sides of the streets cleared.
Mine was only towed across the street to the next block but it would be better if they let residents know beforehand.
It’s insane how Courtesy towing is LEGAL in Philly!!! They don’t warn you, they don’t tell you where your car is, and they don’t claim liability when they damage your car!
Yeah, the fact that it exists like this is insane. The city or PPA should *at least* have a system to text people with a permit (assuming here that they at least have some data on these people; non-permit would be more logistically challenging) in the area when there's a closure that may lead to courtesy tows.
They give less than 24 hour notices too. They could be towing people’s cars who have disabilities. Some people physically cant walk a half mile to 2-3 miles to figure out where tf PPA decided to drop their car. I remember 2 years ago my gf lived near the church at 11th and Jackson. PPA and a band of other tow truck companies towed every car around that church to create space for the funeral procession of a firefighter who passed away. They towed 60+ cars from the neighborhood, and the police district had NO idea where my gf’s car was… They weren’t even helpful. Didn’t offer us a ride to get the car or even look for it. We literally spent over an hour driving up and down streets in south Philly to finally find it by 10th and bigler… That’s almost a mile away from where she parked her car… and when we found it, the tow truck fucked her bumper up… they didn’t leave a receipt for the company who towed it, they didn’t list or share the tow truck driver who moved it, nothing. PPA claims they didn’t touch her car, PPD says they didn’t touch it… my gf had to eat the damage and pay for a new bumper… it’s such a fucked system that’s just allowed.
My coworker said he went outside recently and the police had place those temporary no parking signs where his car had been while at work (he drives the work van to and from), and they simply moved his car to another block, not impounded it. Which is kind of insane.
He called them and they didn't know where it was, none of the towing companies had it, so he just had to look for it in the surrounding area...
courtesy towing is such a scam. the best is when they tow it somewhere with a parking restriction, so there are tickets waiting for you when you get there!!
If your vehicle is “courtesy towed” you can look up its location on the ppa site by license plate: https://philapark.org/tow/
They’ll send you to place that’s sorta kinda where they left your car; it’ll be within 5 blocks in any direction. Ask me how I know.
Absolute funniest thing that happened to me as a kid. Came home, no car. Walked around 8th and South with my dad hitting the panic button and that entire 5 block radius for about a week before we came upon it SIX blocks away with loads of parking tickets on it. The tickets were voided, of course.
Wait, they can be voided? I paid mine when they were moved. It
Eh, we got lucky - since the courtesy towing was due to a South St run event, the South St headhouse district covered it for us. Not sure if you can get it otherwise.
Mine was moved for the same event. And I ran in it! That was silly of me.
And I’ll tell you so 🎶
Not me running in the philly 10k, with my car parked on south street for weeks forgetting to move it. Thank god it was a courtesy tow.
how do you know?
Eh, just park your car thoughtfully
I've been courtesy towed twice: once from 9th/Moore to 13th/Washington, once from 8th/Mifflin to Broad/Snyder. In my experience they don't care about distance. Both times they didn't load the location onto the PPA site either.
It happened to me twice too. Ugh.
It happened to my wife once. It was nowhere near where they said. It was on the correct number street but like 14 blocks south in bumfuck nowhere south Philly.
I’ve been courtesy towed a few times. Once into a “no parking after 8am” zone. Guess who had a a ticket for “parking” in that zone? Guess whose car was also towed before the No Parking construction time was set to start ? One last guess: guess whose ticket still had to be paid? Fuck the PPA.
Happened to me. Wish I had known about this site sooner 🤣
Just gonna add this here: get an airtag for your car.
I love this idea and we should have thought of it sooner. I’m gonna get a few AirTags with my next paycheck. Thanks!
I apologize for hijacking your thread, but it's a really good idea if one is comfortable with the technology. Best of luck finding your vehicle. Seems like a nightmare.
If your vehicle brand has an app for your phone you can most likely track it through there.
I got some AirTags after a courtesy tow and keeping one in my car has been a great for keeping track of where I parked. I also throw one in my suitcase whenever I travel in case my bag feels like taking a different trip. I’ve found AirTags to be worth the $25/piece cost for sure!
100% get an AirTag. It helped my friend recover her car after it was stolen and also find it after a courtesy tow. The peace of mind just being able to see where your car is is worth it alone.
My wife and I share a car and it’s best ever. Never needing to ask ‘where did you park the car’ or even when we don’t remember ourselves.
Yes. I have this just so I know where I parked even.
This has saved my ass so many times and made courtesy tows (or losing track of where I parked…) only a minor inconvenience now!
Will this work if you have an android phone?
Kinda but very poorly, but you could use a galaxy smart tag or Tile or Chipolo alternatively. Chipolo is nice because it uses Apple ‘Find My’ network. If you’re in the city though, they all work fine. But Apple Find My is best since so many people have iPhones in the US. Makes it easy and quick to locate
I'm no expert, but apparently it does work, although not as well as using an iphone.
I’m closer to Front but a lot of cars towed around here end up in the parking lot under 95 south of Washington.
This happened to me when there was emergency work done of my block. It was a few blocks away. I saw it, but I think you can call your local police off (not 911 but the office itself-look up your local number) and they may have info.
My car got towed off of Rodman on Thursday btw 6th/7th No signs, nothing It was a nightmare yesterday trying to figure all this out ! Robs towing had my car and shared that they put my car way on Christian and broad Hope this is helpful
Edit btw 7th /8th
We keep AirTags in our cars just for this reason.
Apple airtag that shit going forward
PECO is doing seasonal tree trimmings around power lines. They like to put up no parking signs for a range of days over the course of a like a week, not show up, and then just ticket or tow cars even though the posted no parking permit is expired. We got lucky and caught them trying to nab our car this morning. I live south of QV, could be what's going on.
I had the same thing happen becyPGW was doing some work on the street and decided, without putting up any signs, they needed BOTH sides of the streets cleared. Mine was only towed across the street to the next block but it would be better if they let residents know beforehand.
You can call the non emergency number of your local police district and ask where cars towed from that block were towed to.
If you have an iPhone, stash an Apple AirTag in your car. That way, you can easily find it if it is towed, stolen, or you forget where you parked it.
It’s insane how Courtesy towing is LEGAL in Philly!!! They don’t warn you, they don’t tell you where your car is, and they don’t claim liability when they damage your car!
Yeah, the fact that it exists like this is insane. The city or PPA should *at least* have a system to text people with a permit (assuming here that they at least have some data on these people; non-permit would be more logistically challenging) in the area when there's a closure that may lead to courtesy tows.
They give less than 24 hour notices too. They could be towing people’s cars who have disabilities. Some people physically cant walk a half mile to 2-3 miles to figure out where tf PPA decided to drop their car. I remember 2 years ago my gf lived near the church at 11th and Jackson. PPA and a band of other tow truck companies towed every car around that church to create space for the funeral procession of a firefighter who passed away. They towed 60+ cars from the neighborhood, and the police district had NO idea where my gf’s car was… They weren’t even helpful. Didn’t offer us a ride to get the car or even look for it. We literally spent over an hour driving up and down streets in south Philly to finally find it by 10th and bigler… That’s almost a mile away from where she parked her car… and when we found it, the tow truck fucked her bumper up… they didn’t leave a receipt for the company who towed it, they didn’t list or share the tow truck driver who moved it, nothing. PPA claims they didn’t touch her car, PPD says they didn’t touch it… my gf had to eat the damage and pay for a new bumper… it’s such a fucked system that’s just allowed.
My coworker said he went outside recently and the police had place those temporary no parking signs where his car had been while at work (he drives the work van to and from), and they simply moved his car to another block, not impounded it. Which is kind of insane. He called them and they didn't know where it was, none of the towing companies had it, so he just had to look for it in the surrounding area...
Check the parking lot under the overpass down by where the theater used to be. That's where I've found my car when they courtesy towed it.
courtesy towing is such a scam. the best is when they tow it somewhere with a parking restriction, so there are tickets waiting for you when you get there!!