Aidan Coles - Life in the Fast Lane

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Copyright 2013 by Aidan Coles

Promontory Press
www.promontorypress.com

First Edition: April 2013

ISBN 978-1-927559-07-9

Cover by CP Design.

Design and layout by SpicaBookDesign.

Printed in the United States

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ISBN: 9781927559086

For my superheroes,

Mom and Dad

NOTHING HAPPENS QUICKLY. Traffic moves slowly, time marches on. This book took years to evolve. Id like to thank all my former coworkers and the dedicated police officers that spent time on the road with me. Thanks to Terry Humel-stine and Bruce Campbell for instructing me in the Wreckmaster way. May we continue to grow in the vision that Donnie Cruse laid out and that his son Justin and his family continue on.

Most of all Id like to thank my family and my best friend and partner, Sheila, for sticking by me through this long, strange trip.

Id especially like to thank my brother Ben for giving me the opportunity that I would likely never have had otherwise.

To all the men and women in this industry, be proud of who you are and stand up as true professionals.

IF SOCIETY COLLAPSED, who would you rather have with you? You have two choices.

The first choice is a military veteran trained in every kind of weapon, from pistols and assault rifles all the way up to naval guns and supersonic missiles. This veteran has served on five continents, speaks three languages and has a bachelor and masters degree. He has years of leadership experience, can organize resources and always keeps a cool head under pressure.

The second choice is a tow truck driver.

Whats your choice?

Me, Id take the second choice. Hands down.

If youd like to know why, read this book. Its written by my older brother. Ive spent years in wonder and admiration at his ability to weave his way in and out of shit, no matter how bad, and always emerge in one piece with those under his charge taken care of.

Tow truck driving is one of the most under-appreciated professions in our society, but towmen perform essential, often life-saving services day in and day out. They deserve a place of recognition right alongside police, firefighters and paramedics. Why? Read on.

Im pretty sure there will never be a Towmans Calendar like their firefighting colleagues, nor a Gala Ball like the boys in blue (although either one would be pretty fun to see). Towmen are neither poster boys nor gentlemen, but our society would have a tough time without them.

And if society ever collapsed, I know exactly who Id put my family under the care of: he drives a big truck that has a large hook on the back.

Bennett R. Coles, BA, MBA

Royal Canadian Navy (Retired)

EVERY SINGLE DAY, a tow truck operator is put in danger.

Vehicles have this really annoying habit of breaking down in inconvenient spots. Sure, some cars wont start in the driveway or in a parking stall at work. But when things go catastrophically wrong, its usually at highway speeds in heavy traffic. If they have their wits about them, some drivers will try to coast to a relatively safe area, but on many highways there is no safe area when the shoulder is half a car width alongside the barricades. At least the occupants of the stricken car can stay belted in within their steel and fiberglass shell.

Sometimes the driver goes into shock and doesnt seem to realize where he is. When I arrive in my tow truck, the driver gets out and wanders around aimlessly as if we were parked in an empty field. I cant count how many times Ive grabbed customers out of the path of oncoming traffic, or told them to just walk over to the shoulder and stay there. They want to help, or just watch that I dont scratch their Mercedes, but in doing so they become oblivious to their environment.

Anyone who works on the road towmen, phone repair crews, flag girls doesnt call their reflective vest a safety vest: its called a Hit Me Vest. And those flashing yellow lights on top of the truck are apparently targets. They call to other drivers like a flame to a moth. Funny when youre in the car, but not so funny when youre standing on the roadside with cars passing within inches of you at over 100km per hour.

Theres a new highway law known informally as Slow Down, Move Over that makes it illegal to travel at highway speed past any emergency vehicle on the road. So, lets make this clear, folks: tow trucks are emergency vehicles. Every year, tow truck drivers are killed or seriously injured because an inattentive driver hit them, the vehicle they were loading, or the tow truck.

Please remember, just because a towman is blocking your way, it doesnt mean he did it on purpose. Were just doing a job and trying to get traffic flowing as quickly as possible. Yelling at us, throwing coffee and insults, physically accosting us, or just leaning on your horn will not make us do our job any faster. In fact, itll slow us down because now, we have to deal with your childish behaviour.

Also, if a tow truck is trying to cut across lanes with his beacons on, please dont block him. Hes likely trying to get whatever is blocking your way, out of your way. But if you get the road rage thinking of Im not letting anyone in youre going to sit a very, very long time. If an ambulance, fire truck or police car did the same thing, youd let them through without a second thought. If an accident is causing the delay, whos going to clear it?

Thats right: the tow truck.

Curious to know what its like at the pointy end of a tow operation? Let me tell you about one time I got a call to load a car on the Pat Bay Highway.

On this stretch of the highway, there was no shoulder to speak of; just a white line and a barricade five feet apart. The car in question was straddling the line with a blown front end: no chance it was going to move on its own power. Traffic was hurtling past us at 100km per hour as I hugged my truck into the barricade and backed as close to the car as I could with every emergency light I had on.

The customer was afraid to get out of the car. I couldnt blame her, so, from my cab, I signaled for her to roll down the passenger window and crawl out over the concrete to the relative safety of the grassy slope beyond the barricade.

With my truck in position, I assessed my options. Naturally, it was rush hour and traffic was heavy, both lanes of the highway full with frazzled, impatient commuters. There was no room to merge into the far lane and that steady stream of cars was whipping by within inches of the truck. I wasnt going into that, so I climbed out the passenger window and onto the deck. I was able to reach the controls from on top, fighting for balance on the deck as it angled downward. Operating heavy machinery takes concentration at all times, and now I was trying to manoeuver heavy hydraulics to grasp a 2000-pound car while teetering on an uneven platform. It was a scramble down the sloped deck to hook the chains onto the car and start to haul it up. I kept one eye close on my gear, the other on traffic. I didnt feel like dying that day.