Help needed in Los Angeles. This is serious, Please read

[duaneage]

What do you need to get the bike on teh road. Forget about this and get going. Just add this place to a list of cities you won't visit or live in any longer.

I had a 63 fairlane towed once with a forklift. They bent the driveshaft in the process. That cost them 300 dollars in repairs and costs. I rubbed it in outside by telling them I would only take cash, no checks or credit cards.

They failed to see the humor,

[posplayr]

You can also get a local tv station involved in it. They would really hate the negative publicity. Especially since they work for the county/city. It would be awful for them to lose a multi $$$$$$ contract to tow for the city. Go get'em.

This path would probably yield the most satisfaction and the most boot licking by the toe service.

[shirazdrum]

[shirazdrum]

Thank you for all the replies guys, i'm heading out to find some open shops to get estimates, i'll reply to all of you when i get back.

[hcritz]

New York City is just the same...even worse...
They towed my 2 day old car when it was LEGALLY parked! They see out of state plates and they will tow...they know you have to get your car and won't take the trouble to come back for the court date.
Tow truck drives are allowed to tow what they want...cops aren't even involved until it gets to impound.
Cost me $400 in towing and impound fees...it was 2 blocks away.
At least they didn't damage the car!!!
I hope you got picts of the damage at the impound.
Good Luck!

[chef1366]

Sorry Chris, that sucks.
Let me know how I can help.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Lesson learned? STAY AWAY FROM TOW AWAY ZONES!

Amen to that!
It's really unfortunate that everything happened. I read the whole thing but all I could keep thinking was why did you park it there and then keep ignoring it even while thinking you should move it?? Not trying to add insult to injury but I guess you were really pre-occupied.
I'm not sure how the tank and seat got that way. It could be damage from the towing but I wonder if someone else came along just before the tow and tried to steal parts? Someone in a hurry. Whoever it was they must have been dumb as dirt to think you could just pull off the tank.
I'm not sure how this will turn out but I hope for the best.
This reminds me of a bike I had that got towed and something happened that I couldn't believe.
I was about 16 and I got stopped by the police for riding my Suzuki TM400 dirt bike on the street. I had just washed the bike and I was in cut-offs and just going to a friends house for a few minutes. I had no ID. The police said I was operating a "non-registered vehicle" and they called for a tow. The bike had no kickstand (that's what all pure MX owners did back then...right?) and I had to beg the tow guy to lay the bike down easily to avoid damage. No, he didn't have any kind of straps to normally tie down a bike. This was a Sunday.
The next day me and my mom picked up the bike. The tow company was called Black and White. There are railroad tracks and a lot of unpaved dirt area accross the street from their building. When I paid and went to get my bike, the entire underbelly/downpipe/tires were caked with dirt and mud. They had ridden my frickin' bike!! They denied riding it. My mom didn't know what to think and I was just a kid against these jerks. On the way out I kicked and broke their glass entrance door. They said "HEY" and I just immediately said it was an accident and they were ticked off but speechless. Tables got turned on them. Luckily for me there was no damage other than the mud.
To this day I can't believe they would do that but they did.
Just wanted to add my story even though it doesn't help much. I hope you get back on the road and better things come your way. This is not an "LA" thing. It's just the way it is wherever you go. The more people you shove into a certain size area, the worse it gets.

[mighty13d]

I'm not sure how the tank and seat got that way. It could be damage from the towing but I wonder if someone else came along just before the tow and tried to steal parts? Someone in a hurry. Whoever it was they must have been dumb as dirt to think you could just pull off the tank.

Chris and I talked last night and we came to the consensus that the towing company used a strap under the tank to hoist the bike in the air to tow it. I have seen them do that on COPS in LA before and there is no doubt about that happening. I doubt that O'hare towing in Chicago on Wrecked on Speed Channel would tow a bike improperly. Point being that they should never tow something they don't have the proper equipment to tow. You wouldn't try to tow a tractor trailer with a ton pickup, so why hoist a bike behind a wrecker. There SHOULD be a log of what truck the driver was using and it will show what kind of truck.

The damage wasn't there before the tow, the damage is there now. Liability is on the tow company.

[salty_monk]

Yes strap below the tank for sure....

I'm not really about until Weds (taking the Mrs away for her birthday) but if I can be of any help when I get back let me know.

I live near Nessism in any case & he has the bigger stash of tools!

[posplayr]

Chris and I talked last night and we came to the consensus that the towing company used a strap under the tank to hoist the bike in the air to tow it. .

well isn't that convenient; I would never think to lift by the tank and seat "lift points"

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Chris and I talked last night and we came to the consensus that the towing company used a strap under the tank to hoist the bike in the air to tow it. I have seen them do that on COPS in LA before and there is no doubt about that happening. I doubt that O'hare towing in Chicago on Wrecked on Speed Channel would tow a bike improperly. Point being that they should never tow something they don't have the proper equipment to tow. You wouldn't try to tow a tractor trailer with a ton pickup, so why hoist a bike behind a wrecker. There SHOULD be a log of what truck the driver was using and it will show what kind of truck.

The damage wasn't there before the tow, the damage is there now. Liability is on the tow company.

Yeah. I thought it wasn't too likely a thief came by but it was a possibility. I guess I never invisioned a tow operator being that stupid.
Now that I can see it happened I'm almost speechless. I can't decide which is most true...the operator is just a dumb SOB or he couldn't care less about someones property. Might as well damage it deliberately. If this happened to me I can only say I'd find who the driver was and deal with him like Clint Eastwood would.
There has to be a record of who it was though the company would be the one responsible. I believe tow truck drivers have to fill out a safety check form (or similar) daily before they hit the road. If they don't and the police or CHP stop them without the form filled out, they're cited and fined. That's how it is with my work, depending on what type of vehicle you drive (LADWP).
I sure hope all ends well.

[OldVet66]

A parking violation doesn't give them license to damage personal property, even though "Bikers may be the scourge of the earth" in their opinion. You have plenty of documentation. I would take your journey and story to the media and then go after them tooth and nail in a court of law. Sorry you had to suffer the indignation and loss these pricks put you through.

[Larry D]

I would already be at the local news station with all the pictures, website and stories of your journeys. They love to expose the bad things that happen to good people.

It would be a great way to get the word out on your efforts as well. Perhaps a silver lining to this particular dark cloud.

[TheCafeKid]

I would already be at the local news station with all the pictures, website and stories of your journeys. They love to expose the bad things that happen to good people.

It would be a great way to get the word out on your efforts as well. Perhaps a silver lining to this particular dark cloud.

Agreed. If it gets out that you were riding for a cause that effects the entire world like that and that some towing company has possibly cut your efforts and journey short by potentially ruining your bike and only means of travel it's gonna look really really bad on them. Heck ya might toss in there that the LAPD did nothing to help you out as well. The last thing they want is bad press. They've gotten enough of it through the years.

I'm gonna agree with the tie strapps. I've had a bike towed once. I was very fortunate that the statie that impounded it was also a rider and actually felt bad he had to impound it to begin with and was very very nice and actually just doing his job. He even gave me a ride home. Lol. He also went out of his way to assure that the bike was strapped up correctly by the tow driver, especially after seeing my anguished look when the wrecker pulled up and I saw it wasn't a flatbed. It's complete BS your bike was treated this way and regardless of the outcome I would take this to the extremem level untill I received justice of some sort.

[shirazdrum]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm still waiting to get estimates before fixing everything. Here's the letter i am sending to all the board members of the corporation. I will go to every possible media outlet on Monday to get as much coverage as i can regardless of what they do. If i can't get my money back, i'll give them hell anyway.

Mr. X

This letter is to inform you of an imminent law suit against the United Road Towing Co. in regards to the incident on the evening of Nov. 5th, 2009 caused by the Keystone Towing Company of Van Nuys, California. At 4:30 pm of the above date, my motorcycle was towed away from Burbanks Ave to the storage facility of Keystone Towing Company at 7817 Woodley Ave.
Van Nuys, CA.
Upon my arrival to retrieve the motorcycle, I found it damaged due to mistreatment and negligence during the towing operation. The Operations Manager Ramiro Bravo was present and treated me with utmost insolence and unprofessional disrespect. I had to call the Los Angeles Police Department to dispatch patrols two separate times to the Keystone facility due to your staff’s unwillingness to release the motorcycle although I paid all applicable charges.
This motorcycle is an essential piece of equipment as I am currently involved in a global expedition, traveling to every country, to bring awareness to and raise funds for world hunger. Aside from the physical damages, your staff’s maltreatment has caused me tremendous discomfort, emotional stress, and time away from my expedition.
Due to my travel circumstances, I am giving you the opportunity to settle this case outside of the courts, quickly and professionally. I am asking for $217: a full refund of the fees charged by Keystone Towing, plus compensation for the damages you caused to the motorcycle.
You have received this letter on the morning of Monday, December 7th, 2009. I strongly suggest that you do take care of this matter without pause. If there is no initial response to this letter by the end of 17:00 hour of the aforementioned date, I will assume your disinterest in resolving this matter gracefully, and will proceed with appropriate legal action and extensive media exploit.