Rare Drive on Freeway Shows MTA Taking Taxdollars for A Ride

I elected to borrow a colleague's car to do some work out toward Arcadia. As fortune would have it, I ran across one of those MTA Metro Freeway Service Patrols on the eastbound 60. He was doing a good clip—say, 85 mph or so—and I happened to get a photograph of him as he whooshed by. (I have a back-up digital camera with a stabilising device that allows for photos in motion to be captured rather nicely—even at nearly 100 mph!) Whereas I imagined I would have a nice stock photo, it turned out that our running Metro man was piloting a vehicle with a distinct "out of service" magnet. (When I caught up with him later—he slowed down, I might add, and that is why I caught up with him in the 22-year-olde jalopy I were driving—I got a video on the passenger side that showed that same magnet. But I am only showing the photo here.)

Now, as the budget for this free towing service for owners of private motor vehicles is some $22.2-27 million, I am curious why there are so few (I do a fair amount of Freeway-spotting on the bridges over the 5 and 101 Freeways) of these trucks despite Metro's claim to assisting some 300,000 (yes, more than HALF A MILLION) drivers annually. And then when I do spot one, he is well above the speed limit as well as sporting an out of service sign when the excessive speed he is enjoying clearly exhibits a vehicle with no need to be taken to a mechanic.

Somehow, I doubt that I will ever be obliged an answer by Pam from Santa Monica, let alone Metro CEO Roger Snoble.

-BusTard

   

   
Metro Freeway Service Patrol

 

Number of Tow Trucks on Patrol	152
Annual Budge	$27 million
Number of Freeway Miles Served	450
Number of Tow Truck Beats	41
Average Number of Motorists Assisted per Month	25,000
Number of Motorists Assisted Annually	300,000

 

Comments

[Bert Green]

I was in someone's car a few months ago on the freeway and we got rear-ended by some dumbass going at 50 miles an hour who plowed into us in stopped traffic. Luckily nobody was hurt. The MTA freeway patrol was there in a few minutes without being called, helped us get the cars off to the side of the road, helped everyone exchange information, and made sure we got on our way safely.

I don't think the MTA should provide this service either, they ought to focus on transit. But I can't agree that they don't do a good job of it.