By Eric W. Schoen
I learned something from an experience I had on the Major Deegan going south bound between the Yonkers border and the George Washington Bridge last Wednesday night. Simply, don’t get a flat on the Major Deegan Expressway.
It all started out so simple. I was meeting friends for dinner by Yankee Stadium. Originally I was worried about stadium traffic. The threat of rain, thunderstorms, locusts, the sky falling that night postponed the Yankee game. Boy was I in luck! Other than the weather it should be smooth sailing to my destination without baseball traffic and the Thursday is the new Friday weekend getaway traffic as the weekend weather was supposed to be crappy.
I entered the Deegan from the Cross County and just to be sure I stopped to use the bathroom facilities at the gas station at the Yonkers/Bronx border with the $4 gas. You know it. During the Mario Cuomo administration they upgraded all the service areas on Interstate I 87 from Yonkers to Buffalo, but somehow they missed this one.
I pull out of the gasoline station and somewhere between the 230th Street and Fordham Road exits I hit a pothole or something in the road and my right front tire starts to go flat. Right before traffic leading to the entrance to the George Washington my car is shaking and I know I have to pull over. So I pull over right passed the Bridge entrance, underneath all the connecting roadways so that in case it started raining cats and dogs I would be protected.
Now I have like every intelligent person should have AAA (Automobile Association of America) for towing and car break downs. But some rocket scientist or elected official who clearly must have been paid off big time over the years put a rule in effect that AAA cannot tow from roadways such as the Major Deegan or parkways or highways. So I would have to use the ‘Authorized’ tow, tow service allowed on the roadway to put on my spare ‘donut’ and get me moving. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
I called AAA even though I knew they could not pick me up to get instructions as to what I should do. The Major Deegan is a busy road, I can barely put gasoline in my car at self service stations so I am not changing the tire myself. AAA told me (after waiting on hold what seemed like an eternity) they could not tow me and that I would have to be towed by the ‘authorized tow’ for where I was at. AAA Would reimburse me for towing costs.
I called 911, told the dispatcher I was on the Deegan south right passed the entrance to the Washington bridge. The minute I said Washington Bridge they said oh no, I was to call the George Washington Bridge-Port Authority for a toll. Lesson number 1. If you are on the Deegan never mention the George Washington Bridge because immediately the dispatcher wants to shift you from their jurisdiction to another jurisdiction. Tell them (hopefully you know) the exit numbers on the Deegan you are passed or right before.
I called the George Washington Bridge-Port Authority and we determined (not that I didn’t know) that I was on the Major Deegan. So then I had to call 911 for New York City/The Bronx for the ‘Authorized Tow.’
The 911 dispatcher asked if I was off the road and in a safe area. I told her yes, I was on the shoulder. Lesson number 2. It was nice of me to pull over on the shoulder, but cars safely on the shoulder without injured passengers or leaking fluids are not a priority for tow operators or police. Cars blocking traffic, with (god forbid) injured passengers and leaking fluids are. And so began my over 5 hour wait for the ‘Authorized Tow’ who I assumed would take off the bad tire and put on the donut spare so I could be on my way.
Shortly after 8 p.m. I got a call from the New York City police that they were turning around at Fordham Road and because of traffic it might take them a bit to arrive. They never did. 8:46 p.m, 9:48 p.m., 11:02 p.m. I called 911. No tow truck nor Police Car. I was on the list or schedule! After I called a Police Supervisor would call each and every time and say help was on the way.
I even draped a white blanket I had in my SUV over the back of my car. I figured it would serve as a distress signal.
For the next hour and a half not one Police Car, Tow Truck nor civilian vehicle pulled over to see what was wrong. So much for friendly New Yorkers! By midnight from inhaling all the automobile fumes I was feeling sick, called 911 and asked them to send EMT and ambulance. They found me and arrived within 8-10 minutes.
After checking my vitals and seeing everything was ok, the kind Emergency Medical Supervisor saw I was in distress and offered to attempt to change my tire. Above and beyond the call of duty. The car was on a decline, and the piece of crap jack that comes with the Nissan buckled. I needed a professional jack you see at your local garage. Even calling a friend to help me would not work unless he or she had a professional jack to lift the car. Or a flatbed or other lift.
The EMS Supervisor got on the phone with his Supervisor to see what was going on. Apparently, the police didn’t see me and would close my case out every time I called 911. Heck, the EMS saw me. I don’t know what was up with the New York Police responsible for the Deegan.
The EMS Supervisor called his Supervisor and finally the ‘Authorized Tow’ arrived. Could he simply change the tire and put on the donut? Nope! The ‘Authorized Tow’ contract only allows them to tow the car off the road to the next exit. The ‘Authorized Tow’ driver said he had passed the section of the road I was stranded on numerous times during the night and did not see me. I guess NYC needs to include eye glass coverage in their next contract with ‘Authorized Tow.’
‘
Authorized Tow’ told me he could not tow me to my home in Yonkers but could only tow me to the gas station on the northbound side of the road where I started the evening using the facilities. He then suggested that he take me to Jerome Avenue at 1 in the morning and he knew a guy who would put on the donut for me. For $10 and a $5 tip he promptly did it.
Then the ‘Authorized Tow’ guy gave me his bill. $140 for 20 minutes of work and he didn’t even change the tire. Nice work if you can get it. He told me his credit card machine always has problems. Could I pay him in cash? Go to the ATM.I said listen, I am have an MBA, a BA, I am a Paralegal, a Newspaper Columnist for Rising Newspapers and even have a radio show on WVOX. I will bet the contract his company has with the city requires him to take credit card payments.
The liar ‘Authorized Tow’ guy didn’t have one of those credit card machines with him. He called his dispatcher and my credit card was approved.
What did I learn from this experience. The 911 dispatcher system in New York is broken. Mind boggling that in over 5 hours no Police Officer saw my car and stopped, not even the original one who was on this way. No city vehicles including dozens of passing garbage trucks stopped to help. The white blanket ‘distress’ signal was meaningless as no one stopped to help or see if I was alive.
The ‘Authorized Tow’ company on the Deegan, Autorama Enterprises of Bronx passed the spot I was located at numerous times, and according to driver Jose did not see my car and did not stop. The ‘Authorized Tow’ should be authorized to change a flat tire.
And ‘Authorized Tow’ company drivers from Autorama like Jose, Dept. Vehicle Plate Number 4, who gave me a bill with unreadable Tow ID License and NY Registration Numbers, New Yorkers aren’t stupid. They don’t have $140 in cash in their wallets in 2021. And they certainly are smart enough not to fall for the give me cash, credit card machine don’t work BS! And, ‘Don’t Get a Flat on the Major Deegan, Darlin’’.
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
