Hundreds of motorists remained frustrated Wednesday that they could not get through to wrecker services, but the services were also frustrated, hampered by the same gridlock that has stranded thousands of drivers.
Debbie Mau, operations manager at Northside Towing, said towing companies were being bombarded with calls, but many tow trucks have not been able get to them either because of gridlock on interstates and side streets, icy conditions and, in some cases, lack of access to diesel fuel.
Mau said four other “mom-and-pop” companies she talked with were having the same problems Northside was having. The company doesn’t have expensive tire chains for trucks, and larger flatbeds don’t have the weight that creates the traction to reach motorists.
“This happens once in a blue moon,” Mau said of the ice storm. ”They [tire chains] are not an item that we accessorize the trucks with. Most small companies don’t have them in Atlanta.”
Mau said Northside was able to respond to only four calls from 12:30 until 9 p.m. Tuesday. “We got over 50 or 60 requests,” she said. “The phones were just ringing off the hook. People were hanging up way before I could get to them.” Northside normally responds to about 30 calls this time of year.
Northside’s owner, Peter Hoffman, had to spend the night at the OK Café on West Paces Ferry Road near I-75. “He’s got a third of a tank of gas and he can’t find gas.”
Once wreckers reach a motorist, they also have a problem getting around other motorists to retrieve the vehicle.
The priority for some wrecker services, like South Metro Towing in southeast Atlanta, is helping law enforcement keep roads open.
“Since one o’clock yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, we’ve probably moved about 150 vehicles,” South Metro Towing owner Greg Greeson said.
“The only thing we’re doing is responding to emergency vehicle calls from the police department,” Greeson said. “Our first priority is keeping the roads open for the police department, where they can get emergency vehicles through.”
