The Key West Citizen

Man Protests High Charge For Towing
$10 Charged For 2-Block Run By Local Gas Station

A local resident complained to the city commission last night of what he termed "an exorbitant fee" for towing his truck two blocks to police headquarters and questioned the propriety of a police sergeant operating the towing service that charged the fee.

The man, who identified himself as A. P. Stickel, 417 Duval Street, a local photographer, said that he parked his truck at Eaton and Duval Streets at 8 p. m. one night last week and went home.

Towed To Station
When he awoke the next morning, he said that he found the truck missing. He went to the police station to report its theft and was told that the truck had been towed to the station because it was obstructing traffic. They said that it had been brought in at 3 a. m.

They handed him a bill for a $10 towing charge.

The tow truck was owned by Sgt. Frank Caraballo of the Key West Police Department who operates a service station in his off hours at 801 Eaton Street, he said.

"The car was parked legally when I left it - someone must have pushed it out into the street if it was parked illegally," said Stickel.

Stiff Fee
"I could understand a two or three dollar charge," he said, "but ten dollars is a little stiff - they didn't tow it more than 200 yards."

When the matter was discussed by the city commission last night, they learned that $10 is the standard fee for towing service in the city after 6 p. m. A $5 rate is charged during business hours.

Stickel also said that he wondered why he wasn't given a ticket if he was illegally parked.

The incident prompted City Manager Victor Lang to comment that "maybe it would be a good idea
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MAN PROTESTS HIGH
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for the city to purchase a tow-truck."

The commission then instructed Lang to investigate the "exorbitant fees."

A city official said today that it is up to the man on the desk at police headquarters as to which tow-truck should be called when needed.