NO
PARKING
VIOLATORS WILL
BE TOWED AWAY .
Towing
$ M
■
Task force to look at hauling troubles
as furor mounts over impounding, rates
By Dave Sokolowski
Of the Emerald
Returning to the tar after a day of shopping and er
rands to find a parking ticket on the windshield is a
frustrating experience. But that situation doesn't compare
with returning to the parking space and finding it empty.
“Someone stole my car/' is the first panic-stricken
thought that comes to mind. The second may be "authoriz
ed parking only."
The blood pressure rises. Fury builds up at the thought of
being towed.
Situations like this one have angered enough people
that the Eugene Police Department claims it has received a
recent deluge of complaints.
As a result, the Eugene City Council formed a task force
to look into complaints and review city ordinances regar
ding impounding. The task force is comprised of represen
tatives of the public, businesses currently using towing ser
vices and a Eugene towing firm.
Citizen complaints center mainly on high rates, cir
cumstances surrounding the towing and verbal abuse, says
Vick Mann, a lieutenant with the Eugene Police
Department.
Despite the large volume of complaints, most people
who park in an impounding zone know they're in violation,
says Leon Swager, owner and operator of Emerald Towing.
Emerald impounds for about 80-90 percent of the city's
private lots, Swager says.
He says he was a nice guy until taking over Emerald
Towing in October 1982, but he's toughened up after hav
ing to deal with irate people.
"One of my employees was slapped in the face after
their car was paid for and released,” Swager says. "I've
been pushed around in the office and the police have had
to come and break it up."
Towers also have problems accepting checks and credit
cards, Swager says. In fact, payment was stopped on the
first check he accepted after coming to Emerald.
"They refused to pay it. I was forced to take them to
small claims court and they had to pay me the $71.50 im
pounding fee on top of court costs,” he says.
He defends high impounding rates, saying they are hik
ed up by the cost of operating the business and his three
$30,000 trucks. Emerald is the only towing company in the
city that charges a flat rate for impounding, he says. Other
companies charge separately for hook-up and storage.
Impounding signs are causing much of the trouble. In
1981, the city passed an ordinance outlining sign regula
tions. Signs must be between three and 10 square feet and
state specifically who can park in lot space, according to
the ordinance.
Waiver exams changed
Students who want to waive
part of the University's writing re
quirements should be aware 01
some recent changes in the
Writing 121 and 122 exemption ex
aminations, English department
officials say.
The exams, scheduled for Nov
28 and 29, will no longer require
an objective portion. In twc
hours, students must read ;
passage and respond in an essay
Students who pass will earn an ex
emption — but no credit — for the
course. The exam cost has beer
reduced to $3.
To learn exam schedules and te
sign up for each exam, student1
should contact the Testing Office
-tfcsfoM
|CHAMPAGNE $
^LIQUIDATION4
Ladies!
Join us Thursday
nights at
6talhfi0s
as we attempt to
liquidate our entire
stock of
Champagne—FREEI:
9 pm - midnight ^
* 440 Coburg Rd • 343-1221 .}
238 Student Health and Counsel
ing Center at 686-3227. Further in
formation is available from the
English department, 118 PLC.
In other news, department head
)ohn Gage says Writing 123 will
not be offered for the remainder
of this year. *
Students who are interested in
i an elective composition class that
teaches writing in a similar way
should enroll in Writing 216, Gage
says.
■ "Students who want to learn
i about techniques of using the
library in relation to their research
> should consider LIB 127 or LIB 199,
, taught by the library staff," he
, says.
10c
OFF
any slice plus
a free soda
Offer good Monday
through Friday
11:30-Midnight Mon.-Fri.
3:30-Midnight — Weekends
1211 Alder on Campus
686-9598
Sy's Pizza
I_I_.......
Fountain Court Cafe
1
Luncheon Specials
Served Daily 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
All Specials $1.95
MONDAY
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with Cheese
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Stew
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Dressing
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By the ounce
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Two special soups and
Chili served daily