So the wrecker thread reminded me of something I meant to share here... Down in South Africa I see a lot of these "cowboy tows" about and I find them kinda oddly appealing. They are usually very brightly coloured, lots of graphics, Wiiiiiide wheels and often parked up in little groups near highway intersections with guys chilling out and listening to loud music. Usually based on 90s or 00s larger frame Japanese king cabs, but I've seen 70s and 80s Japanese trucks with home made extensions and some older American or Aussie stuff as well.
They have a darker side though. My locals tut tut at me for finding them cool. So what happens is when there is an accident or breakdown these guys race off to recover the cars. They take them to a compound where the owner is required to pay a significant fee to get their car back. They also have their own territories and sometimes other tow trucks stray into it and then there is violence. Not everyone agrees where the territories start and end so also an opportunity for violence.
You will see cars in SA with a sticker which says "DO NOT TOW" to try avoid this.
Some call them cowboys, gypsies or gangsters
I still find the trucks kinda cool.
Google suggests...
This Cortina is an outlier
And this Mini is a promo vehicle or someone's idea of a joke....
They have a darker side though. My locals tut tut at me for finding them cool. So what happens is when there is an accident or breakdown these guys race off to recover the cars. They take them to a compound where the owner is required to pay a significant fee to get their car back. They also have their own territories and sometimes other tow trucks stray into it and then there is violence. Not everyone agrees where the territories start and end so also an opportunity for violence.
You will see cars in SA with a sticker which says "DO NOT TOW" to try avoid this.
Some call them cowboys, gypsies or gangsters
I still find the trucks kinda cool.
Google suggests...
This Cortina is an outlier
And this Mini is a promo vehicle or someone's idea of a joke....
