02/11/2026
Started snowing during the evening commute tonight. How Tow Guy's night has gone (so far):
1712 hrs. recd call from a carpenter who had gone off the side of Durand Rd. in an F150. Supper on the stove, covered it and responded in the winch truck. Arrived on scene, two wheels down in ditch, vehicle at 30° angle, driver's side wheels just barely on edge of roadway, nearly a rollover. twin line winching to the front wheel and tow hitch on the F150. Came out relatively easily. Got paid.
Back home, reheated dinner and ate. Got a couple of phone calls from a motorclub and out of my area, no thanks.
Around 1900 report comes over the VSP frequency of a Subaru off around 73-74 northbound, driver agitated on a 911 only phone, possible 10-55. Trooper in-route. On the second call operator requested wrecker. Got call from dispatch at 1915, responded in flatbed due to possible tow. Trooper overshot vehicle at 73.8 and had to go around again. Arrived on scene and parked on travel lane and put out cones. This was in the Jonesville Ledges, possibly the most dangerous piece of highway in the county (I have had wreckers hit twice there over the last 25 years) Vehicle was perpendicular to and facing roadway about 15' from highway, used side puller to pull nose onto the shoulder, then hitched to rear tire and pulled the butt end around parallel to truck, asked driver to pull ahead so I could move the flatbed onto the shoulder: the Subaru is now out of gas and won't restart! Dig out my can and put 2 gallons in the tank, car starts and operator moves it forward, I move to the shoulder, and go talk to the operator, who has ZERO money, a little detail dispatch wisely didn't relay even though the op said they told them. "Here's my business card, please pay me when you can." At least they were able to drive away and I didn't have to load up their vehicle and take it to the park and ride. I saw them a little while later at the Mobil station getting a few bucks Venmo'd from their sibling just so they could put a few more gallons in the tank. Hard times.
Got home after filling the winch truck and gas can and got inside and my outdoor gear off in time to get a call @ 2050 from a nice young woman out with a non native english speaking gentleman who had gone off and spun 180° into the right side on the highway, French Hill southbound. Jumped in the winch truck and went up to the U-turn at 82. I think I forgot to mention that the highway was as bad as I have seen it all winter, packed lumpy snow, not a plow in sight and definitely no salt had been put down. Arrived on scene, nice woman cleared, hooked to the front right wheel, winched around and he was set, and I got paid, woot!
Got back home, gear off, and the phone rings again at 2142. The horse farm owner at the seasonal end/top of Governor Chittenden road calling saying a young man was stuck about 100' from the edge of his farmyard after having come down from the North Williston road side following his GPS (along the closed class 4 roadway). I quote a price, young man says he can only afford one third of that. I happen to really like the farmer, an ex-lineman, so I agree (to make this my problem, not his), jump back in the winch truck and go and winch him 100' through the snow to safety. I am actually impressed he got as far as he did on summer tires. It's a snowmobile trail in the winter. Short change collected.
2315 hrs. The snow has stopped, I am home again, made a cup of tea with lemon and honey, and typed out this evening's adventures. Not counting on the Subaru owner to ever pay, the trooper said they are living in their car and they said they are on social security. I am lucky and clearly they are not. But Everyone Gets Off The Highway, in my rotation area in lousy weather, while I have tow trucks, at least... (and that makes 4 this winter, so far, but who's counting! lol)
