City Council Moves Forward With Bill To Rein In Wreck Chasers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Discovery Channel has a new program, "Wreck Chasers," that puts Philadelphia in a poor light by highlighting the city's many rogue tow truck operators.
On Tuesday, a City Council committee okayed a plan to give the Philadelphia Parking Authority control of the issue -- but not before that program prompted some verbal sparring among councilmembers.
(Clip of two truck driver on TV show:) "Wreck chasing is about being the first one to hear the call, the first one to respond to the call, the first one to get there."
A segment of the cable show "Wreck Chasers" prompted a heated debate between councilmembers Jim Kenney and Frank Rizzo on Tuesday over how bad the problem is.
Kenney says current efforts to deal with wreck chasers are broken; Rizzo says the TV program was outdated.
(Kenney:) "What we viewed here is pretty recent..."
(Rizzo:) "No it's not."
(Kenney:) "Yes it is."
(Rizzo:) "It's months old!"
(Kenney:) "Months, yeah."
(Rizzo:) "Months, months!"
(Kenney:) " 'Recent' is not years old."
(Rizzo:) "...before the administration..."
(Kenney:) "By the way..."
Kenney is pushing a bill that would put the Philadelphia Parking Authority in charge of the city's rotational towing system, a system aimed at restoring some order. Rizzo objects to Parking Authority involvement.
Reported by KYW City Hall Bureau Chief Mike Dunn.
