At the Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Reedie Drive in Wheaton, a tow truck zips into the parking lot and maneuvers behind a black sport utility vehicle. From across the street, another man races to the tow-truck driver’s side and helps him secure the SUV. In minutes, the two drive off, SUV in tow.
Spotters, like the man helping the All About Towing driver, diligently watch over parking spaces in busy urban centers around the region for drivers parking illegally in private lots. They watch from rooftops in Bethesda or street corners in Wheaton. Sometimes they use binoculars to scour the lots and walkie-talkies to notify tow-truck drivers waiting around the corner, out of sight, that it’s time to strike.
The practice is legal in Montgomery and Arlington counties, but officials are growing concerned about mistakes spotters are making.
“Where it becomes problematic is when the tower gets so aggressive that people who shouldn’t be hooked are getting hooked,” said Natalie Cantor, director of the Wheaton Urban District, located across the street from the doughnut shop.
Tow companies say the spotters are just helping them do the job lot owners hire them to do. Businesses are protective of their limited parking and need to guard against those who pull in, ignore the warning signs that explain the lot’s rules and walk off.
“This is the reason why we sit here and watch,” said Buddy Davis, a driver for All About Towing in Montgomery County.
And if people have complaints?
“It’s a tow dispute,” he said. “Somebody gets their car towed, and of course they’re not happy about it.”
