Company replacesCompany replacesGeorge Smith R&K; Towing has been selected to replace the University's contract with the George Smith Towing Company because of "performance issues," University Police Lieutenant Jerry Leddy said Tuesday. University Police contracts an outside towing company to keep Superblock clear of parked cars. The area has been designated a no-parking-zone because of fire regulations. George Smith Towing was fired by the University at the beginning of April, but continued to tow cars from Penn's campus until Saturday, May 4 in compliance with the terms of its contract. On the evening of April 6, University Police stopped a George Smith truck and arrested the operator, Herman Fields, for driving under the influence of alcohol as he towed a student's car from the front of High Rise South. University Police Sgt. Thomas Rambo and Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said at the time that the University had received a number of complaints about the towing company in the past. In the past, both George Smith and R&K; Towing have been used in the campus area. Executive Director of the Physical Plant James Wargo said contracting only R&K; Towing will be beneficial to the University. "The new contract will unify the towing at Penn," Wargo said. "It will be good for the University to have one towing company." In the past, Philadelphia Police have filed auto theft charges against George Smith Towing to retrieve cars they believed the company towed illegally. In a Letter to the Editor printed in The Daily Pennsylvanian on October 27, 1995, College sophomore Danny Liang alleged that the company towed his car from Superblock even though he obtained a parking permit from High Rise East.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
