3.50
Wednesday, December 1, 1976
University Daily Kansar
Tows cause student woes
By RICK THAEMERT
The lots at Lawrence towing services are filled with old Ramblers that have been forgotten, to brand new Triumphs that will be installed by future students, some of those cars belong to KU students.
Ellison said cars were towed for four reasons. The car was a traffic hazard, blocked someone who failed a complaint, was an excessive violator that had received five or more parking tickets or was simply abandoned.
Despite the complaints of such students, towing isn't an unproved action, Major Bobby Ellison of the KU Police Department said recently.
"Nobody likes to be told they're wrong," he said. "But the fact that if they were wrong, they would have been more silent."
ALL CAN EASILY be avoided by reading the signs and using common sense, he said, especially a violation of unpaid parking tickets. With 14 days allowance on each
ticket to other appeal or pay, a student has 70 days to act before the car is towed.
He said if a car broke down and was issued a ticket, the ticket could be voided if the police were notified immediately or if proof of repair could be shown, later. If the police did not give the left and is a traffic hazard or if no attempt is made to set the car recalled, he said.
Ellison said a common complaint of violators was, "There wasn't a sign there." However, the signs are clearly visible, and the students should read them more carefully.
"There are people not really believing what the sign says," he said.
SOME VIOLATORS will be towed immediately, he said, especially cars illegally parked in stalls reserved for the handicapped.
Once a violator has been spotted, he said, one of two towing services is called. Ellison said KU's towing chores were divided between Kaw Motor and Salvage Co., RFD
ELLISON SAID THE two services had towed 25 cars from KU property this year, and the number is likely to increase as the year progresses.
3. and Robinson Wrecker Service, 827 Maple St
Jim Robinson, owner of Robinson Wrecker Service, said that he towed about one car a day, and that he towed from both University property and private property, which included apartments, fraternities and sororites.
Although he no longer tows from private lots, Robinson said, a proof of ownership is needed to release a car that has been towed from a private lot. A car towed from University property can be bailed out with a KU release, which must be obtained from the KU Police Department, he said. Proof of ownership is handled by KU Police, he said.
Annual Honors Program will start tonight in Olathe
Each student was treated to a banquet and was given a dictionary by an Olathe alumni of KU. Robert Kugel, executive vice chancellor of the KU Medical Center, made a few remarks to the crowd of about 300, including the 120 Johnson County honor students.
The University of Kansas alumni Association began its sixth annual Kansas Honors Program last night when it hosted the event of the high school seniors in Olathe.
The Kansas Honors Program begins its sixth year with a new director, Steve Ridgway, who replaces Vince Bilotta. Bilotta is now executive director of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.
Last year, 2,424 students from 204 high schools in Kansas counties were registered.
Ridway said last week that the Honors Program would sponsor banquets in 87 Kansas counties again this year. He hopes that more of these schools will be added in the near future.
"We will try to invite officials from nonparticipating school districts to banquets in the spring to try to get them involved in the program," Ridgway said.
Ridgway said that although the Honors Program was a valuable public relations operation for the University, the emphasis in Kansas is on higher education in Kansas and not on KU.
IF THE OWNER HAS the needed credentials, all he must do to release the car is pay the towing costs—$12.50 for the first tow and $1.50 for each day it remains in the towed car lot. After 90 days, the car is auctioned by the city.
"The program is not organized to boost the University of Kansas," Ridway said.
"It is organized to boost the students who excel academically and to encourage them to pursue their education at one of the institutions of higher learning in the state."
Work on each banquet usually begins 10 weeks before it is held, he said. A timetable is devised and deadlines on making arrangements are set.
When possible, an alumni sponsor is matched with each student, and attempts are made to match students and sponsors with similar professional interests.
After the presentation of the dictionaries to the students, a few remarks are made by the teacher.
the money and dine involved, he said, the banquet gives the alumni sponsor an opportunity to participate in community and support "a University of Kansas program that he or she finds worthwhile."
Ridgway said he didn't know the total cost of the program, but a partial estimate would be the $17,000 spent on the book awards given last year.
The Kansas Honors Program is funded by
Kansas University. Endowment Assoc.
for Higher Education.
Until two years ago, students were given gift certificates that were redeemed at the Kansas Union Bookstore. Ridgway said this was discontinued because many students weren't able to come to KU to redeem their certificates.
Tonight the Honors Program will sponsor a banquet in Atchison, On Dec. 8, Lawrence high school seniors will be recognized by the program.
Robinson said he thought that 90 days wasn't long enough.
"A guy could go on vacation for a couple months to Europe, and return to find not only that his car was gone, but that it didn't even belong to him anymore," he said.
Robinson said that his service was careful and had a good accident record, but that cars sometimes got a flat tire or a dead battery from sitting in the lot. When that happens, he said, they lend air or power to get the car on the road.
"WE TRY TO DO anything we can keep to people not mad at us," he said. "The majority of students I really enjoy working with."
However, he said, students sometimes get mad when they have to pay extra towing costs. If the car is in an unusual parking position, dolls may be used to get the car out. In that case it can be towed, Robinson said. The use of dolls costs an additional $7.50, he said.
Robinson said he seduced had trouble towing from unusual places because he had
"We can jack it up and turn it around sideways if we have to," he said. "But if there's no way to do it without damaging the car, we'll back away from it and leave it."
ROBENSON SAID HE had specially designed two trucks that would fit under the roof of the Jayhawk Towers Apartments, which have many towing problems.
John McBride, manager at Jayhawk
trains, said 10 to 20 cars were each day
of work.
"We have a very vigorous towning posture to insure that the tenants that pay rent have parking places. Our policy reflects the tenants' wishes," he said.
In fact, McBride said, his tenants petitioned him to low more cars.
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