A tow truck is something you don't think about until you need one. These vehicles have historically been heavily regulated in New York City to help protect consumers. But in the last five years, a fleet of unlicensed tow trucks has grown, a Gothamist analysis shows.
To these “chasers,” as they’re known in the industry, each wrecked car is an opportunity to tap into a lucrative market of insurance payouts and junk fees, consumer advocates say. The more valuable the damaged car, the greater the potential return.
And since a shift in NYPD policy in 2020, when police brass instructed officers to stop responding to less serious car crashes, these illicit towers have thrived — sometimes putting pedestrians and other drivers in harm’s way.
Unlicensed tow trucks have amassed over 3,000 red light and speeding tickets over the past year. Fatal crashes involving tow trucks have left at least 15 people dead since 2010.
An unlicensed ride-hailing app called Empower, which offers cheaper rides than Uber and Lyft, is operating over the objection of the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission.
A majority of New Yorkers oppose driverless robot cars over concerns about lost jobs for drivers, as well as the taxis' ability to drive in bad weather, according to a new Siena poll.
Leaders at the New York State Nurses Association are allowing nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian to vote to ratify a new contract that will end their monthlong strike — even though the nurses’ own union executive committee rejected the deal.
An ICE officerfired their gun yesterday during an operation in Roxbury Township, New Jersey, according to the state's acting attorney general. No injuries were reported.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently issued an executive order creating an immigration crackdown response team after President Donald Trump vowed to "flood the zone" with ICE agents in New York City.
Yesterday's City Council hearing on the deaths of 18 people during this cold stretch revived the debate over whether a homeless New Yorker can be moved indoors against their will.
"I just screamed, and everybody screamed, but they didn’t know what I was screaming about," said designer Raul Lopez, founder of the brand Luar. "I’m like, 'She’s wearing the dress!' and then everybody started going crazy."
The group formerly known as Hot Girls 4 Zohran is rebranding as Hot Girls Organize and focusing their energy on new initiatives including, “Hot Girls Melt ICE."
