Mapping Boston's worst towing spots

Towing companies aggressively patrol certain locations in Boston, with little government oversight. A look at where, why and when more than 200,000 vehicles were towed between April 2009 and October 2011. Share your worst towing experiences » Related article »

Where we get towed from

NOTE: Store names are used to identify parking locations. Stores are not necessarily responsible for permitting vehicles to be towed.

Why we get towed ...

Reasons for 90,778 tows in Boston in 2010, the only full year for which statistics were available.

Street cleaning

35,014

Trespassing

29,953

Other

14,432

Motor vehicle violation

4,222

Accidents

2,660

Arrests

1,636

Repossession

1,015

Safe-keeping

845

Snow removal

585

Investigation

131

Stolen

131

Stolen/arrest

Arson/vehicle fire

Abandoned

Public safety hazard

Fire dept. request

... and when

Percentage of tows for a given reason that occur during each hour of the day.

Street cleaning

% of
tows

midnight

noon

6 p.m.

6 a.m.

10%

20%

Trespassing

midnight

noon

6 p.m.

6 a.m.

10%

Repossession

midnight

noon

6 p.m.

6 a.m.

10%

Arrest

midnight

noon

6 p.m.

6 a.m.

10%

Robert's

22,323
tows for
trespassing

Concentrated in Allston and Brighton, near its tow yard.

Who does the towing

Trespassing

Street cleaning

Other

City of Boston

32,808

Casey's

27,086

Robert's

25,585

Stadium

23,249

Stanley's

16,815

Cityside

16,292

A&B

14,360

Todisco's

12,833

D&D

11,349

In & Out

7,974

ABC

7,827

Parkway

4,258

Tow Happy

3,641

ABC

7,704 tows for trespassing

Casey's

7,125

Tow Happy

3,533

In & Out

2,844