Finest Towing (Miami) Using Scanners To Scoop Tremont Tow Services

IdleMonitor · #1 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 1:40 AM

Ummm, isn't this against the law? Using a scanner to profit from another company.

Miamis Finest Towing gets caught using a scanner to scoop up Tremont Towing's services.

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Thayne · #2 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 1:37 PM

Desperate times call for desperate measures

tampabaynews · #3 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 4:44 PM

I don't feel like downloading the video because the website looks shady to me, but it could be staged. It is against the law in Florida for tow companies to jump calls via scanner. I don't think a police department would let them do this, as most agencies use a strict rotation list for calling wreckers and tow trucks. At the department I worked for, even if we called one company and another happened to drive by minutes later, we would send them off unless the company we actually summoned didn't arrive on scene within 30 minutes. Same situation for calling taxi cabs.

IdleMonitor · #4 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 4:59 PM

Take the tin foil hat off dude. There's nothing shady about the website, I've been using the website for over a year now to watch all my tv programs. I don't download them either, I watch them online streaming. And if you watched the show, you'd definitely be able to tell that it's not staged. Sheesh, you Amerks are all about your conspiracy theories. Get over it. It is what it is.

Now back to the subject at hand. Could the company not be charged over something like this? Considering that it's all filmed and caught on tape?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tampabaynews

I don't feel like downloading the video because the website looks shady to me, but it could be staged. It is against the law in Florida for tow companies to jump calls via scanner. I don't think a police department would let them do this, as most agencies use a strict rotation list for calling wreckers and tow trucks. At the department I worked for, even if we called one company and another happened to drive by minutes later, we would send them off unless the company we actually summoned didn't arrive on scene within 30 minutes. Same situation for calling taxi cabs.

bezking · #5 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 5:16 PM

I *believe* it's an FCC rule that scanners can't be used for commercial gain, so it would be the FCC that would give any fines, notices of liability, etc...

tampabaynews · #6 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 5:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdleMonitor

Take the tin foil hat off dude. There's nothing shady about the website, I've been using the website for over a year now to watch all my tv programs. I don't download them either, I watch them online streaming. And if you watched the show, you'd definitely be able to tell that it's not staged. Sheesh, you Amerks are all about your conspiracy theories. Get over it. It is what it is.

Now back to the subject at hand. Could the company not be charged over something like this? Considering that it's all filmed and caught on tape?

No tin foil hat here, I just don't download things from websites I'm not familiar with, especially poorly constructed websites that post copyrighted material and has a disclaimer stating they not responsible for any content on the site. It has nothing to do with conspiracy theories and everything about not wanting a computer virus. I guarantee you that website won't be there for too long. So don't generalize people.

ANYWAY. Yes, if it is against the law, they could be charged.... stating the obvious. It's common knowledge for a Florida towing company to know that chasing calls via scanner is illegal. I'm sure some companies do it anyway, but the ones that do wouldn't do it in front of a camera crew. Surely one of their competitors would catch on (or watch the show) and file a complaint to have their license revoked. You can't believe everything you see on TV.

tampabaynews · #7 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 5:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bezking

I *believe* it's an FCC rule that scanners can't be used for commercial gain, so it would be the FCC that would give any fines, notices of liability, etc...

That is also true.

OCO · #8 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 6:52 PM

Ryan:
Pass the tinfoil hats, I'll take one...Let's see, it starts with a popunder trying to get me to install REAL Player as if I ever wanted to have to ever uninstall that piece of crap again, moves on to tell me I may have won a new Dell, and then if I click on the big download button, starts to push an .exe ...and I love their big disclaimer about observing DMCA rights - but they're "only" a link aggregator, so all they can do is take the link to copyrighted material off their site. (all of this noted during an exploration of that site using a sandboxed copy of XP, never to see the light of actual use).

And yes, its obviously illegal and they'd be in trouble if it was all for real, but us "Ameriks" know that the show is just more cable TV "reality" trash..

mdulrich · #9 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 7:06 PM

Trend Micro doesn't like the site either.

Mike

OCO · #10 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 7:29 PM

Which, by the way is located in Bucharest, Romania.....where, I'm sure they'll observe the DMCA takedown law..
Sure wish wrecker ops was as easy back in the day..what they ramp now, we had dollys that we had to assemble, lift the car up, insert dolly under the car and then still hook the other end. Sure was fun parking 'em in the dump lot...And now that I think of it, that was my first exposure to monitoring police frequencies (hopefully the stature of limitations has run out on that 40+ year old infraction). Single channel crystal controlled converters, AM output into the truck radio. It was never a good plan to show up before the patrol cars...

bezking · #11 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 7:29 PM

Get back on topic please, folks...

OCO · #12 (**permalink**) 09-01-2011, 8:04 PM

Back on topic - It's illegal - in the US anyway: USC Title 47 SECTION 705 (47 USCA 605) and the penalties can be rough if prosecuted. Note also civil liabilities if the damaged party pursues..

radiomanNJ1 · #13 (**permalink**) 09-05-2011, 10:10 AM

Yep, I bet the FCC has a jump team coming to join up with the US Marshalls Service to make an arrest.
Get real. It's Miami another world.

If the PD calls one and another shows up and gets to take the call something is wrong with the PD operations.

mk262 · #14 (**permalink**) 09-05-2011, 10:25 AM

When Miami encrypts next year or whenever (it's soon, I know that) it won't matter.

LimaEcho · #15 (**permalink**) 09-05-2011, 11:23 AM

Here is a portion of one of the Florida statutes that prevents such activity:

232.002 (2) In any county or municipality that operates a wrecker operator system:
(a) It is unlawful for an unauthorized wrecker operator or its employees or agents to monitor police radio for communications between patrol field units and the dispatcher in order to determine the location of a wrecked or disabled vehicle for the purpose of driving by the scene of such vehicle in a manner described in paragraph (b) or paragraph (c). Any person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a noncriminal violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.083.
(b) It is unlawful for an unauthorized wrecker operator to drive by the scene of a wrecked or disabled vehicle before the arrival of an authorized wrecker operator, initiate contact with the owner or operator of such vehicle by soliciting or offering towing services, and tow such vehicle. Any person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

JANFINE · #16 (**permalink**) 09-09-2011, 7:20 AM

Miami PD is not going Digital. Never has and never will.
Miami-Dade County is installing a Digital system.
By the way their current system is a Digital capable system.
They decided not to use the Digital part except on a few talkgroups.
Even on the new Digital system there are no plans to use the Digital part on all PD talkgroups.
Also FD is not going to the new system. They are staying on their current UHF conventional system.

mike619 · #17 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 5:48 PM

What are the frequencies that Finest Towing use?

trooper890 · #18 (**permalink**) 12-26-2012, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JANFINE

Miami PD is not going Digital. Never has and never will.
Miami-Dade County is installing a Digital system.
By the way their current system is a Digital capable system.
They decided not to use the Digital part except on a few talkgroups.
Even on the new Digital system there are no plans to use the Digital part on all PD talkgroups.
Also FD is not going to the new system. They are staying on their current UHF conventional system.

Never? I don't think I would bet on that. The analog systems are running beyond there service life already.
True P25 systems don't have analog capability. Its either phase I or phase II. Linking EDACS to P25 thru a switch? Yep that's probably going to continue for some time.

n2hbx · #19 (**permalink**) 12-28-2012, 9:36 AM

Back in the carefree days of my youth up north, I did a stint as a cabbie. Most, if not all the drivers carried scanners loaded with competitors' dispatch frequencies. The tow ops did the same. No prohibition in the law against that. As long as the info came over the commercial freqs, it was cool. Disputes were settled "offline."

Larry

firerick100 · #20 (**permalink**) 12-29-2012, 7:41 PM

south beach tow is reality tv dont believe everything you see.i stopped watching it because its all acted and fake just like operation repo