WORKING -- Randy Warner

HE IS

The one in tow

JUST DOING HIS JOB

Randy Warner knows how it feels. He’s had it happen too.

Though, on average, he tows about 15 cars a day (25 on a busy run), he

knows it’s no fun when someone legally takes your car without your

permission and makes you pay to get it back.

“I have also parked illegally and had my car towed. I do understand

that it’s almost like you’re taking somebody’s possession,” said Warner,

38. “But something that I wish the people would understand is it’s not

us, the drivers as people, who are doing this. It’s just our job.”

LONG HOURS, LONG FACES

For the most part, he returns home from working 12-hour shifts at

Metro Pro Road Service in Costa Mesa feeling good. Sometimes he helps the

Costa Mesa Police Department, sometimes the Newport Beach Police

Department, other times the California Highway Patrol and, of course, the

Automobile Club of Southern California.

“You’re helping people because it’s people that have broken down, run

out of gas, locked their keys in,” he said. “I enjoy helping the people.

It’s kind of gratifying.”

But getting dispatched to the site of accidents is always hard. He

meets injured drivers and frightened children sometimes about once every

two weeks, though sometimes as often as four times a day.

“It can be hard to take,” the Costa Mesa resident said. “My heart goes

out to a lot of people.”

7 TO 7

Warner spends most of his day in the flatbed truck. It’s where he

switches from country and western music to “good ol’ classic rock ‘n’

roll” on the radio. If he’s not outside the truck securing a towed car

with chains so it doesn’t roll off, he’s on his way to another call,

listening to the tunes that he likes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through

Friday.

“They keep us pretty busy, so we’re running around all the time,” he

said.