4 The QUEE NS Courier • APRIL 21, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Whitestone Walgreens ends ties with ‘abusive’ tow truck operator BY BRIANA ELLIS [email protected]/@briinformed An overly zealous towing company has been removed from the parking lot of a Whitestone Walgreens drug store following a surge of complaints from the shoppers who claimed their cars were towed for no reason. According to Whitestone resident George Mirtsopoulos, Done Deal Collision and Recovery Inc. towing company illegally sent a spotter along with their tow trucks to prey on shoppers. The company overcharged drivers who were forced to cough up $100 to $125 to retrieve their cars. Furthermore, he mentioned that the tow truck company was required to notify the local police precinct and to obtain a signature from a Walgreens manager before towing vehicles but failed to follow protocol. On the Facebook group of civic association We Love Whitestone, Vice President Mirtsopoulos informed members about his success alongside his wife, Carmen, in having the drug store at 149-28 14th Ave. end its relationship with the towing company. “First and foremost we need to understand that Walgreens does have the right to tow cars that are abusing the lot, but the tow company has been taking advantage of people by not fully explaining the fees involved,” said Mirsopoulous on his April 13 Facebook post. He continued, “Carmen and I started a dialogue with upper management at Walgreens explaining to them what was going on. We forwarded them the many comments and they have officially removed the current tow company from their lot.” Mirsopoulous cited a reply from Andy C. Yearwood, Walgreens district manager, pharmacy and retail operations: “I have removed the towing company from the Walgreens lot. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.” Group members commended the couple for their efforts and expressed their previous anxieties about parking at Walgreens, as tow truck drivers lurked from a distance. “Thank you so much I was there the other day and the tow truck was there when I got out of the store I made sure my bags were in view I won’t lie I was worried about going into Walgreens,” group member Melody Rudman commented on Mr. Mirsopoulous’ thread. Walgreens shoppers told The Courier that the tow trucks were driven by greed. “These tow trucks are only out to make money,” said Albert DeBow, a Walgreens shopper and group member of We Love Whitestone. “I remember this used to happen a few years back at Key Food in the Whitestone Shopping Center.” Another shopper disclosed the tow truck company’s mischievous tactics on snagging cars and cash. “They were waiting for the senior citizens to go to the post office and as soon as they left the parking lot, they towed them,” said Lisa Pekarik, Whitestone resident for 64 years. “Oh, I’ve seen that happen because I’ve actually confronted them. It seems like it’s aimed towards the senior citizens. They’re in there and I think it’s a half hour limit for parking. They’re waiting for prescriptions majority of the time, it’s over a half hour and they can’t hear when they do over the loud speaker,” she explained. Neither Done Deal Collision and Recovery Inc. nor Walgreens responded to our request for comments. Across Queens, Verizon workers walk out in massive strike BY BRIANA ELLIS [email protected] @briinformed Verizon union workers picketed outside the communication giant’s Bayside office this week as the union strikes over downsizing and plans to relocate employees. “Unfortunately, Verizon profits over a billion dollars a month and all they’re looking for is give backs. All workers want is a fair contract with a profitable company. The company is attacking our health benefits and job security and our pensions,” said Bob Smith, vice president of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1106 in Queens Village. Smith also noted that the CWA workers’ contract expired in August and that they had been “negotiating in good faith” by working under that contract until April 12. More than 36,000 CWA and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) employees have been protesting since last Wednesday across the city and other parts of the Northeast U.S. “We’re here to make a living. We’re not just here to make them rich. We wanna make a living, we wanna live our lives like them… and they wanna keep everything and forget about us,” said one Bayside protester on Friday who chose to remain anonymous. The men stood outside of a Verizon office, holding up picket signs that read “CWA & IBEW ON STRIKE — FIGHTING CORPORATE GREED AT VERIZON” and “CWA ON STRIKE — BUILD UP FiOS NOT EXECUTIVE PAY” Bill Burns, a seasoned Verizon worker for 29 years, also held a “HONK”‘ sign as drivers beeped their horns in support of the strike. “They wanna be able to transfer the workers within 100 miles or so to how it works for the needs of the business … so that might be good for them but not necessarily good for the person who gets shifted wherever they wanna go,” he said. “I know for myself, like I said I’m towards the end. I don’t wanna be shifted all over. I wanna finish my time where I’m at and when I’m ready to go, I go,” Burns continued. “For the past 10 months, Verizon has tried to reach agreements for the Company’s 36,000 wireline associates in the East. While the company has on the table proposed wage increases, continued retirement benefits (including a generous 401(k) match) and excellent healthcare benefits, union leaders decided to call a strike rather than sit down and work on the issues that need to be resolved,” Verizon stated in the company’s April 13 news release. THE COURIER/Photo by Brianna Ellis Verizon wireline union workers strike on Bell Boulevard in Bayside. THE COURIER/Photos by Brianna Ellis A money-hungry towing company was removed from the Walgreens in Whitestone.
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