We don’t have records going back to the invention of the automobile, or the tow truck, but the 380 vehicles towed on the first day of Minneapolis' snow emergency — nearly four times the number that were towed on the first one in 2010.
Vehicles were towed in 2011, but that was part of the same 2010-11 winter. The city's last snow emergency started Feb. 21, 2011. There were no snow emergencies in early 2012.
On Nov. 13, 2010, 97 vehicles were towed on the first day of that season's first snow emergency for violating parking rules.
So, maybe we're out of practice.
Minneapolis residents can sign up for a phone call to tell them when a snow emergency has been declared. There also are notices in the water and sewer bill explaining in detail what gets towed and when. There are also a web page and an app.
So, it's either get with the program or get out your wallet.
The basic ticket is $138, plus a towing charge and a storage fee. They take plastic, but the lines can be long. The wait was two hours on Monday, and the lines are outside. Cars that are unclaimed within 15 days can be sold at auction.
The biggest towing event in the 2010-11 winter began Dec. 4, totaling 1,583 vehicles in three days.
The smallest number of vehicles towed came in February 2011 with 320 cars in three days.