Cheap towing at Journal Square, Jersey City: why most calls here end with a jump and not a tow

Parked at 7 a.m., dead at 7 p.m. Lights left on, an old battery, a cold snap: the fix is a jump, and it costs far less than a tow.

Give the lot name and your row. If the battery refuses to take a charge, the tow is added on the spot with no second callout.

Four lanes, heavy bus traffic and cars that stall at the lights near the square. If the car rolls, steer it into a side street off the Boulevard; the tow costs the same and nobody gets rear-ended.

Say the nearest cross street and which side of the Boulevard. The truck can then pull in without circling the one-ways.

Busy storefront curbs where a flat tire or locked keys stop a car at the worst moment. Both jobs are one flat price each.

A car that genuinely needs a garage usually has one within a few blocks, which keeps the miles small.

Student cars that sat through a break, staff cars in campus lots, and older cars on residential blocks. Batteries first, then tires.

Campus security will admit the truck once you have called. Tell dispatch which lot or entrance.