--- title: "Airport Counts 25 Abandoned Cars Going Back Years, But It’s in No Hurry to Tow Them" description: "Some cars left at this Missouri airport have been sitting in long-term parking for four years, but the airport has no timeline for removal." date: "2024-10-21" modified: "2024-10-21" authors: - name: "Caleb Jacobs" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/caleb-jacobs" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/airport-counts-25-abandoned-cars-going-back-years-but-its-in-no-hurry-to-tow-them" categories: - "News" --- # Airport Counts 25 Abandoned Cars Going Back Years, But It’s in No Hurry to Tow Them ![]() *\KY3\* As a Missouri boy born and raised, I can tell you the Midwestern personality tropes you see in [memes]() are true. We're too kind. Not all the time, obviously, but there's a reason we're known for our long goodbyes and considerate "opes" when it's time to *squeeze right on past ya.* If you want proof, my local airport is in the news for identifying abandoned cars parked there for years and essentially saying, "Eh, we'll tow them eventually. Maybe." Kent Boyd of the Springfield-Branson National Airport told *[KY3]()* they've been aware of the cars for a while and have even run the tags to find who they belong to. It's just that the owners aren't in a hurry to [get them out of long-term parking](), and apparently, neither is the airport. Speaking about one car in particular, Boyd said, "We were able to trace back, and we found an obituary for the registered owner. We contacted the estate and asked if they can please come get this car and they still haven’t.” Notice what he said there? The magic word: "please." And they still haven't retrieved the car. Those guys must not be from around here. I joke, but it's almost shocking to see how many cars are in limbo. *KY3* says roughly 25 vehicles have made the Springfield-Branson National Airport their home, and some have been there for three to four years. That's not normal if you ask me, especially when you consider that this is a [relatively low-traffic flight hub](). There are just [10 gates in total]() and you have to catch a connection to go almost anywhere that isn't DFW, O'Hare, or the like. Really, the airport is just trying to save people the hassle. But if no one claims these cars, action will be taken. It's just unclear when that might happen. “At some point, we’ll tow them," Boyd explained. "I don’t know what that timeline is. You don’t want to tow them or get them off the property too early because you know sure as heck as soon as you do that, somebody will show up looking for it." Like I said, we're too kind. In [a big city like Reno]() or whatever, you can bet these would've been [towed off a long time ago](). Not in Missou-rah, though. No, sir. *Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com* ## Author Caleb Jacobs is The Drive’s senior editor. When he’s not searching for stories or poring over copy, he’s usually driving his dump truck or wishing it was running so he could drive it. He was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and he lives there today with his family. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Instagram]() [Twitter]()