Doesn't the hand-brake operate on the rear wheels? Unless in each case the hand-brake was not used, how could it be so easy for the tow truck to remove these cars?
You really stop and think about that question before posting it?
That is a legit question.
Most cars have the emergency brake applying some force to the rear wheels, though not as much as you would get if you pressed the pedal. Thus the brake could be applied and the car still towed, probably trashing your parking brake.
More than a fair number of people with automatic transmissions never use the parking brake, relying only on the locking mechanism on the transmission when you put the car in Park. Making towing a front wheel drive car as simple as it appears in these videos.
The fun starts if your car has a different arrangement. Some newer cars have an electric parking brake which applies a force directly to the calipers in the rear wheels. Others use a motor to operate the traditional cable system. While it would still be possible to tow the car in all of these situations, it probably won't go as happily as these two in the videos.
Bottom line: if you going to park in front of crobar, keep the handbrake down, or resist the urge and park your A6 in a legal space.