How does towing work?

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 21:50:27 -0700, Steve > wrote:

>Bob Ward > wrote:
>>I've used my AAA road service calls two or three times per year, on
>>average - If I didn't PLAN to use it, I probably would not continue to
>>pay for it.
>>By "planning" to use it, I don't mean a predetermined schedule of use,
>>but rather making sure that I receive the level of service I'm paying
>>for. I'm not averse to allowing the autoclub contracted drivers
>>change a flat in the rain, snow, or heat, nor am I willing to spend
>>several hours trying to diagnose a problem at the side of the road if
>>the car quits running.
>
>Sounds like you make damn sure your car breaks down or gets a flat
>tire at least 2-3 times a year. Nah, that can't be right...

No, I make damn sure that if it breaks down I use the services I've
paid for.

SpammersDie wrote:
> (But I'd want such
> "insurance" to cover the payment to the tow truck operator and have it on a
> "bill me later" basis because Murphy's law section 6, paragraph 3 guarantees
> that your bank's fraud department will also shut off all your credit cards
> at the same time the car breaks down in that remote town.)

Sort of on that subject, my parents always told me to make sure and
carry cash with me when I travel. Apparently they learned this the
hard way when they were on the road halfway between Dallas and Lubbock
(which is a 7 or 8 hour drive) and ran out of money for gas or something,
and my grandfather had to drive 200 miles (each way) just to hand them
$5 or whatever. He was NOT amused at having to do this and made it
clear to both of them how he felt about it.

I ran into something similar years ago. I was on a 200 mile road
trip, and I was low on gas in the middle. I stopped in the nearest
town, drove to the ATM, and the ATM was broken. I didn't have a
credit card, and I hadn't thought about bringing cash. I didn't have
enough gas to make it to a town with a working ATM. Finally, I
found a gas station that, after some pleading on my part, agreed to
accept a personal check even though it was against company policy,
and as a result I made it home.

Naturally, carrying cash isn't a totally bulletproof idea either.
You could get robbed at a rest stop or something. But if you carry
enough to fill your gas tank once or twice, that can get you out
of a lot of situations. It might not be enough to pay for certain
things, but it might be enough to convince someone you're serious
about paying (for a tow or a repair) even if it isn't enough to
pay them in full.

By the way, I agree that having one number to call when you're in
some strange town probably is a convenience worth something.

- Logan