On our way home from our morning run (Marc) and walk (me) at the park this past weekend, we got a flat tire. We pulled into a gas station and called AAA. A truck arrived in about 10 minutes, and we were on our way home less than 10 minutes after that. It was a good reminder that AAA is one of the best bargains around. For less than $75 a year, Marc and I have peace of mind when we're on the road.
I know there are a lot of other options out there for roadside assistance, and I think everyone should have a form of it. My previous car insurance company provided this service, although I kept my AAA membership because I know they're reliable. If the service you choose doesn't come with a wallet-size card with the telephone and membership numbers you need, make your own. You never know when you're going to need it.
2 comments:
You've had better luck with it than I had when I had my membership. I remember waiting almost 4 hours (and this was in Oklahoma City, with lots of providers nearby) for a tow - I kept getting put off with excuses, and I called AAA three times asking them to please call another tow service to come get me but for some reason they couldn't/wouldn't.
I agree that roadside assistance of some sort is essential, but we've chosen to go with insurance through our car insurance - we do a lot of travelling to small towns that are an hour away from the nearest AAA servicer, and my insurance company reimburses us 100% no matter who the service is through. Blindingly fast, too - I frequently get the check when I drop off the receipt, and the longest I have waited was two days (they mailed it the next day, I received it the day after that). We pay about $4 a month for this.
The other nice thing is, we can get towed to wherever at our discretion - so if the nearest town that actually has an open service station is two towns over, that's where we go.
There is the inconvenience of not having a universal number to call for a tow, but since we have cell phones and a mother-in-law who hardly ever leaves the house and doesn't mind looking up numbers for us, it's not too bad.
Alice - That's great! I don't the deal offered by my old insurance company was anywhere near that good - as I recall, there were limitations on distance and what not. Obviously (as usual!) it pays to comparison shop. :)
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