Bob is always working on his "little car"
@GardenGerty (163239)
United States
April 26, 2025 9:20pm CST
He could have worse vices, I guess.
It is often not running. This weekend he has had it on a battery charger that he borrowed, because our two, or three chargers did not seem to be charging it. It finally charged, and he idled it for a while. Then he told me he was going to take it for a little run.
The fun begins.
He called me. The car had stalled. He had a hard time trying to tell me where he was, but only because he tried to tell me the entire route he had taken. It was less than ten miles from here. I drove out, but could not help him. Our preferred mechanic was not able to help him either. It was a late Saturday afternoon call. We usually call James and then turn the bill in to our insurance.
So he called the road service number on our insurance, They want to do everything digitally or "in the app". or by a link in a text. Bob does not do any of those things. I tried to do it from home.
Let's just say four and a half hours later he and the little car are headed home.
I will probably write more tomorrow, because some of this call center roadside assistance is beyond ridiculous.
11 people like this
9 responses
@DaddyEvil (146808)
• United States
27 Apr
AAA does that, too. I had a blown tire at Walmart in Aurora and AAA called a repair driver in Springfield (50 miles away) to come and bring a replacement tire and change it out for me. We waited almost an hour for him to show up. The driver asked if I'd requested him specifically because he couldn't figure out why AAA hadn't called the repair driver that is IN Aurora to come help me.
I told him I didn't request him but was thankful he'd finally arrived and could help me.
It makes no sense!
3 people like this
@kareng (73172)
• United States
27 Apr
@DaddyEvil Unless nobody local available to take the call? Just still seems very odd and weird! You know they have to charge more coming from a longer distance. But okay since we have already paid for the sevice in most cases if you have that coverage.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (146808)
• United States
27 Apr
@kareng I don't know... AAA doesn't tell us why they do things.
And yeah, they had to pay his mileage... I pay $56 a year and get four service calls. I paid for the new tire. They pay for anything else.
3 people like this
@arunima25 (90080)
• Bangalore, India
27 Apr
Everything is changing into apps and I find that overwhelming and ridiculous. I really miss those days when help was just a dial away. Glad that he is headed back with his little car. That's very long hours and must be tiring.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
It was cold, dark, and raining when he finally made it home. A county sheriff finally helped him get someone to tow the little car.
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
I see this is quite a chat. What I do know is that insurance companies through their "platform" assign road calls to a rotation of "local" companies. That is why they may call someone that is further away. Our own mechanic is forty miles away and all other services around that we knew of are at least thirty to forty miles. I pay very little over all for the roadside assistance on my State Farm Insurance, but it is worthless any more.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
This is really the only part of our car insurance we have ever used. It used to work well, but not anymore.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (146808)
• United States
27 Apr
I had AAA for years and they always made me mad because they say they're looking at a map when you're talking to them but they obviously aren't because they can't understand road signs or plain directions. If the spot you break down in doesn't have an address they can put into GPS, then you're "off-grid" and they can't get to you. 
The last time I had to call them, I had to walk a mile to a house to ask for their address and tell the AAA operator I was at that address and wait there for the driver and then explain my car was on down the road. He actually had to call to confirm he was allowed to take me away from the address to get to my car. 
What the actual heck is wrong with these people? 
Now, I'm curious if AAA would have left me stranded if the home owner hadn't wanted to tell me his address? 
I'm glad Bob finally got some help and, hopefully, made it home safely.
The last time I had to call them, I had to walk a mile to a house to ask for their address and tell the AAA operator I was at that address and wait there for the driver and then explain my car was on down the road. He actually had to call to confirm he was allowed to take me away from the address to get to my car.
What the actual heck is wrong with these people?
Now, I'm curious if AAA would have left me stranded if the home owner hadn't wanted to tell me his address?
I'm glad Bob finally got some help and, hopefully, made it home safely.2 people like this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
That is essentially what happened at first with us, but it got even more complicated. Thankfully the high ways are well patrolled by county officers as that is how we finally got the help.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
@DaddyEvil Our insurance pays to "the nearest shop" so sometimes we have had a little out of pocket, but not much.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (146808)
• United States
27 Apr
@GardenGerty I'm glad Bob got help, even if he had to get help from a police officer.
Roadside assistance is good when you really need it but I've been wondering if it's worth the hassle anymore. I still have roadside assistance on my car insurance and use that once in a while when we need a jumpstart or something small. I used AAA when I needed a tow to a garage. The roadside assistance through the car insurance only tows two miles before they start charging per mile. AAA will take me 20 miles before they start charging per mile.
We had to drop AAA when I lost my job and I've been trying to make up my mind if I want to get it back. We hardly go anywhere so it wouldn't get used much anymore.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
In the end it was not even the insurance roadside assistance that helped us. It was a county sheriff.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (188575)
• United States
27 Apr
Yes, AAA is pretty good, but any other company wants you to do everything digitally. I had some trouble with that with my other vehicle. Not everybody is a computer ACE, although I evertually got everything to work, it took much longer than it should have.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
Long story short, our county sheriff had to find someone. Our insurance could not find anyone who would take the call.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (188575)
• United States
27 Apr
@GardenGerty What the heck? He musta been in the middle of nowhere.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
@snowy22315 We LIVE in the middle of nowhere. Farms, ranches, etc. Our town has fewer than 400 people.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (94494)
• Arvada, Colorado
27 Apr
Oh gosh I hate all this new fangled stuff.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (115230)
• Marion, Ohio
27 Apr
Glad he was finally headed home. This app stuff is getting ridiculous
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163239)
• United States
27 Apr
It is. And all the shopping in apps and ordering food in apps and all of it just burns me up.
1 person likes this
