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So let me get this straight, AAA will not respond unless you give them an exact address or a GPS coordinates? What are you supposed to do if you are broken down on the highway with no GPS? That is just bad customer service. Tow truck drivers are used to searching for broken down vehicles, in remote areas.
You have to give them some sort of idea where you are. I got stuck in the mud once, in a cemetery a few doors down from my job (I go over there to hang out and read during my lunch hour). The cemetery is built onto a hillside, with a main access road going in from the main road (Broadway/NY Route 32 in Menands, NY). Once you enter the gate on the access road, Cemetery Ave., there are 3 roads going up and into the cemetery, Southridge, Middleridge, and Northridge, and then there is a side road, Josephine, which is off of Northridge, that runs off of Northridge and runs into Linden, which is the east-west road that all three "'Ridge" roads run into eventually. I was on Josephine, not far from the intersection of Northridge.
I was able to get the truck up and into the cemetery to where I was, even though there was no actual address other than the road I was on, and he was on private roads after leaving the access road. Of course, I know that cemetery layout like the back of my hand; a traveler in unfamiliar territory wouldn't be so lucky if they aren't constantly taking stock of their surroundings.
I got stuck up there twice, actually, once in the mud, and again with a dead battery on Northridge.
We have had AAA for decades as well. The only problem we had is one year they cancelled us because we used them too much. We went to another plan and then scurried back to AAA as soon as they would accept us again. We have the 200 mile plan and if we need to tow further, they only charge mileage as the hook up fee etc is already covered by AAA.
I have had instances where i had to wait for up to three hours (three and a half I think was the longest) for a tow truck. Given I broke down in a bad part of Detroit, I was none too happy. However it was a severe cold snap (-20) the was preceded by heavy snow, so every tow truck in the area was working their tails off. Not really AAA's fault, although I did learn from the driver that AAA calls get the lowest priority because they do not get as much for them. they are not going to risk losing a customer who will pay them $150 for the tow in order to go get an AAA customer where they get something like $35 or $45. So they let you wait.
Never had AAA...... I can't believe people pay these crazy rates!
If you don't use it for just 5 years the savings ($330) can easily pay for any local tow. The last tow I had I think cost me $90 to go across town ($35 pick up fee then per mile). Insane how people pay for years and years then get shafted when they try to actually use it!
Classic
1st Member: $66
1st Add'l Member: 1st Year FREE
Each Add'l Member: $15
AAA Membership Plus
Plus
1st Member: $101
1st Add'l Member: 1st Year $24
Each Add'l Member: $39
AAA Membership Premier
Premier
1st Member: $127
1st Add'l Member: 1st Year $35
Each Add'l Member: $50
I blew a tire somewhere between Amarillo TX and Chickasha Ok not long ago. I had AAA but no cell service out there so I had to pull off on some desolate unknown dirt road and change the tire myself. Even if I had cell service I would have had to risk going back out on the darkened highway and search for a mile marker at midnight to give to the dispatcher because I didn’t have a GPS. The wait would have certainly been substantial before help arrived. I put the donut on and limped into shamrock and spent about $120.00 for a classy hotel to sleep for two hours because I had a meeting at 8:30 in Chickasha.
The weirdest thing is I stopped to put air in the spare and get gas and there was no one in the filling station. They were either sleep or lying dead in the back so even if I got towed there, I would still be in trouble. The only thing that was the most help that night was a flash light.
I could have blamed my phone carrier for having crappy coverage, or AAA for making me wait all night, or the filling station attendant for being MIA, or the motel for obviously gouging a distressed traveler, but it was my own fault for leaving Kansas trying to make it out to the west coast for four months on an iffy set of tires. I put a bunch of new rules in my rule book after that night. IMO AAA is at best an insurance policy and not so much a service.
Last edited by thriftylefty; 06-19-2018 at 09:43 AM..
They too asked for the zip code--it was 5:30 a.m. on an on-ramp to the NYS Thruway near Albany, which has several zip codes. But the woman was helpful and they got a tow truck to me in a reasonable amount of time.
And the on-ramp would be very easy to pinpoint - either off of Exit 24 or 23.
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I agree with others about the AAA Plus, though. That 100 mile-towing thing can make a huge difference.
Dad had to use it last summer coming back from Binghamton to Schenectady on I-88, because his alternator went.
I worked in an AAA call center for several months when between jobs; I had previous experience handling over-the-road difficulties for a trucking line, so it was easy to fit in -- was offered permanent employment and a promotion, but had to turn it down because of family and home-ownership commitments "back home".
But of course, my experience and personal circumstances were far from "typical"; most of my co-workers were college-age, or "trailing spouses" seeking extra income. And as might be expected, night and weekend shifts, which I worked, were the hardest to fill. The city I monitored had one Orthodox Jewish congregation (in a less-than first-class neighborhood, downtown) and because of the concerns of the parishioners, many of whom were elderly and/or drove older vehicles, that area had to be closely watched on Friday nights.
A basic AAA membership works just fine ….. IF you drive short distances mostly in urban areas and on major highways, and IF your needs are mostly for simple things like jump starts or being locked out of your car; beyond that, it can get expensive pretty quickly, and it should be recognized that both auto-industry standards and the overall decline in automotive "savvy" among young adults (Has anyone seen that Liberty Mutual commercial about two Snowflakes who can't change a tire?) have made us all more dependent, and it only gets worse with advancing age.
There was another group within our customer base who drove what I can only describe as "clunkers of the first order", and would always try to "stretch" even the longer mileage limits on towing by making multiple call-ins, often a day or two apart; we had our own "grapevine" to keep tabs on this.
And since AAA was organized nationally around a network of perhaps twenty major centers, we sometimes had to call each other for information, and those of us who worked the "thin" shifts sometimes got acquainted on a first name basis; it was somewhat of a fraternity/sorority, and the job was seldom dull.
... And they were a hell of a lot cheaper then AAA. Lesson learned. And now shared.
Cheap is great if you never need to use the service.
I had a brand new Ford break down on me, so I called Ford Roadside Assistance. After being on hold forever, I pulled out my other phone and called AAA. They answered right away and sent a flatbed over (the dealer paid the mileage over 3 miles).
AAA gives the option of paying for Gold service for up to a 100 mile tow but I've always stuck with Basic. In 25 years I can count on one hand the times I've needed a tow, and I'm ahead of the game.
That's why you get PLUS - 100 free miles of towing.
And how could she NOT be paying attention to her surroundings? Seriously, maybe you shouldn't be letting "the kid" drive herself until she gains some basic geographical awareness, plus the ability to always note what town/city she is driving through and what route/street she is on. And how to keep her cell phone charged. They do make car chargers for that purpose.
Not knowing the zip code for the area she was in, hardly equals a lack of geographical awareness. The AAA rep. had no business asking her that. I have already demonstrated in another post that I can find any location with just the names of the streets, using Google Maps. Who keeps track of what zip code they are driving in anyway? I have never seen a road sign: Entering Zip Code 12345.
You would think with all that savings you could buy a car that doesn't break down!
The tow I had last was from a cracked pulley/bearing failure, knocking the serpentine belt off in the process. Truck had 150K miles on it and up until then it was perfect. Towed to a local garage and drove it home at the end of the day. The tow was slightly more than the basic AAA membership and that was the only tow I paid for in over 20 years! 20 years X $60 annual membership = $1200 saved minus one $75 tow = $1125 still in my pocket!
As far as membership discounts, in most cases you can mention AAA and get the discount without producing the card!
AAA has gone the way of the VCR........it is unnecessary as there are other better options out there!
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