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311 service only works in certain large cities/counties in the US (80 are listed on Wikipedia). It's not valid anywhere in my state. The rest of us need to pro-actively check what other resources are available in our areas.
I called 911 once when my car died on the interstate. It was about -20F with a windchill factor of -50F, iirc. The engine died just as I was approaching an off ramp. I was thinking there was a service station at that off ramp, but there was nothing -- not for 20 miles or so (central South Dakota). My girlfriend and I were dressed for winter but not for -50F, so I called 911, explained the situation and said I hoped calling 911 was okay. The operator said she thought it sounded like an emergency to her. About a half hour later a tow truck showed up. The battery was frozen and split open. The alternator had failed, and I didn't catch it. We ended up being stranded for 5 days, as the closest alternator for the car (Saab) was somewhere in Canada, and the roads closed for a few days so nothing was getting into or out of town. And I was sick the whole time!
I called 911 once when my car died on the interstate. It was about -20F with a windchill factor of -50F, iirc. The engine died just as I was approaching an off ramp. I was thinking there was a service station at that off ramp, but there was nothing -- not for 20 miles or so (central South Dakota). My girlfriend and I were dressed for winter but not for -50F, so I called 911, explained the situation and said I hoped calling 911 was okay. The operator said she thought it sounded like an emergency to her. About a half hour later a tow truck showed up. The battery was frozen and split open. The alternator had failed, and I didn't catch it. We ended up being stranded for 5 days, as the closest alternator for the car (Saab) was somewhere in Canada, and the roads closed for a few days so nothing was getting into or out of town. And I was sick the whole time!
Wow, what a nightmare.
I have AAA for all calls unless it is an emergency.
Where I am from, if you don't call the police and just call a tow truck, the tow truck driver is required to call them and report it. Happened to my son, he took a turn too fast and both his passenger side tires hit the curb, rendering the car undriveable. He called a tow truck and the driver called to report it to the police. Told him he was required to by law. It ended up on his driving record, which affected his rates.
*Edit- this in case of an accident, not a breakdown. You don't have to and shouldn't call the police for a breakdown unless your life is in danger.
Last edited by goldenlove; 02-24-2018 at 02:18 PM..
311 service only works in certain large cities/counties in the US (80 are listed on Wikipedia). It's not valid anywhere in my state. The rest of us need to pro-actively check what other resources are available in our areas.
So, if I'm not in my area (as so often happens), and I'm out in the dark in pouring rain on a back road, how exactly do I pro-actively check what resources are available in my area?
Where I am from, if you don't call the police and just call a tow truck, the tow truck driver is required to call them and report it. Happened to my son, he took a turn too fast and both his passenger side tires hit the curb, rendering the car undriveable. He called a tow truck and the driver called to report it to the police. Told him he was required to by law. It ended up on his driving record, which affected his rates.
In Colorado the tow truck driver was required to report on the spot any slide-off or other incident that resulted in $1000 damage. So a broken headlamp and dinging of the surrounding sheet metal. In the rural area I lived in that meant long waits, maybe hours, for an officer to arrive.
I called 911 once when my car died on the interstate. It was about -20F with a windchill factor of -50F, iirc. The engine died just as I was approaching an off ramp. I was thinking there was a service station at that off ramp, but there was nothing -- not for 20 miles or so (central South Dakota). My girlfriend and I were dressed for winter but not for -50F, so I called 911, explained the situation and said I hoped calling 911 was okay. The operator said she thought it sounded like an emergency to her. About a half hour later a tow truck showed up. The battery was frozen and split open. The alternator had failed, and I didn't catch it. We ended up being stranded for 5 days, as the closest alternator for the car (Saab) was somewhere in Canada, and the roads closed for a few days so nothing was getting into or out of town. And I was sick the whole time!
Quote:
Originally Posted by trlhiker
Wow, what a nightmare.
I have AAA for all calls unless it is an emergency.
well said trihiker. wyo, you were in a bad situation, in your case i think 911 was the best call.
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