AAA is awesome

[Rye Miles #13621]

I came home yesterday pulled in the garage and turned my car off. The engine went off but nothing else. I got a warning on the speedometer screen that said “battery recharging” only it never did. It wouldn’t start. I left it alone for about a half hour and nothing.I called AAA and they came out in a half hour and replaced the battery. First time I used them in 3 years. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

50+ year member here.

[Rye Miles #13621]

2 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

50+ year member here.

You can’t beat them!! 

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

Our pickup failed at the approaches to the Eisenhower tunnel last September. We were exactly two miles inside their circle of service for towing us home. They sent a larger tow vehicle to pull our pickup and 40 foot fifth wheel back to Grand Junction (198 miles) so we could have it worked on by local shop and not have to find other accommodations such as hotels or unknown shops. Didn't even remember that I had added the RV program 10 years or more ago it was such a small cost. Tow alone was estimated by a tow driver friend at about $1,100. No charge to us.

Member for life here.

Regards

   

Gateway Kid

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I've been a AAA member since 1962 when my dad enrolled me and told me it was up to me to keep in going.  Great service and only two complaints in all that time.  The last complaint: about two years ago they closed down the local office and now the nearest one is in Phoenix, nearly 90 miles away.  That rules out ANY in-house visits until they get something opened up that I can live with.

[Sedalia Dave]

Wife and two of her friends broke down on a multi day trip. Called AAA and they towed them into a shop in Mammoth CA. Shop owner told then 3 days to change a water pump. The tow truck driver heard this and explained that if he didn't have them on the road in 24 hours he would lodge a grievance with AAA and have his shop removed from their list of approved repair facilities. Wife was back on the road the same day.

[Happy Jack, SASS #20451]

I've been a member since 1957.  i have been towed by them many times.  I definitely got my money's worth.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

We too have gotten great service from them in some sticky situations over the years.

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

 

 

 

 

 

 .......... so, ... this is not thread about changing the batteries in the tv remote ....... 

[Rye Miles #13621]

1 minute ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 .......... so, ... this is not thread about changing the batteries in the tv remote ....... 

Nope, you’ll have to google that! 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

1 minute ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Nope, you’ll have to google that! 

 

 

 

   .................... DARN!!!!!!

[Dusty Devil Dale]

This wouldn't be complete without a story about the alternative choice to AAA (definitely not  recommended).

This is a 100% true, non-embellished story that happened back in the mid to late '90s.

 

A friend and I had been on a week long insect collecting trip to the Tucson area, from our homes in Fresno, Ca. 

On the way home, I noticed some slippage in the transmission on my (then new) Ford Aerostar van.  By the time I made it into Needles, it was slipping badly.  It was about sundown in mid July, and the evening cooling was starting (down to 109 deg), so we bought a couple jugs of transmission fluid and decided to try and make it 120 more miles across the Mojave Desert to Barstow, Ca., where we could spend the night and look for a shop the next morning.   We figured if the car stopped, we could always just camp another night. 

 

By the time I had driven 30 miles, the transmission was slipping badly. (I used to shorten it to "tranny", but now---!!!).  My top speed was 35 mph.   I could not drive in the main traffic lanes at that speed without making direct contact with the front of a truck, so I crept along the wide shoulder with hazard lights flashing, dodging bottles, mattresses and blown out tire alligators.  

 

We took 2-1/2 hours to make it the 90 miles into Ludlow, where I anxiously pulled onto an off ramp and landed at a truck stop.  Inside, I used their phone to get a tow into Barstow.  I had unknowingly let my AAA membership lapse, and my friend, Dennis,  had never joined.  So I took pot luck from the phone book with guidance from a couple helpful truckers.  

 

By now it was midnight.  

Three hours later, the local non-AAA tow truck showed up with three occupants.  The driver and his two friends were among the seediest looking and smelliest men I have ever met.  The driver winched the van onto the platform and strapped it down.  Then Dennis and I were directed to climb in (with all 3 others).  I looked at Dennis and he looked at me, and I motioned, " Yes, I have my carry gun". 

It really looked THAT bad!

 

In we climbed and the driver took off at 85 mph toward Barstow.  

About 8 miles east of Barstow is a small settlement called Newberry Springs.  It has a  about 45 homes, 35 of which appear to contain Meth labs.   Our driver was rather obviously a frequent client.  

As we drove through the area, our driver slowed and turned off on a dirt road --remember, this was 3:30 AM. 

He drove about half a mile up a hill to a well lighted party looking house that had at least 25 beat up cars parked outside.  He said he had to "give a message to" his wife, inside.   During the half hour he was inside, his two friends siphoned the fuel out of his company tow truck into ready-and-waiting plastic jugs.   Then they swapped the tow truck battery for an old looking battery in one of the cars.

The driver returned, climbed into the cab, without his two friends, and drove toward Barstow.  But (you couldn't ever make this up) as we pulled onto the first Barstow off- ramp, the truck sputtered for a few seconds and came to a stop.  The driver backed it down onto the shoulder.  He muttered something about killing someone--presumably his "friends"-- and looked at us.  I asked if it was gas or diesel and he responded "gas".  I knew he had a siphon hose onboard, so I suggested we siphon gas from the Aerostar, which we did.  He then drove us to the Ford Dealership and unloaded the van at the curb.  

 

The next morning (2 hours later) the Ford dealer told us he would have to get a server arm  brought up from L.A. and the repair would take until the following day.  We opted to just  rent a car and drive back to Fresno.  

 

I didn't need my carry weapon that night, but I do often think about some poor stranded woman alone in the desert on HWY 58, calling for a local tow truck without AAA. 

Do your wife and loved ones a favor.  It doesn't cost that much.

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

47 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

This wouldn't be complete without a story about the alternative choice to AAA (definitely not  recommended).

This is a 100% true, non-embellished story that happened back in the mid to late '90s.

 

A friend and I had been on a week long insect collecting trip to the Tucson area, from our homes in Fresno, Ca. 

On the way home, I noticed some slippage in the transmission on my (then new) Ford Aerostar van.  By the time I made it into Needles, it was slipping badly.  It was about sundown in mid July, and the evening cooling was starting (down to 109 deg), so we bought a couple jugs of transmission fluid and decided to try and make it 120 more miles across the Mojave Desert to Barstow, Ca., where we could spend the night and look for a shop the next morning.   We figured if the car stopped, we could always just camp another night. 

 

By the time I had driven 30 miles, the transmission was slipping badly. (I used to shorten it to "tranny", but now---!!!).  My top speed was 35 mph.   I could not drive in the main traffic lanes at that speed without making direct contact with the front of a truck, so I crept along the wide shoulder with hazard lights flashing, dodging bottles, mattresses and blown out tire alligators.  

 

We took 2-1/2 hours to make it the 90 miles into Ludlow, where I anxiously pulled onto an off ramp and landed at a truck stop.  Inside, I used their phone to get a tow into Barstow.  I had unknowingly let my AAA membership lapse, and my friend, Dennis,  had never joined.  So I took pot luck from the phone book with guidance from a couple helpful truckers.  

 

By now it was midnight.  

Three hours later, the local non-AAA tow truck showed up with three occupants.  The driver and his two friends were among the seediest looking and smelliest men I have ever met.  The driver winched the van onto the platform and strapped it down.  Then Dennis and I were directed to climb in (with all 3 others).  I looked at Dennis and he looked at me, and I motioned, " Yes, I have my carry gun". 

It really looked THAT bad!

 

In we climbed and the driver took off at 85 mph toward Barstow.  

About 8 miles east of Barstow is a small settlement called Newberry Springs.  It has a  about 45 homes, 35 of which appear to contain Meth labs.   Our driver was rather obviously a frequent client.  

As we drove through the area, our driver slowed and turned off on a dirt road --remember, this was 3:30 AM. 

He drove about half a mile up a hill to a well lighted party looking house that had at least 25 beat up cars parked outside.  He said he had to "give a message to" his wife, inside.   During the half hour he was inside, his two friends siphoned the fuel out of his company tow truck into ready-and-waiting plastic jugs.   Then they swapped the tow truck battery for an old looking battery in one of the cars.

The driver returned, climbed into the cab, without his two friends, and drove toward Barstow.  But (you couldn't ever make this up) as we pulled onto the first Barstow off- ramp, the truck sputtered for a few seconds and came to a stop.  The driver backed it down onto the shoulder.  He muttered something about killing someone--presumably his "friends"-- and looked at us.  I asked if it was gas or diesel and he responded "gas".  I knew he had a siphon hose onboard, so I suggested we siphon gas from the Aerostar, which we did.  He then drove us to the Ford Dealership and unloaded the van at the curb.  

 

The next morning (2 hours later) the Ford dealer told us he would have to get a server arm  brought up from L.A. and the repair would take until the following day.  We opted to just  rent a car and drive back to Fresno.  

 

I didn't need my carry weapon that night, but I do often think about some poor stranded woman alone in the desert on HWY 58, calling for a local tow truck without AAA. 

Do your wife and loved ones a favor.  It doesn't cost that much.

 

Great story!!!