What! in this suit?

[simonelite501]

Has anyone noticed the ever increasing numbers of people waiting on the side of the road for recovery services to come and change flat tyres? I can understand women who probably do not have the physical strenght to remove the wheel nuts,(sorry ladies, political correctness has never been a strong point of mine)but men, often in rep mobiles surely should just get on with the job in hand, right?! Not being a company car user, I was wondering wether there was some sort of clause in the agreement, or are these nancy boys just affraid of breaking their nails and soiling there Burton's suit?

[PetrolTed]

I'm still amazed that some people don't know what to do!

Having said that if it happened to me at the side of a motorway I may well call the breakdown people out. Too many people get killed on hard shoulders - I'd like a nice big van with huge flashing lights behind me before I start jacking up my car. Been a while since I wore a suit though

[JMorgan]

I'm sure that you are advised on the hard shoulder to call breakdown? Told the wife to though.
Our little firm uses mostly small vans and are told to call out. No torque wrenches on the van and, I suspect, a serious ammount of workers mechanically inept.

[simonelite501]

Changing tyres aside, I am a member of the AA,(well it pays to be when you own a 23 year old Lotus!) but the other day I recieved a nasty letter from them. It seems that they would like to make sure that I was aware of the "Fair play" rules. Apparently, every member has a limited number of times that they may call upon the service in any given year. In my case the limit is 6 times. If I was to exceed this limit, the service would still be availible to me, but an additional premium would be levied at the point of use. The letter went on to say that although I have only used the service 4 times this year(my membership expires at the end of May!), they felt the need to issue this warning/reminder, and hoped that they could look forward to recieving my "next years subscription" in the near future. Fat Chance! I'm off to the RAC!

[ErnestM]

Not sure about the UK, but roadside assistance is included in a LOT of new car purchases (and some used) in the US. I guess the feeling is, "why do it, if it is paid for?"

Ted is also on the mark, however, as there is a comparitive lack of general vehicle maintenance knowledge in the male (and female, but that has always been there IMHO) population today. Methinks a revision in the license test is called for.. (always wanted to use methinks in a sentence)

ErnestM

[CleG]

I am not sure if its 100%, but after my partner took her driving test she was telling me it became law (was becoming law) to call a service to change your tyre if on a motorway as to many people had been killed as Ted said.

Maybe someone could clarify this .. as I wouldn't mind knowing for sure?

>> Edited by CleG on Monday 29th April 21:43

>> Edited by CleG on Monday 29th April 21:49

[markqelise]

PLus a lot of the tool kits provide a wrench which is about 10 inches long and has 0 leverage - Only some one with arms like a gorilla can use them

[JohnLow]

You have to stand on a normal tyre lever. I carry a wheel brace around, costs £5 or ao and saves having to wait for a hour.

Simonelite501 - the RAC has a limit too, I think it's 9 though. They introduced a limit first. Could try green flag, ETA, or any one of a number operated by insurance cos - although I suspect they're all the same in disguise.

[pbrettle]

In my 11 years of driving I have suffered only 1 previous break down - a Rover radiator sprung a leak in Chippenham town centre. However, I have suffered 3 break downs (yes, all three of my cars!) in the last 6 months....

Seems like the AA are being a little too anal to start to warn people about multiple use in a single year! I mean, each problem I suffered was a different car with a different problem.... rare I know, but hey, thats what insurance is for..... call me stupid of course...

Cheers,

Paul

[simonelite501]

Call you stupid! No way! That was exactly my point, what is this insurance for?! I understand the point of abuse of the system, but to issue "naughty boy" letters,and I hadn't even reached the limit. No, I'm affraid that the AA have lost a customer this time,not that they will be upset about that, this customer actually used the service and that will never do! I would not be suprised if the AA/RAC/Green Flag etc introduce either an age related sliding tariff,or a total ban on vehicles over 5 years of age. I've got until the end of May to use the remainder of my quota,and although Weston-Super-Mare to Donnington and back is an awfully long way,I am hoping to avoid making the call to the "Very nice man"

[davidd]

I've been a member of the AA for years and years and used them for only the second time yesterday. The homestart (which I get free for some reason) we excellent, he did not manage to get the car going but he spent 90 minutes or so going over it with a meter checking the wiring, getting under the car, trying different things. When he finally admitted it was a bigger job than he could manage (the big red cable that goes from the battery to the starter has gone) he called a recovery truck in to take the car up to Offord. 30 mins later the truck turns up and an hour later the car is where it needs to be, no fuss and if I had not been quite so sad and anal I could have left them to it. I expect that cost the AA a lot more then I pay a year and I'm very impressed.

[mel]

On the tyres thing it might be because no one has told the muppets in Shit Fit how to set the torque on their air tools they seem to be permanently set to strip the threads. I suffered a blow out on the motorway many years ago and managed to ring the wheel brace that came with the car by putting 15 stone of lard on it and then strip the cogs on a ratchet from the socket set I had before giving up and calling the AA, he ended up using the biggest breaker bar I've ever seen with a scafold pole on it which he carried for "just this reason" (I will point out I was 21 and hadn't learnt about the false economy of cheap taiwan tools)

Oh yes david how's Frank now days???

>> Edited by mel on Tuesday 30th April 12:35

[bikerkeith]

I have Britannia Rescue cover for car and bike. Unfortunately I made several calls in one year, both for car and bike but for different reasons each time. (What unreliable transport I have!). Because I had heard similar tales to the above I phoned them to ask their policy. The reply was that they don't have a limit, unless you keep calling them for the same fault, so I guess they would also have got uppity about quoted alternator problem.
Not only that, Brit Rescue keep coming out top in surveys of response time. My only gripe is the agents they use would rather take me and the bike home (and earn more money) than attempt to find the problem at the roadside.

[Fatboy]

That guy who kept calling them out for the dodgy alternator - why did they keep coming? My RAC has a policy (green flag do too) that if you call them out a second time for the same problem, you have to pay for the call out. Or is this just a recent thing (only been driving 7 years)

[nmlowe]

I wonder if those kids off 'young posh & loaded' get the AA out to empty the ashtray.

[JMorgan]

quote:
I wonder if those kids off 'young posh & loaded' get the AA out to empty the ashtray.

Nah, they'd buy a new car (old ones the best)

>> Edited by JMorgan on Tuesday 30th April 22:10

[CleG]

just found a pic of my local Kwick Fit showing what they use to tighten up the wheels so we can not get them off

[tvradict]

Hmmm, I've been driving 18 months in 3 cars and I've never had breakdown cover....

Is it really worth all that money! I normally manage to sort problems out myself anyway!

And as for changing a tyre........

[plotloss]

I've had the TVR AA (came with the car) out twice and the fella that came the first time seemed ok, but the second fella, he was looking at it like it came from Mars. God knows what would have happened if I had been a Tuscan owner, poor fella probably would have run away.

Matt.

[Don]

quote:
Hmmm, I've been driving 18 months in 3 cars and I've never had breakdown cover....

Is it really worth all that money! I normally manage to sort problems out myself anyway!

And as for changing a tyre........

Yes and no. If the engine seizes in the North of Scotland on your way home to London in the middle of a dark winter's night etc miles from anywhere you can either get on your mobile and hope you can track down a garage that can do recovery to somewhere local and then spend a fortune and days getting it fixed, stay in hotels until its done and then continue your journey.

OR

The nice men stick the car on their recovery truck and drive it to the dealer of your choice near your home and then drop you off - during which time you are kept warm and dry.

It depends what you use the car for, how essential it is and what the consequences will be if it stops working one day.

I decided that RAC cover worth was worth every penny when the Mrs broke down on her way home a couple of winters back. Lone woman, in the dark etc etc.

The RAC were there like a shot - and I was worried sick every minute until they got there - on that occasion it was worth ten times what I paid for it..