wrote:
On Fri, 20 Nov 2015 17:10:28 -0600, "rumpole"
wrote:

Has anyone in west Texas had any luck with AAA auto club?
Don't know west texas, or AAA.
I'm getting to the age where I'm considering joining in case something happens when I'm away from home.

Twenty years ago I was a member for several years until I was stranded in a blizzard and needed to be towed out. They acted like they couldn't care less. I finally hung up and managed to get pulled out by a good Samaritan, after that I canceled my account.

Before I try again I thought I'd ask.
What I've been doing is carrying the business card of a towing company
that works around here. Since I would normally want to be towed
back here, I think they'll go even if I'm pretty far away.
If I wanted to be cautious, I'd print a list of the towing companies
around here, fold it up and put it in the glove box, in case some
don't answer the phone. The one I carry answers 24hours I think.
Oh, yeah, my GEICO car insurance included part of the towing cost, so
one Sunday night after I'd broken down 25 miles from home, I called
GEICO. They put me on hold while they talked to their towing company
in that area, and I should have insisted on a 3-way call, at least
when they weren't saying embarrassing things. But at least I got the
name of the company. They woudn't have told me if I hadn't asked.
Before I left the car I had hid the key somewhere, and I told the
woman on the phone, but Monday afternoon comes, I haven't gone to
work, and the gas station where I wanted it towed never called, so I
called them and they said the car never showed up, so I called the
towing company and he said they went out to my car, found the car, but
didn't find the key, so they dropped the matter. Why didn't you call
GEICO and have them call me? Oh, I dunno. Anyhow, I told him
again where the key was, and they towed the car on Tuesday and didn't
ask for any money from the gas station, so I guess they settled for
what GEICO gave them and didn't get the rest they would have been
entitled to for 25 miles. Which is fair, IMO.
Until I was 64, I'd only been towed 3 times. Plus two or 3 times I
broke down and repaired the car where it was. Four times I ran out
of gas but coasted into the gas station. Four other times I ran out
of gas and went and got some.
Lately it's been worse. Three tows in the last 4 years , in two cases
to my house. In one of those cases, I had to tow it again, to a
reliable guy who had to have a consultant find the elecrical short. An
actual short, in the engine compartment, hard to see. The other
case, towed to my house after an accident. Replaced lower right
front control arm, ball joint, right half axle. Biggest repair I ever
did on a car. Good thing too, because soon I'll be too old.

Around five years ago when I had to change a tire, it took me 90 minutes. By the time I was done, I thought I would have to call 911. My back was hurting so bad I had to lay down for 5 days to get over it. It's gotten worse since then. It was on a dirt road, and I had to use two jacks and a big rock to get it high enough to change the tire. The car has new tires all around, but it's getting old and I don't want to buy a new car. I hope this one will last till I'm done. The battery went out yesterday, while I was home, fortunately. Also, a special clamp on the battery broke. I was able to find and modify a clamp from another battery. If I hadn't been home at the time, it could've been more of a problem. I'm kind of wary of the new cars with all the fancy computer gadgets and what not.