A friend who's broken down
Poll: A friend who's broken down
Total Members Polled: 271
Discussion
The Mrs and I disagreed over this last night, so over to you lot to see what you would have done.
9:45pm last night and we were 15 minutes from the end of Good Will Hunting and then it was time to go to bed, as I had to be up at 5:15am this morning for work. I get a call from a friend who's got a flat tyre, but not got a wheel wrench to get his wheel off, and doesn't know how to change it. He's 20 minutes away minimum, plus maybe 20 minutes fixing so all in all at least an hour of my time. It's made a little worse as the day before he couldn't start his car so asked me to come and jump it - I couldn't go help for a few hours as I was at work, and by the time I could have gone to help it started (wasn't a flat battery in the end, maybe a intermittent starter motor or loose connection somewhere) and I told him he needs to get some breakdown cover! Obviously didn't take my advice!
Anyway, I really didn't want to go out, but I did. What would you have done?
9:45pm last night and we were 15 minutes from the end of Good Will Hunting and then it was time to go to bed, as I had to be up at 5:15am this morning for work. I get a call from a friend who's got a flat tyre, but not got a wheel wrench to get his wheel off, and doesn't know how to change it. He's 20 minutes away minimum, plus maybe 20 minutes fixing so all in all at least an hour of my time. It's made a little worse as the day before he couldn't start his car so asked me to come and jump it - I couldn't go help for a few hours as I was at work, and by the time I could have gone to help it started (wasn't a flat battery in the end, maybe a intermittent starter motor or loose connection somewhere) and I told him he needs to get some breakdown cover! Obviously didn't take my advice!
Anyway, I really didn't want to go out, but I did. What would you have done?
Dr Interceptor said:
Providing I hadn't had a beer, I'd have gone and helped.
I couldn't sleep knowing I'd left somebody stranded.
Worst thing is, by the time I'd got there last night a passer by had stopped and was helping them out! So I got all the hassle and time wasting of going, but none of the glory for helping! Literally the worst case scenario!I couldn't sleep knowing I'd left somebody stranded.
OpulentBob said:
I missed this. I voted "Go and Help" but didn't realise it was a colleague. No way. "Sorry mate, too late. Get a cab or join the AA. See you in the office in the morning."
He's a friend too, just because I work with him doesn't mean he's not a mate.daddy cool said:
...But that would have pissed me right off. I would have expected that they called as soon as alternative help was found.
They called just as I got there. It was awful timing!LeeThr said:
Who was that with? I was left in a situation where I had to do this once. About 2 & a half years ago, in my little 1.4, the bottom ball joint decided it no longer wanted to be part of the wishbone at some silly time at night, cue whole strut being as far away from car as the top mount could travel, with the wheel pushed up against the wing, and pulled the drive shaft out the gearbox. Was somewhere I really didn't fancy leaving the car overnight due to security reasons, plus lots of signs saying no overnight parking. Had it been somewhere more secured I would have left it where it was got a lift home and got a lift back as soon as the motor factors opened in the morning with tools & a new bottom arm and just changed it there and then.
So I needed the car recovering... cue phone call to the AA. First off they said they wouldn't class it as a breakdown. (What happened was I was at a very rocky beach car park and there was some little bumps that where almost like driving over curbs between parking rows, and as I went over one at about 5-10mph there was a huge bang and the car jolted to a holt and was just revving it's brains off due to the shaft being out the box.) They said I was basically involved in an accident. Argued with them for a bit and he eventually went to speak to his managed and agreed to treat it as a breakdown and I could have it recovered. This is where they screw you over. Because I was taking out the cover in an emergency situation the price was inflated and I had to pay the premium for the year in one go, I couldn't pay it monthly. So that was £240 over the phone, and also because of the situation If I was being recovered I could only have it taken up to 50 miles away luckily was only 20 miles or so away from home.
I did get a bit more use out of it though so wasn't quite as painful about 5 months down the line when I went with a mate to pick up a Saxo VTs he bought that decided to commit suicide on the way back in a black spot on Snake Pass, that was a long day. What really took the piss though was when I had the renewal through at the 12 month period they came back with a quote of about £55 for the year instead of the £240 I'd had to pay 12 months prior.
£240 is mental! I've just paid £95 for personal cover for myself and my other half with the RAC. Doesn't include homestart, but does include recovery to anywhere in the country and roadside assistance.So I needed the car recovering... cue phone call to the AA. First off they said they wouldn't class it as a breakdown. (What happened was I was at a very rocky beach car park and there was some little bumps that where almost like driving over curbs between parking rows, and as I went over one at about 5-10mph there was a huge bang and the car jolted to a holt and was just revving it's brains off due to the shaft being out the box.) They said I was basically involved in an accident. Argued with them for a bit and he eventually went to speak to his managed and agreed to treat it as a breakdown and I could have it recovered. This is where they screw you over. Because I was taking out the cover in an emergency situation the price was inflated and I had to pay the premium for the year in one go, I couldn't pay it monthly. So that was £240 over the phone, and also because of the situation If I was being recovered I could only have it taken up to 50 miles away luckily was only 20 miles or so away from home.
I did get a bit more use out of it though so wasn't quite as painful about 5 months down the line when I went with a mate to pick up a Saxo VTs he bought that decided to commit suicide on the way back in a black spot on Snake Pass, that was a long day. What really took the piss though was when I had the renewal through at the 12 month period they came back with a quote of about £55 for the year instead of the £240 I'd had to pay 12 months prior.
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