RAC cover but no smartphone?
Discussion
Folks,
Broke down yesterday on the motorcycle. I have RAC cover and a PAYG mobile phone, but no a smartphone. RAC operator asked for the name of the road I'm in.This was a country road and I didn't know it had a name. I knew where I was and the directions to nearest villages.The operator said they could not help me.
Just then a Post Office van turned up and I flagged him down. He told me the road name and post code. The RAC operator proceeded to help me.
What if the postie hadn't turned up!! I've checked the RAC website and can't find anything on this topic. The RAC patrolman was a good one and sorted my bike out. I asked him about the location problem and he advised me to get a smartphone. I'm a pensioner and can't afford the phone and contract.
What to do? What if I'm up on the moors?
P.
Broke down yesterday on the motorcycle. I have RAC cover and a PAYG mobile phone, but no a smartphone. RAC operator asked for the name of the road I'm in.This was a country road and I didn't know it had a name. I knew where I was and the directions to nearest villages.The operator said they could not help me.
Just then a Post Office van turned up and I flagged him down. He told me the road name and post code. The RAC operator proceeded to help me.
What if the postie hadn't turned up!! I've checked the RAC website and can't find anything on this topic. The RAC patrolman was a good one and sorted my bike out. I asked him about the location problem and he advised me to get a smartphone. I'm a pensioner and can't afford the phone and contract.
What to do? What if I'm up on the moors?
P.
Surely the pre-smartphone solution to this is a map?
They might be happy with GPS coordinates if you could get a cheap GPS (you can get a second hand smart phone with GPS for peanuts, you don't need to put a sim in it)? Alternatively phone up someone with a smartphone/computer/map, explain where you are, and get them to find the road name.
Another option would be to get a cheap smartphone and download mapàs onto it at home. Then you wouldn't need a network connection to use it.
They might be happy with GPS coordinates if you could get a cheap GPS (you can get a second hand smart phone with GPS for peanuts, you don't need to put a sim in it)? Alternatively phone up someone with a smartphone/computer/map, explain where you are, and get them to find the road name.
Another option would be to get a cheap smartphone and download mapàs onto it at home. Then you wouldn't need a network connection to use it.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 26th April 08:30
What happened pre smartphone then?
Not everyone carried maps and even less people could give coordinates from them.
I had a puncture on the A1 and had to phone a tyre company to come and help.
They asked for a postcode which is a bit difficult on a main road. When I explained this they asked the road number , direction I was travelling and the nearest town I had passed. Surprise surprise they were able to find me .
It seems like laziness from the RAC call handler or very bad instructions from higher up.
I have joint AA cover for me & the other half, upgraded to Relay & Homestart. So I thought I was covered. My other half's mobile went dud so I bought her a new one, and sorted out the sim contract, transferred all her data and contacts etc,...
... but she still goes out in the car without her mobile phone (that's by choice, and every time, not because she's just forgotten it occasionally)! One day she will get stuck, and I won't have much sympathy.
... but she still goes out in the car without her mobile phone (that's by choice, and every time, not because she's just forgotten it occasionally)! One day she will get stuck, and I won't have much sympathy.
Mouse Rat said:
if you couldn't tell them how would they know where you were?
In the late 90's my clutch cable snapped in the middle of Scotland. I had to walk a mile to the nearest shop to find out where I was to tell the AA
God I hate to tell you this, but you could have driven there! I drove 15 miles home once after my cable snapped.In the late 90's my clutch cable snapped in the middle of Scotland. I had to walk a mile to the nearest shop to find out where I was to tell the AA
Folks,
Thanks for the quick and helpful replies.
Yes, I have dug out a map to cover usual ride radius. Am I right in thinking that the 'name' of a road would be the number also, like
A30 ? My map covers all A and B roads with numbers so that should be OK. But, no more exploring the back lanes for me.
This is a dumb question but does a smartphone mean you have to have an internet provider, like Virgin? Is the internet connection included in the PAYG pricing? if so, I could have one and use the RAC app. Don't want it for anything else.
P.
Thanks for the quick and helpful replies.
Yes, I have dug out a map to cover usual ride radius. Am I right in thinking that the 'name' of a road would be the number also, like
A30 ? My map covers all A and B roads with numbers so that should be OK. But, no more exploring the back lanes for me.
This is a dumb question but does a smartphone mean you have to have an internet provider, like Virgin? Is the internet connection included in the PAYG pricing? if so, I could have one and use the RAC app. Don't want it for anything else.
P.
All of the mobile providers also offer internet. You can use internet on pay as you go but it's expensive. If it's only for emergencies, that's hardly the end of the world though.
Or as above you can get a contract with essentially unlimited calls and texts and enough internet for emergencies for around £4 a month. Without a phone. Then buy a cheap secondhand smartphone (you'd probably find a friend will give you one, many people have old ones lying around).
ETA as an example, ID mobile do 250mb data and 150 minutes of talk time for £4 a month.
Or as above you can get a contract with essentially unlimited calls and texts and enough internet for emergencies for around £4 a month. Without a phone. Then buy a cheap secondhand smartphone (you'd probably find a friend will give you one, many people have old ones lying around).
ETA as an example, ID mobile do 250mb data and 150 minutes of talk time for £4 a month.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 26th April 09:58
I'd suggest raising a complaint with the RAC.
Last occasion I used them was before I had a smart phone & gave them the location by the road number & approximate distance from the next village. No problem at all.
Be of interest as to whether this was just an unhelpful call handler of if they've got some sort of new policy in place.
Last occasion I used them was before I had a smart phone & gave them the location by the road number & approximate distance from the next village. No problem at all.
Be of interest as to whether this was just an unhelpful call handler of if they've got some sort of new policy in place.
kambites said:
Surely the pre-smartphone solution to this is a map?
At the operators end I'd have thought should be sufficient to help him.That said, I was at my parent's house, some time ago now and heard a massive head on crash, at least one dead immediately. I ran out to find someone else arriving in a car who said they were a nurse so I let her attend to the red and sticky bits and I took the easy job of calling 999.
For some reason they couldn't find the village name and I didn't think of giving my parent's post code a few hundred metres away. I tried describing how to get to the scene from various villages and major roads. It seemed easy to work out to me, despite the urgency though I thought the operator was going to just give up it took that long to figure out where we were.
Drawweight said:
What happened pre smartphone then?
Not everyone carried maps and even less people could give coordinates from them.
I had a puncture on the A1 and had to phone a tyre company to come and help.
They asked for a postcode which is a bit difficult on a main road. When I explained this they asked the road number , direction I was travelling and the nearest town I had passed. Surprise surprise they were able to find me .
It seems like laziness from the RAC call handler or very bad instructions from higher up.
If you couldn't give a road name they wouldn't come out. I had that exact scenario back in the 80's. I was on an unnamed road and they said they would not attend unless I could give them a name. Eventually I gave the name of the nearest road, and waited there. When they turned up I directed them to go to the car.Not everyone carried maps and even less people could give coordinates from them.
I had a puncture on the A1 and had to phone a tyre company to come and help.
They asked for a postcode which is a bit difficult on a main road. When I explained this they asked the road number , direction I was travelling and the nearest town I had passed. Surprise surprise they were able to find me .
It seems like laziness from the RAC call handler or very bad instructions from higher up.
Rather annoyingly they also insisted on sending a van first, even though the car was undrivable
Why not buy a cheap battery powered (rechargeable) Tom Tom (or cheap Chinese knock off stand alone sat nav) Don’t require an internet connection. Don’t need a subscription. You don’t even need to turn it on unless you break down somewhere.
Just make sure it’s charged up.
Although why you don’t just buy a cheap as chips used android smartphone. Use your internet at home to download offline maps. I don’t think you would even need a sim card in it. Just turn it on select the app. Wait for the gps to lock. Hey presto.
Just make sure it’s charged up.
Although why you don’t just buy a cheap as chips used android smartphone. Use your internet at home to download offline maps. I don’t think you would even need a sim card in it. Just turn it on select the app. Wait for the gps to lock. Hey presto.
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