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Before I begin I was mostly an observor of this train wreck of a emergency road service call but it serves as a great example of how one little detail can cause a domino effect.

It started out so simple. A car was on the side of the highway on US Rt 35 by Smithville road. The right front tire had fallen off a Ford Taurus. The member was with the vehicle.

That last sentence turned out to be a lie. When the call came in I coded it to a station that is NOT assigned that service coverage area but often does it because we pay a better rate for being on the highway and they are relatively close to it and weren't busy AT THAT TIME.

Now the tow service has one of our remote computers at their place so when we send them the information over the internet they run it from there. A flatbed truck is dispatched fairly promptly, member called and informed we were on our way and station arrives on location.

Said future pain in the neck member is NOT at all with the car as stated on the ticket. This is mildly annoying because there is such a big deal made over being stranded on a busy highway. One wonders how the Chicago AAA members make it through a day--now THERE's a HIGHWAY!!! Ten minutes ticks by and the tow driver is getting antsy as other calls are piling up waiting for their turn in the spotlight. The member is called back.

She's still 15 minutes away.

Twenty minutes later she's on the phone to the calltakers frothing that the tow driver left her.
The station also refused to go back because their workload was escalating so we went to Plan B station. For some reason she ignores the remarks about her not being with the car causing further delay not seeing the point as to why THAT was a problem NOW in getting a truck. This is more common then you think. Members will tell us they are there because they hear our estimated ime of arrival and think it's etched in stone so they can take their time getting there. I always got around in my calltaking days by simply asking how soon can they be with the car after a callback. That sentence usually brings the words "Oh I'm already here" or "I can be there in 20 minutes." Problem solved and so simply.

So one wasted trip so far. One grumpy member toe tapping on highway. It's going to get better.

Partner Bob asked the driver (due to the missing tire) if a regular truck could handle it since that would be quicker. Yes--safer too as it prevents possible damage to vehicle getting dragged up on the flatbed. We preen ourselves with our obvious care for a fast fix and the next truck is sent.

To a very now cursing member who wants to speak to a supervisor about where her flatbed truck is--not this Tonka toy truck.

Two wasted trips.

Reasons stated for the regular truck fall on deaf ears and a hardened heart so THIS time we send OUR fleet driver in his flatbed.

Well guess who's flatbed can't reach up under and raise the vehicle up for loading?

A fourth ticket is created as we send our Fleet service van to give him a hand.

In the meantime our intrepid member discovers that running your heater in your friend's car while waiting for misfired service attempts (and probably listening to a radio) is a sure fire way to drain a battery.

You guessed it. Ticket number five.

Did I mention she bellyached so much she got all this for free. Well maybe not the jump start--didn't bother to look by then. Poor Bob he bore the brunt of it.

Now last night the Springfield Ohio State Patrol (OSP) called about a car broke down on I-70 in a construction zone (that never seems to be going away any year soon) needing fuel. I thought 20 minutes was a great response time. Officer Dispatcher A. for Adamant didn't think so when I called with the good news. I listened to his little speech about the necessity for getting this vehicle off the highway asap, blocking traffic and all as if he were talking to a cadet. He then made the mistake of mentioning maybe getting somebody else on his own initiative. This really got me in a devilish mood and I took a chance and figured I could get away with it.

"Well my guy will be there in 20 minutes, wanna race?"

There was a flustered mumbling and I know he could hear the smirk in my tone and the very slight edgy mockery as I know a thing or two how Springfied works after all these years. Plus if he really wanted to help his little trooper could drive three miles up the road and bring some fuel out so there.

I hang up. A short while later my guy checks in mission accomplished. I asked about the trooper on location and am told he never got out of the vehicle. No sign of any other tow truck either. Sweet victory!!! Only fly in the ointment was my guy took 27 minutes getting to the car (had to turn aorund on the exit I suppose.) so I didn't dare do a callback and say fast enough for you, how's YOUR truck doing? If THIS is the attitude OSP is going to have they are in for a rude awakening when winter really kicks in.

NEXT UP:: The Devil Child, My Babysitting Job and Almost Divorce and the Long Suffering Spouse's problem with honesty or at least her forgeting I only LOOK stupid.