Yes

by Mo Bruce

Created on: July 12, 2009   Last Updated: July 19, 2009

Both my husband and myself have had full roadside assistance with the same company for over 12 years, and it's been worth every penny. We have what is called 'Personal Cover', which means that we can be passengers in other people's cars, and we will still be rescued. This service is U.K. wide, and is a set price per month, with no additional costs, however far from home you are. The only other thing you pay for are any parts to fix your car, and the cost of the fuel they bring out to you if you run out.

In fact, if a breakdown truck and mechanic don't appear within one hour, we get a month's subscription refund. Even better, being a woman, if I am travelling alone and break down, I have priority over others.

I have had a good old selection of cars over the years, from 50-year-old classics, to 5-year-old heaps held together with sticky backed plastic. The roadside cover has been my insurance that I will get home, with no additional cost.

Don't get me wrong, I do check the fuel gauge, and carry jump leads, but stuff happens. In one car I had, it was ridiculously easy to accidentally knock the lights on, and, of course, I did just that. In fact, I did this three times in one month. Good old Rescue got me jump started, and I was on my way. I have to say that to consider waiving down a passing car on some of those particular roads, and asking for a jump start seemed dodgy, to say the least.

Another car I owned ran out of fuel, I'm ashamed to say. In my defence, I had the car full of heavy tools for my work, and for the first time, a full to the brim fuel tank. It seems that the fuel gauge sender unit, not being used to this new position, had got stuck and didn't drop when the tank emptied. There is no justice in this world when you're left sitting at the side of the road, out of fuel, and the gauge reading quarter full.

My lovely Ford, perfect in every way, broke down on a snowbound road, when the gears stopped engaging. The rescue man appeared 40 minute later through a blizzard, and looked underneath the car. The gear linkage had snapped, having had a dodgy repair done to it by a previous owner. He took me and my car home, in a nice warm rescue truck cab.

Now you have to understand, that I have maintained my own cars and motorcycles from day one. I have rebuilt engines, replaced clutches, you name it, I've done it. So if I was able to fix a breakdown at the side of the road, I would.

It may appear that all you have to do is be organised, and keep your car maintained, but it won't cover you for the unexpected. The last time I was rescued, was last year. I drove 50 miles into town through torrential rain, just pulled up outside my destination, when one of my tires went flat. Out I got into the downpour, where I proceeded to empty the contents of the boot onto the pavement. I finally got out the spare tyre and car jack, whereupon I then failed to loosen the nuts on the wheel. Why? Because the garage that had fitted the tire had over tightened the wheel nuts.

My Knight in the Shining Breakdown Truck turned up, and could not shift these nuts with the standard socket bar, and he was a big man who was not short on the muscle. He had to use what he referred to as his 'special'. This was a piece of 3 foot long scaffolding pole, placed over the end of his wheel nut socket bar, and he still had to jump on it to release the nuts. All this, and he was soaked to the skin too.

There was no way I, or even my husband could have changed that wheel. So in my eyes, that one incident was worth a year of payments. I'm sticking to my Roadside Rescue, they've made my life easier in adversity, and provided me with a security when I'm driving alone, that whatever happens, they will get me home.

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