roadside assistance Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Road Trip

Daun Thompson — Mon, 30 May 2016 17:34:39 +0000

Over 38 million people hit the roads this weekend for the Memorial Day holiday. According to AAA, over 300,000 of those people were going to have to be rescued because of low tire pressure, battery loss, etc. There would be absolutely no excuse for running out of gas, though, since gas prices are currently at the lowest in a decade! Following a checklist before blasting off, may save you some grief. If you’re OCD, you’re likely a step ahead of the rest of us. Here’s a quick checklist for your road trip.

• Get a car check up at a nearby mechanic. Ask them to check everything. Battery, tires, oil, wiper fluid and all other fluid levels, spare tire and brakes.
• Check to make sure your tire jack is intact and that a crucial part is not missing (I learned this the hard way, when I took my car to a mechanic and months later found that the crank down bar to lower my spare tire had been removed from my car. I had to replace it my own expense).
• Pack plenty of water and healthy snacks to keep you hydrated and alert.
• Keep a spare key with a passenger, or hidden around the exterior of your car.

Or, heck, just fly and rent a car. You’ll get to spend more time at your vacation destination. And you don’t have to worry about the extra expense and wear and tear on your own vehicle. Besides, there’s a reason why the most common phrase you hear in a car rental location is “Who cares?? It’s a RENTAL!”

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Road Trip – Comedy Defensive Driving School

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Blowing Out A Tire

Daun Thompson — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:29:25 +0000

Blowing out a tire has been, by far, the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me in my many years of driving. I suppose I should feel lucky that it was a rear tire that blew out, rather than a front tire. I have heard that blowing out a front tire can really jerk the wheel and is much more dangerous. When the tire blew, it sounded exactly like a shotgun. And it scared the crap out of me. Unfortunately, when you blow a tire, you are usually on a freeway, driving at a high speed. And, from my experience, it’s just more unfortunate luck that it’s at night and you’re by yourself. And every serial killer comes out of the woodwork to help you change that tire. I called roadside assistance, locked all of my doors and rolled up my windows. But I left my driver side window rolled down just a smidgeon, so I could communicate with someone when they approached the car. But, not enough that they could reach inside my window and throttle me. A few good Samaritans did stop to rend assistance. And I felt like a jerk, talking to them through the slightly cracked window “Thanks for stopping to help, but I’ve already called roadside assistance.” What I really wanted to say is “Didn’t I see you on Craigslist?”

It only took roadside assistance 25 minutes to arrive. But, at night, in girl years, 25 minutes is an eternity. In Texas, there is an 800 number on the back of your driver’s license that you can call for roadside assistance and emergencies. And, the best thing is, it’s free. It’s offered to anyone who has blown out a tire or run out of gas on Texas highways. But you actually have to be on the highway to use it. You cannot be on a ramp or access road.

The other frightening thing about being broken down on the side of a freeway was that every time a large truck would pass by, my car would shimmy. And that was also a frightening feeling. I remembered hearing that, if you break down on either shoulder, you shouldn’t put your hazard lights on. But, rather, you should put your signal light on. As if you were going to re-enter the freeway. Passersby may see that you have your signal light on and will be concerned that you may be re-entering into their lane, and may move over into the next lane when passing. In using the signal, there were significantly less vehicles passing right next to me at a high speed. That was a great tip that I am so glad I remembered. And you can pass that tip on to people you know.

If you have a car tire blowout, and you make sudden corrections or jerk the wheel at a high speed, you could roll your car. So, it is highly recommended that you follow these steps, should it ever happen to you. Take your foot off the gas, so your car slows down on its own, naturally. Grip the wheel (especially a front rim could really jerk the wheel). Oh, and change your pants. Because blowing out a tire will most certainly scare the crap out of you. I would recommend you put a spare pair of pants in the trunk with your spare tire. You’re going to need them.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Blowing Out A Tire – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Taking Care of Your Car Battery

Daun Thompson — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 17:52:24 +0000

I recently had the delightful experience of having a dead battery. Sounds easy enough, the car won’t start, it must be the battery. But, the real issue I faced was, I didn’t know if I actually had a bad battery, bad battery cables, a bad starter, a bad alternator or even something else. Perhaps I just had bad karma. I checked the battery water to make sure the cells were all holding water. That’s the first thing I thought, was that I had neglected checking my battery. I paid just under $100 for my last battery, so I really needed to take care of that battery.

Here are a few symptoms to pinpoint the problem:

If your car will not crank at all and you hear a clicking noise, which slowly fades away to nothing, it may be either your battery is dead/dying or you have bad cable or terminal connections. You can take the battery out and take it to a mechanic (which would be cheaper than having your car towed). Or, you can clean your battery cable connections with a wire brush (and I used a fizzy soft drink) until the connections are clean and then reconnect them and try it again.

If the lights are dim when you try to start the car, the radio does not come on and the windshield wipers don’t work, it’s likely a dead battery.

Most vehicles have a battery light somewhere on the dashboard that indicates battery life. If this light comes on, the battery is fairly new and holds a charge well when tested, and you’ve ruled out an electrical short, then the problem might be the alternator.

The battery, alternator and voltage regulator all work together to keep electrical components of the car powered properly. It can be costly to replace the alternator if the battery or regulator really are the problem. So have these three parts tested separately to find out which component is failing.

So, if you find your car won’t start, keep your fingers crossed. Hopefully it’s just a dead battery. Taking care of your car battery, will take care of you.

Until next week.

Daun T
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Take Care of That Battery from ComedyDefensiveDriving.com

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Vehicle Maintenance – Tire Pressure

Daun Thompson — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:14:02 +0000

Vehicle Maintenance – Tire Pressure

Tire Pressure, Tire Pressure, Where Art Thou Tire Pressure! I know only too well the results of not keeping your tires in check. Not only will keeping your tires filled with the required amount of air (or helium if you drive a smart car) help you to maintain better fuel efficiency, it could keep you from having a mishap. I blew out a tire not too long ago. And, I must admit, it was the scariest thing that has happened to me since I started driving. My dad taught me how to drive…which was not a good thing since he was a drunk driver. So I learned to weave and drift across 3 lanes just like him. He’d set his beer can smack dab on the middle of the dashboard and say “Now line that up with the edge of the road.” Then he’d climb over into the backseat and pass out.

I learned to drive when I was 8 years old. And with all of the experience I have, nothing could prepare me for blowing out a tire. In my experience, if you don’t have your music up too loud, you can hear the tire blow. It sounds exactly like a gunshot. And it scared the crap out of me. The first thing I thought was “Who is shooting at me??” Then the car started to shimmy and I realized I had blown out a tire. Thank God it wasn’t a front tire, because I hear if you’re driving on that front rim, it could really jerk the wheel. Also, in my experience, I discovered that usually when you blow out a tire, you are doing freeway speed, which is very inconvenient. And, you’re usually by yourself and its night time. And every serial killer comes out of the woodwork to help you change that tire. I’ve seen those windscreens that you can put up in your rear window that say “CALL 911.” I wished I had one that said “DON’T STOP TO HELP…I’VE ALREADY CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE.” I felt bad because, here in Texas, there are good ole boys with good old-fashioned manners. So, of course, several of them stopped to help a woman in distress. I’ve seen horrific things on the news, so I was not taking any chances. After all, it was dark outside. I had all of my doors locked and my driver-side window rolled down just enough that I could communicate but not have someone able to reach in and throttle me. I felt bad mostly because they’d pull up behind me and risk their own lives by squeezing between my car and the semi trucks flying by, just to get to my window. Where I told them, apologetically, “Thanks for risking your life to help, but I have already called roadside assistance and they are on their way.” When, what I really wanted to say was “Didn’t I see you on Craigslist?” Like the Craigslist killer was out there changing tires.

Here’s what you can do to keep those tires inflated and in tip-top shape. Purchase a tire pressure gauge. One should only cost a few dollars, but don’t get a cheap one that may stick or show an improper reading. Most gas stations will have an air hose you can use for just a few quarters. The PSI (i.e. pounds per square inch) requirement should be stamped on the sidewall of the tire itself. Or, inside the car door, there may be a sticker that notes what the actual PSI recommendations are for your type of car. You should try to check your tire pressure when the tires are cold. Use the air gauge to check your tire’s pressure. If it is low, fill it with the air hose a little at a time and keep re-checking it with the tire gauge until it is at its appropriate level. Don’t over-inflate your tires. If this happens, you can use the tire gauge to let air escape…just enough to its recommended level. While under-inflated tires cause wear on the outside of the tire and are actually a driving hazard, over-inflated tires will wear out more quickly and can cause a blowout.

Until next week…keep your ego under-inflated and your tires at their proper inflation.

Daun Thompson
Comedienne / Artist / Writer / Idea Mogul

Tire Pressure – Comedy Defensive Driving

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