Beware of this Towing service. Yes, they offer 24 hour service, good.They have great equipment. They are the "GO TO" service for this area's AAA coverage. I have AAA.
I had a lock-out service request. I asked dispatch to have the driver call me, he tried but service was too poor from where He was, thus unable to give him directions. (They use some navigational tool.)
I was waiting for them on our road, heard them coming and stepped out behind them, waving and calling but they were going SO FAST that they didn't see or hear me. They were in a towing truck with full bed for hauling off vehicles, not appropriate for a lock out!
With 3 homes in view they never even slowed down to see any home numbers or me. He blasted up our hill with excessive speed. Our road is a circle, fairly steep and posted as suggested 4x4 and ONE WAY; 10 MPH signs are frequent. I was waiting for them to return from the circle when they came back the same way they went up -ie wrong way - and also very fast, once again passing my house.
They did finally stop. Mike, the driver, got out and immediately began to shout at me about an encounter with a neighbor who ran after them to slow them down, but when they approached the downhill side, they stopped, backed up into an upper driveway to turn around. They nocked down a reflector as he drove over a water culvert, which with a heavy truck was flattened. (I didn't know this at the time). He called my neighbor a drunk maniac.
I explained to him that my neighbor is responsible for our road maintenance and the way Mike was driving was defininately not acceptable. I asked why they didn't stop to look at home numbers but Mike continued to RANT about my neighbor. I asked to to please not give me poor service because of something that I didn't do. His co-worker did unlock my car and hardly spoke a word, just did all the work to unlock my car while Mike did the paperwork. Mike asked me to sign his paper work and I asked him to be sure that the car was unlocked before he shut the door. My car was in a tight area, so when he was done, I was standing at the back end of the car, he did NOT hand me my keys. (Remember, I specifically asked him were the doors unlocked before he shut the door.)
I walked with them back to their truck. He then started saying that he'd be right back with the sheriff or police, to confront my neighbor. I was very upset about his continued verbal comdination of my neighbor - (who DOES NOT DRINK, ever )- calling him a drunk ape,etc.
I asked him to please relax about it, even telling him that he acts like this he will be a likely candidate for a stroke or heart attack! I was VERY upset by this continued anger & spewing, staying very calm. But, It never stopped until he left. He then ZOOMED off, ignoring my request for him to go slow.
Later that afternoon I went to get in my car, it was TOTALLY LOCKED! Unbelievable!
I was very upset. I waited until the next day to call again to AAA. I also spoke with AAA Customer service to report the incident as discribed. I requested to not have Mike come out. This time the person who came was in a regular truck, but did the same with driving fast, passing our house, going all the way up until, once again, turned around to return. Why? But, she was apologic for Mike, she had heard the story and said "He's not usually that way, he's usually calm." She did her job quickly and efficiently, handing me the keys - which she said was their standard procedure.
Shortly after these encounters, a concrete truck had an accident on our bridge, RidgeCrest came and did their work without any issues. Good job!
Now, last night a young lady came to take a neighbor from up the hill to the hospital, but on her way up, she slid in a ditch. She came to our house and called AAA for towing service. (We couldn't get her out with our truck). When the towing service called her back and got directions they asked if this is a private road; we told them that it is a private road. The driver then said that AAA doesn't cover private roads over 50 feet from a state maintained road. I verified this with customer service, though I had never head of this rule.
So, Interesting that RidgeCrest has been on our road numerous times, but now has singled out our road to not service when it's not convient? I've also know plenty of other occasions when AAA towing service has serviced areas more than 50 feet from a state maintained road. Do they really verify this every time someone calls? I don't think so. But, I guess it's useful to enforce when they don't want to come out at 11pm or have been reported for ugly behavior.
I'm disappointed by the this situation, and other need to know. Beware. read more
