To think RAC should take less than 6 hours for vulnerable female driver?

[StridTheKiller]

Just that. Car broken down causing an obstruction on a busy main road at 1.00pm today.
I am a disabled lone female passenger which the RAC are aware of. They will apparently be with me by 7pm. I have been messaged every 30 minutes for the last 6 hours telling me they will update me in 30 minutes. I cannot wait in my car as it is causing an obstruction on a 50 mph road and is thus dangerous. My everything hurts, I am hungry, thirsty and busting for the loo.
AIBU to think this is an appalling level of service and to ask you which recovery service I should change to please?

Did you ring them back and ask why its so long but also what they can do to speed it up?

Does sound a long time for the circumstances.

That's terrible. Might be worth ringing the police on 101 to see if they can at least get you moved somewhere safer?

I personally wouldn't recommend either the AA or Green Flag because I've had awful (and similar) experiences with them.

The AA recently refused to come out to my car (which wouldn't start) as they'd already attended it in the day.

Which would be fair enough, but they hadn't, or not for a breakdown as I'd only used their battery fitting service, at exorbitant cost!

If you're causing a dangerous obstruction on a 50mph road the police would attend and have your car uplifted at your expense.

If your causing an obstruction then contact the police.

but as awful as waiting is they can only do what they can. Unless the on call teams are sat in the office enjoying a cuppa there isn’t much they can do

Have you called the police?

I’ve never had any problems with the AA , had them out numerous times over the years including being bought back to Kent from Worcestershire on a tow truck .

It's Sunday so I'm guessing not many are working. They don't have indefinite resources.

RAC are terrible- we had a really bad experience and they left us( Dh and 2 dc under 6) stranded on holiday with no car to get home!

Most of them are the same; there’s a shortage of recovery people and it’s a Sunday.

Have you explained that your disability makes you vulnerable? Sadly companies hear that a lot from people who want faster service so it may be that just saying you’re disabled isn’t enough, although it should be. It’s not unusual for there to be made up disabilities/twins/old people etc.

but I’d second that you need the police if you’re causing an obstruction.

If you're causing an obstruction you need to let the police know.

I got left for over 8 hours in the middle of a warehousing estate in a rough part of town, on my own by RAC.

I had to ask my friend to come and sit in my car whilst I drove hers to the nearest supermarket so I could go pee. Was 10pm before they got to me in October.

Indeed. But they're not exactly fulfilling their obligations here are they? Happy to take the money but supply a shit service that we should all just accept?

It depends what your disability is, I think. It’s daylight, you’re on a busy road, so less vulnerable than someone who’s broken down on the motorway with children. But if your disability prevents you from walking to the nearest cafe/toilet, then you’re not unreasonable.

I wonder if smart motorways have affected this. They'll defo prioritise somebody broken down on a live lane of a motorway that has no hard shoulder. And there's not even a caf you can pop into when stood next to the motorway.

This

I think that's a shocking recovery time regardless of gender/disability!

Your disability should put you ahead of the queue, I'm sure I read in here a while back that gender is no longer a factor. So maybe call them back and stress your disability?

This is a good point actually. Is your disability making you more vulnerable?

This doesn't sound good. ☹️

Have you made it clear to them that you have a disability and been explicit as to how that's causing a vulnerability? Some of these companies need it spelled out to them unfortunately.

busy main road at 1.00pm today.
I am a disabled lone female passenger

Are you the driver or a passenger?

Agree it is unacceptable. I wonder how much of the delay is caused by others that they have gone to attend where the breakdown was completely avoidable.

I hope it is not because Sundays have inadequate cover or there are sub-contractors used at other times of the week who will not work at weekends.

www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

Been with them 25 years and the longest it's ever taken was 1.5 hours. Every other call out was less than 40 min. I believe the guaranteed time is 2 hours max.

They don't have a fleet so use local contracted breakdown trucks.

Its £55 for the equivalent of the AA/RAC top package for two people, except their package doesn't include home start. The same from the RAC was costing us about £170, 15 years ago.

Been with them 25 years

That should be 15 years.

That's exactly the same level of service I had with the RAC when my car broke down last year. I eventually called my dh to pick me up after 5 hours and the RAC arranged to collect my car the next day🙄 then the next day they didn't turn up 🙄🙄

Total shambles.

Hope they rescue you soon.

Are you in a Motability car?

I had similar with the AA. My car burst into flames and I couldn't put the fire out. I had 18 month old DD with me too! Took them over 4 hours. They sent a van out to me, but he rang to say he was going off shift so would pass it to the next shift! It took them until 10pm... I'd rung them to say flames were licking up the windscreen at 5pm.

If my car was on fire, I'd ring 999 not the AA so I'm not sure what you expected them to do?