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?

The AA got out to us in the arse end of nowhere in Cornwall last summer in under an hour.

They also came out to my place of work in under an hour when I had a flat.

But they're quieter in the working houses of weekdays because there are generally less cars on the road.

Bollocks. You, or somebody else, would call the fire brigade.

WTF?

You don't call the AA to put fires out, you call the fire service!

I had broke down on the motorway and as a lone female driver with a young baby was classed as a vulnerable driver. The AA contacted the police who agreed to take me to the next services until the AA could attend my vehicle. The police picked me up within 10 minutes, although I appreciate of there had been a more serious traffic incident this would not have been possible. My car was fixed and towed to me at the motorway services within 2 hours. I really appreciated everyone's assistance that day and have been with the AA since.

The police attended and put cones round it and the fire service made me a cup of tea and were amazing.
It isn't a mobility car though I am in receipt of full mobility PIP and I rang them and they 'escalated' my claim (for what that was worth).

I read recently they no longer prioritise lone females because it’s considered “discrimination” against men. I do hope that isn’t true! 😞

Another vote for auto aid.

Apparently they no longer prioritise based on gender (rightly so, I'm not vulnerable because of my gender, I would rather they prioritised on safety issues, such a blocking the road) but your disability should still put you as a priority if it impacts your mobility.

They can contact local garages and businesses to step in and help them if necessary.You need to phone and keep phoning

Why have the police not attended? You’re causing an obstruction on a 50mph road…

They no longer prioritise women? I shall remember that come renewal time

@Isaidnoalready

They prioritise on vulnerability, not simply chromosomes. I'm not as vulnerable as an 80 year old man

RAC a few months ago left me for 4hours, 8pm - midnight, said 2-4 hours, my car battery went flat, police arrived thank god, tried to move me but couldn’t, at midnight police called RAC, demanded to know exactly when they’d arrive to be told 2am!

At that point they got agreement that RAC would pay for alternative tow truck and arranged for their contractors to be there within 30 minutes. I was a lone female at night on a cold night in the countryside. Felt very vulnerable. Wouldn’t use RAC again.

I use Auto Aid and myself and my family have made 4 calls over the last few years and the slowest was 1.5 hours - they send a local firm.

The RAC are awful. I broke down several years ago on a bend, in the dark and with 4 dc with me. Took them 5 hours. Swiftly changed to the AA and they have been fab so far

RAC wait times for men at the moment are up to 10 hours. I know of someone who was waiting for 13 the other day.

We broke down at 10am and the tow truck and courtesy car arrived at midnight! Luckily we were in a camper so had facilities and food on board. All through the day the RAC said they would be with us in 'a couple of hours'. As we were 300 miles from home we booked into a local premier inn for the rest of the night. It took 4 weeks for our vehicle to be returned to us (not repaired) and they kept nagging us for the courtesy car back. Eventually they begrudgingly paid for the overnight accommodation. It was an unexpected end to a lovely holiday!

An 80 year old man is vulnerable to rape if a strange man sees him alone by the side of the road, is he? (Not many of the 80 year old men I know are still driving by the way, though I’m sure some are.)

Why are there people on this thread claiming that “gender” doesn’t make women vulnerable? An elderly person might be vulnerable; but yes, so is a woman on her own with strangers driving past. It is perfectly possible that we could legitimately prioritise both.

I'm with Green Flag, TBF I haven't called them often but they've always been very quick when I have.

I've never been with RAC and I never will, since the time an RAC van hit me up the backside and they refused to help. I wasn't a member, but you'd think when they caused the predicament...

RAC are terrible at the moment, not sure if other recovery firms are as bad but recently a friends 17yo son was left 24hrs waiting for recovery!

But they can't. You have 1 RAC van to send out at 10pm, it's winter. There is a woman (for example, 30 years old) whose car has broken down and a man who is 80 years old whose car has also broken down. Who do you send it to?

can you get passers by to help you push it off the road? I have broken down today too. They update you every 30 minutes. Get something to eat, go for a pee. Find a cafe/pub nearby. Then wait until they are nearby to meet them.

I think a lone woman on her own of any age is more vulnerable than a 80 year old man on his own. If the AA has changed their policy on this we'll change our cover when it comes up for renewal.

@StridTheKiller
When you say you were a lone female "passenger", did you mean driver or did you have someone with you?

To the woman unless she is in a well lit, busy area and the man is somewhere on an icy country lane. However, I would expect the RAC to be large enough to cover both incidents!