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?

I'd much rather the 80yo was prioritised ahead of me. But no one should be waiting 6/12/24 hours, what's the point of a "service" like that?

Is there a reason you don't just leave? Leave the key in the car for aa, call a taxi, 'hi I'm beside the broken down car surrounded by cones' and go sit in a cafe somewhere? I can't imagine I would sit by the side of the road for over 5hrs.

I don't even drive though so I don't know if there is something I'm not thinking of?

Last time I called the RAC there was a 5 hour wait. I had 2 flat tyres and a cracked alloy so in the end DH came out and did 2 runs to Kwik Fit for me and I cancelled the RAC call. I later got a stroppy call from the RAC man asking where I was as it obviously hadn't been cancelled on their system.

Where would she go?

They had me down as a priority due to pregnancy and were with me within 10 minutes. 6 hours is awful OP.

Yes. Same here.
We've always had excellent service.
7mins was the fastest.
An hour and 10mins the longest wait we've ever had, and it is a fraction of the price.

We have been with startrescue for about 19 years now. Only had to call them out 3 times I think, and each time they have been with me in under 40 minutes. Really reasonably priced as well.

10 years not 19. Really should proofread

Live tweet it op.

Hope you are ok

Never breakdown on a Sunday. That happened with me in my Mums car. Tyre went. Rang them at 2.30. At 7.00 they admitted that they were unlikely to get there that day. I left the car and got a taxi home and started again the following morning.

That’s appalling OP. I’m going to cancel my RAC membership now you’ve told me that. Already left the AA because I heard they no longer prioritise women as vulnerable.

Where to go next…

I'd agree. An 80 year old man is weaker and less able to run away than a woman and also at significantly higher risk of stranger violence due to his sex.

Rubbish - most male on male violence is down to younger men attacking each other. 80 year old men do not routinely get beaten up by strange men. How many cases of that do you read? Whereas lots of women get raped (and murdered) at any age. It’s all about the context.

I’m sad about the routine dismissing of risks to women on this thread. I get why many women want, psychologically, to believe that they aren’t vulnerable, or that some men are more vulnerable than them, etc. etc. In reality lone women are at elevated risk of attack.

But honestly, this is a commercial service you’re paying money for. They ought to be able to provide a decent service to vulnerable driver. It’s not the NHS with only one ambulance and they have to choose to send their one precious vehicle between an elderly gent and a young woman. They’re a massive insurance company that make huge profits off what they do. They should be making a bit less profit and providing a better service, not cutting corners. (No doubt someone will be along in a second to argue that we must think of the RAC’s shareholders instead!)

Rubbish - most male on male violence is down to younger men attacking each other. 80 year old men do not routinely get beaten up by strange men. How many cases of that do you read? Whereas lots of women get raped (and murdered) at any age. It’s all about the context.

More cars get stolen every day in the UK than women get murdered every year. And guess which sex is the main victim of car theft and robbery in general.

Anybody who thinks a pensioner isn't an easy target only need Google "pensioner mugged" to see how often they're targeted. Women usually get raped by an ex partner or acquaintance and not usually by a busy main road. On the other hand, carjackings frequently happen at the traffic lights in built up areas as it only takes a couple of seconds.

I am not in the UK, and there is RAC here, but most people don’t have it as generally your normal car insurance comes with this assistance service and all insurers I know (some of which are the same companies as UK) work with local firms, so you really have to be quite remote to be waiting for several hours.

Dh broke down at the bottom of the slip road joining a dual carriage A road. He rang recovery and due to it not being a road side fix they sent a local recovery truck. He broke down just before 7am and was at the garage by 8am. Another time he broke down outside our own house rac came in 2hours I think it was and we was just outside our own house.

seems to be area dependant. We where told he would of been faster but it was a frosty morning so lots of cars battery’s had given up due to the weather.

Glad to hear they could help.

Hope you are okay @StridTheKiller

As a lone female travelling with kids to a holiday, when I broke down on the M5 on a busy weekend in summer holidays last year I was put to the top of the queue, and RAC were with me within 20 minutes (though they had warned me it could be 2 hours) I was very impressed. They towed me off, went to find a part for my car and had me fixed and on my way within 2 hours.