Path: utzoo!mnetor!geac!torsqnt!tmsoft!mason From: mason@tmsoft.uucp (Dave Mason) Newsgroups: tor.general Subject: CAA maps & Books (Was: Tourist mis-information) Message-ID: Date: 6 Feb 90 19:15:45 GMT References: <1990Jan12.010029.19025@mcmi.uucp> <385@sickkids.UUCP> <1990Jan29.235112.9014@eci386.uucp> <33817@watmath.waterloo.edu> <1990Feb5.155733.23725@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca> Reply-To: mason@tmsoft.UUCP (Dave Mason) Followup-To: tor.general Distribution: tor Organization: TM Software Associates, Toronto Lines: 52 In article <1990Feb5.155733.23725@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca> howard@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Howard Lem) writes: > You must be talking about the 'triptiks' ?sp) here. I agree, but it's used >only to get you from one place to another. I use them to get from one >major centre to another. When you get there, you should use local maps. Triptiks can be useful. We've gotten them a couple of times. Once it worked out really well. The other time they weren't very helpful. >>- If your car ever breaks down and you need assistance getting it started >> or towed, that will more than pay for the annual fee. > Agreed, CAA membership is a very good deal. Much better than most/all >of the other auto clubs. I've been considering complaining about the recent set of radio ads which feature a CAA operator saying something like: ``CAA... can we help you'' ...(describing a breakdown) ``Yes sir, we'll be right there'' *I've* tried their breakdown service twice. The first answer was more like: ``CAA... hold please'' ...MANY seconds ``Yes, may I help you'' ...describe the problem ``OK, we'll send out a truck, but it will be a couple of hours'' ...frustration, followed by a 2.5+ hour wait. This wasn't in the middle of a snow storm or anything, it was a fairly pleasant June evening. It wasn't in the middle of no-where, it was at Eglinton and Bayview.... The second time was in Newfoundland! ...OK, we need a tow, let's call CAA. There's a listed number for CAA in St.John's so we call it: ``Sorry this number is not in service'' ...A call to directory service gets another number, but no answer on that number! So the ``Atlantic Canada'' AAA book (which CAA gives out and is not terribly helpful, but then I'm a Maritimer, so it's natural that I would find it rather sparse on information.) says, ``when all else fails, call this 800-number'' We call them, find them quite unhelpful, they give a recommended garage or 2 (for the whole province!) But they're no help. Eventually we find a towing company who can handle our car (we need a flatbed rather than a tow - the car is a 68 Lotus Europa) and everything works out fairly well. CAA did reimburse us for the tow charge. This was all ~15:00-19:00 on an August evening on the Trans-Canada. However it was definitely cheaper to have CAA+, we had $120+ of tows in one year (give me a break, I'm rebuilding the car :-) for our $50 or whatever membership. ../Dave