The winter is by no means shying away from Chicago this year. As I slowly write this column while wearing my woolen mittens, I can only shudder when I think about what happened to poor Matt last week. You see, Matt is originally from East Texas, and has only lived in Chicago for a year - meaning that he has not been properly prepped for a Midwestern winter. While parking on Chicago's north side the other day, Matt ran over a nail that flattened two of his tires. What would the average twenty-six year old graduate student have done in this situation? He probably would have picked up his cell phone and called his local AAA auto club to come help him out, of course.
Would've Been Nice to Have Some Roadside Service
At this point in the story, I have to tell you a little more about Matt. Being the stereotypical hard-headed Texan, he never purchased an auto club membership. He maintained to the unforgiving public that he knew enough about his truck to fix any problems he might encounter without the help of any emergency roadside service. To his forgiving basset hound, he admitted that he was cheap.
Well, on that fateful freezing winter day when a certain nail had its way with two of his tires, Matt only had one spare in the bed of his truck. While I admit that he was a pretty good mechanic, Matt was certainly unable to conjure up a second spare that afternoon. He ended up calling for roadside service, and was told that without a membership, a tow truck would cost him hundreds of dollars. Ouch.
Now this is when the story gets more interesting. Matt called me and asked for help. I unfortunately was rather busy wooing a young lady over a couple of soy chai lattes, and never heard the phone ring. Since I was his only friend (those Texans can sometimes be a bit prickly), Matt was literally left out in the cold.
He either couldn't afford to spend the extra dough on roadside service, or couldn't get the idea of spending so much money on a tow through his thick head. Whatever the case, he was awfully cold when I picked him up three hours later.
Don't Let This Happen to You: Buy Some Auto Club Insurance
I'm sure you have already figured out the moral to this story. Auto Club Insurance should not be considered an optional purchase. Almost everyone will need it from time to time, and at approximately $50 a year, it's relatively inexpensive.
The peace of mind you'll get by knowing that someone will help fix your car wherever you run into problems is well worth that annual fee. Even if you're cheap, like my friend Matt, you'll probably end up saving money in the long run as an Auto Club member - and also stay out of the cold.
About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist, manager, and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.
