I've noticed the same trend with AAA lately—it's definitely not just you. Regional providers can be great, but you're spot-on about coverage gaps. If you're frequently traveling interstate, those fine-print details become crucial... learned that the hard way myself once.
Gotta say, AAA might've slipped a bit, but they're still my go-to. Had a regional provider once—great rates, friendly folks—but broke down in the middle of nowhere and found out the hard way "nationwide coverage" didn't mean what I thought it did. Ever spent three hours in rural Kentucky trying to explain your location to someone who's never heard of the road you're on? Fun times...
AAA's fine print can be annoying for sure, but at least they usually know where you are when you're stuck. Guess it's all about picking your poison...
Had a similar experience once with AAA—got stuck on a dirt road in New Mexico, and they kept insisting I was on some highway miles away. Eventually got sorted, but makes me wonder if their mapping system's slipping lately...
"Eventually got sorted, but makes me wonder if their mapping system's slipping lately..."
Had a somewhat similar issue myself recently. Was out for a weekend drive in my '67 Mustang—nothing too adventurous, just cruising some rural backroads—and ended up with a flat tire. Called AAA, and the dispatcher kept insisting I was parked at some gas station miles away. Took about twenty minutes of politely convincing them that, no, I was definitely not sipping coffee at a Chevron.
Honestly, I'm skeptical whether it's just their mapping system or maybe they're outsourcing call centers now? Could also be outdated GPS data or something...who knows. To be fair though, once they figured out my actual location, the tow guy was friendly and super helpful. Still, makes me nostalgic for the days when AAA seemed more reliable and less...confused.
"Honestly, I'm skeptical whether it's just their mapping system or maybe they're outsourcing call centers now?"
Could be a bit of both, honestly. Had a similar experience last month—was out in my '72 Chevelle (nothing fancy, just a casual Sunday drive), and when I called AAA after my battery died, the dispatcher kept asking if I was near some shopping mall I'd never even heard of. Took forever to convince them I was actually parked by an old diner off Route 12.
Makes me wonder if they're relying too heavily on automated location systems or outdated maps? Maybe their software isn't syncing properly with newer GPS data...or maybe they're just understaffed and rushing through calls these days. Either way, it's definitely not as reassuring as it used to be.
Still, like you said, once they finally got the location right, the roadside guy was great—friendly and knew exactly what he was doing. But yeah, kinda miss the days when calling AAA didn't feel like playing a game of "guess where I'm stranded today."
