I've noticed this too, especially in rural areas. Had a similar experience last winter when my battery died in upstate NY—waited forever, and the updates were pretty vague. But honestly, I think it's less about AAA itself declining and more about the limited resources in certain regions. Contractors are fewer and farther between, so delays happen. Your suggestion about contacting customer service afterward is spot on. When I followed up later, they explained they'd had multiple calls in the area at once and only one available tow truck. They even offered a partial refund for the inconvenience. Definitely worth giving them a call to see if they can clarify things or even make it right somehow.
"But honestly, I think it's less about AAA itself declining and more about the limited resources in certain regions."
I get your point, but I'm not totally convinced it's just a rural issue. Had a similar delay last summer right in the suburbs—plenty of tow trucks around here, yet still waited nearly two hours. Maybe AAA's network or dispatch system isn't as efficient as it used to be? Either way, following up afterward is definitely good advice...worked for me too.
Had a similar experience myself, but it wasn't even about resources or availability. I was literally parked in a shopping center parking lot, tow trucks practically cruising by every few minutes, and still waited over an hour. Seems more like a communication or dispatch issue to me—maybe AAA's tech isn't keeping up with demand or something? I mean, if it were just a rural thing, you'd think urban and suburban areas would have quicker response times consistently, right? Makes me wonder if AAA's dispatch system prioritizes calls in some weird way that's not obvious to us. Has anyone noticed if the delays are worse at certain times of day or during specific conditions (bad weather, rush hour)? Could be interesting to track that...might shed some light on what's really going on.
"Makes me wonder if AAA's dispatch system prioritizes calls in some weird way that's not obvious to us."
Honestly, I've wondered the same thing. Last month, I got stuck downtown during rush hour (my car battery died...again 🙄), and AAA took forever even though I saw tow trucks nearby. Maybe they prioritize based on membership tier or something? Either way, I've started carrying jumper cables—cheaper and faster than waiting around.
"Maybe they prioritize based on membership tier or something?"
Could be, but honestly, I think it's more about logistics and timing than membership tiers. A friend of mine had the basic AAA package and got help in like 15 minutes, while another buddy with premium waited almost an hour. Sometimes it just comes down to how busy they are or where the closest available truck actually is... Still, jumper cables are always a smart move—saved me a few times too.
