I've started putting together my own car kit, referencing the various threads and other internet sources. I have some stupid questions, and I figure I'd rather ask them now than pay for ignorance later.

1. Almost everyone includes jumper cables in their car kit. How useful are these actually? It seems to me that in town I can probably get towing service in the time it takes to find another car/driver to help jump the car. (Am I overestimating roadside service?) Away from town, it would be a long wait before someone stops to help. Wouldn't a standalone battery jumpstart system work better? Or would that be an overkill? Also, how likely is a car battery to fail? I have ever seen this in movies. (Of course, I don't think I actually know anyone who carries a kit in their car, much less go through the trouble of putting together one's own kit, so maybe this is all a preparation exercise.)

2. Some people have both towing ropes and chains in the kit. On another forum I found people advising against using chains or ropes with metal attachments. If they snap in half while towing, the metal bits could do serious damage to the car body and anyone standing in the way. So why do some people have both in their kit? What are the chains used for?

3. What do you do with tea lights? I will include a flashlight and matches. But it seems that some people include this ancient technology for reasons beyond my ken.

Thanks for the help!

Da Bing