I'm one of those wives, and I want to defend myself. Plus, I bet that there are other wives out there like me. If it weren't for AAA and the kindness of strangers, I probably wouldn't be here today trying to learn about being more prepared.

Yes, if I had a problem with my car, I'd call DH and possibly AAA before doing anything about it. I figure that I'm better off advising him of the situation and getting his advice before I start tackling the problem.

Yes, I've waited hours for someone from AAA to show up on a service call. I know it can take a while. That's why I would call before I start working on the problem. If I fix the problem myself, I can call again to cancel. If it turns out that I can't fix the problem myself, I don't have to wait as long as I would have to if I had delayed calling. Usually, I wait inside a nearby building.

Yes, I've once been stranded by myself on a freeway with a disabled car in the middle of the night in a bad section of town with no cell phone. I turned down help from a tow truck driver because I didn't have enough money to pay for a tow. I turned down help from another stranger because I didn't feel safe accepting it. I eventually walked to a pay phone to call for help. It wasn't fun, and I now take precautions to avoid a similar situation.

Yes, I've tried changing a flat tire, and I found that I wasn't physically strong enough to loosen the nuts by myself. I now ask the mechanic to hand tighten the nuts, but I still am not sure that I could change a flat tire in the middle of a busy freeway by myself with cranky kids in tow. I would rather entertain the kids in the car or a nearby building and wait for a tow truck.

Yes, I tried checking some fluid in my car once when I was driving myself cross country. I found that I wasn't physically able to get the cap back on, and waited hours for someone to help me. I still don't know what I did wrong. I haven't had the problem with other cars.

Yes, I don't know how to use jumper cables, although I do carry a set in my car. I haven't bothered to learn how to use them, since the cables have instructions printed on them.

Yes, I've found that when I need help from a stranger, it is more effective for me to act the part of a poor, helpless, dumb female. I figure that it's just another tool in my toolbox.

Now, before I get jumped on again, most of these incidents happened when I was a young college student, well before DH started trying to convince me to be more prepared. I learned from these experiences, although not as much as you guys might have liked. It takes more than a single incident to teach a person to be prepared, and she will never learn if you antagonize her and don't give her a chance. You catch more flies with honey ...


-Kuovonne

p.s. Thank you to all of those who help out strangers in need. The world is a much nicer place because of your effort.