[JayJay]

I think the thing to realize is that AAA isn't really a tow company - they are a broker with a network of independent tow companies who contract with AAA to be dispatched over a specific service area. So a lot of the AAA experience is really that which comes from dealing with the independent operators.

I've had AAA for 45+ years, and used my parents' membership before then. I've not used AAA for the Model A, but have used it for my motorcycle. And for several battery jumps. Experiences have ranged from pretty good (picked up my son in the Mojave Desert and drove him and the car back to LA, then dropped him off at the airport to catch a flight) to mediocre (flatbed came to pick up my motorcycle but didn't have any ratchet straps to tie it down with, even after I specifically told the dispatcher to bring straps) to awful (waiting 3+ hours for a battery jump in the SF Bay Area on a sunny weekend day). And for the last couple of years, at least in California, you can't even get a real person on the phone when you call, all you get is one of those gawd-awful robo-voice things.

And AAA is pushing their contractors. There are a number of stories out there about AAA decreasing reimbursements while simultaneously making contractors purchase shiny new equipment, cutting down on the number of contractors which results in increased wait times, pushing direct sales like batteries, insurance and the like, etc. Yeah, I get it that it's a for-profit company. But they really haven't made the value proposition to me for several years - it used to be enhancing the driving experience, now it's all $$$.

Will I stay with AAA? Likely so, but grudgingly. I have the "premier" membership which allows up to 200 miles towing, because in both the Model A and on my motorcycle I like to get out into the boonies. And if I have to make a generalization, I think my experience with AAA contractors in less urban areas is better than in the dense SF Bay Area in which I live. Reverse supply/demand. (As an aside, I find rural folks in general tend to be more friendly than urban dwellers.)

Anyhow, my $0.02 worth.

JayJay