Do I Get AAA?

[Arlingtonrider]

I’m facing the same issue. My cousin strongly recommends a similar and much less expensive service offered through USAA. Will probably go with that and then write a letter to AAA.

[Greenbelt]

Washcycle deconstructs AAA’s latest propaganda yesterday. http://www.thewashcycle.com/2013/03/this-is-no-place-for-a-playdate-its-a-war-zone.html Before, they fought bike lanes; now they’re fighting developers who want to build transit oriented building with fewer parking spaces.

Shame the organization doesn’t just shut up and support drivers — they could do that without being so pro-sprawl and car-only infrastructure. After all, more bikes = less congested roads for drivers. Yes, transit/bike/ped lifestyles will equal fewer cars purchased, but will make life better for people do need to drive by reducing the numbers of cars on the highways.

[mstone]

I’ve had AAA for a while. I’m not sure it’s been worth the money, and I’m very unhappy with their lobbying. I’m looking at alternatives.

[americancyclo]

I’ve usually heard folks mention Better World Club when facing this dilemma. Does anyone use them?

[Tim Kelley]

FYI–AAA is a vendor and speaker at the National Bike Summit this year.

http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/12/sharing-the-road-yolanda-cade-to-keynote-national-bike-summit/

[mstone]

@Tim Kelley 45311 wrote:

FYI–AAA is a vendor and speaker at the National Bike Summit this year.

http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2012/12/sharing-the-road-yolanda-cade-to-keynote-national-bike-summit/

And if their lobbying efforts weren’t actively hostile to cyclist interests, I’d be impressed by that.

[creadinger]

We let our AAA membership expire last year. Mostly because we bought a much more reliable car, but also because of their anti-cycling, anti-transit stance. For the 2 years we had AAA, I think we used them to jump start our car one time.

It’s been my job to look into alternatives, but I’ve been lazy about it. Better World Club is pretty much the only thing I can think of though. In addition to their driver assistance, they have additional services for cyclists where if your bike breaks down out on a ride, they’ll come pick you up and drop you off at the nearest bike shop or something.

[Subby]

I think we have roadside assistance as an add on through our car insurance. I’ve used it close to ten times over the last 15 years and it’s always been reliable.

[Mark Blacknell]

@sjclaeys 45303 wrote:

Do I get AAA?

No.

[baiskeli]

@americancyclo 45309 wrote:

I’ve usually heard folks mention Better World Club when facing this dilemma. Does anyone use them?

We do. We haven’t really needed them for roadside assistance yet, so I can’t say what they’re like, but get this: they offer bicycle roadside assistance too.

http://www.betterworldclub.com/bicycles/bike_assistance.cfm

Even if you don’t need that, the fact that they offer it kinda makes it your perfect alternative to AAA, which is busy trying to drive you and your bike off the road instead.

[Terpfan]

I’ve had AAA for years because it’s sort of a recurring gift from a family member. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t used it many times over the years. The thing I liked about it was that it “followed” the driver so when I was with a friend and a car broke down/keys locked in it/needed a jump/etc, I would just say I was driving. Sometimes I even met friends places to help them get the free tow.

I’m not always a big fan of their stand on given issues, but they are the automobile association. So I don’t really expect them to lobby outside of that purview much.

I’m not sure they realize how many of their members are cyclists and I bet the figure if they did a poll would be very high. This is the sort of thing for LAB to take AAA to town on. Start a tumblr or flickr feed of cyclists holding up a AAA card and caption them, “cyclists question why their AAA leaves them behind” or something to that effect. It wouldn’t be too hard and should get them some earned media.

[DSalovesh]

@Mark Blacknell 45317 wrote:

No.

I love the inclusion of the AAA Bicycle program in the matrix. Really puts their presence at NBS in context.

[mstone]

@Terpfan 45323 wrote:

I’m not always a big fan of their stand on given issues, but they are the automobile association. So I don’t really expect them to lobby outside of that purview much.

Well, that’s the problem, they actively lobby against the interests of non-auto-users. It’s one thing to be in favor of building roads, it’s another to lobby against pedestrian & cyclist safety measures. For years they’ve put out that they want to work with cyclists, so if cyclists criticize them it’s the cyclists that are unreasonable. Of course, their pro-cyclist activities basically consist of trying to get people to wear helmets while getting their bike off the road.

[TwoWheelsDC]

DC’s War on Motorists
by Mahlon G. “Lon” Anderson
Managing Director, Public and Government Affairs,
AAA Mid-Atlantic

…recently the District government, and Mayor Adrian Fenty’s budget in particular, have made it clear that it’s war on motorists, and that’s a huge concern to us and our over 80,000 DC AAA members. The “war” is best illustrated on two fronts: the budget and the bicycle proposals…DC is moving aggressively to take lanes away from cars and convert them to bicycle ways (15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue for starters).

Sums up why AAA won’t be getting my money…

[Amalitza]

@baiskeli 45320 wrote:

but get this: they offer bicycle roadside assistance too.

Whoa. I did not know such a thing existed. Has anyone ever used it?

That would go a long way towards mitigating Obstacle #2 to my hypothetical future bike commute, if they’re reliable. (Obstacle #2 being an utter lack of public transportation options to get me home in the event of a mechanical/physical breakdown or unexpected severe weather outbreak halfway through the ride).

[Author]

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