Do I Get AAA?

[consularrider]

Townsend’s comments just show who is the real “ninny.” I give Alpert two big thumbs up! What I get most upset about with AAA is that they can be counted on to whine about traffic camera enforcement whenever a reporter needs a comment. Instead they should be telling their members to obey the law! 😡

[dasgeh]

Can we create a scheme “to expand bike lanes until they consume the whole road”? At least in Georgetown?

[thucydides]

Let me see if I’ve got this right. The Public & Government Affairs Manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic just associated the Klan with someone over a policy disagreement. This is not some overwrought Jethro-blogger but very much the public-affairs face of the AAA in the region. I realize that he didn’t directly call Alpert a Klansman, but the juxtaposition is completely outrageous. And then the pathetic pseudo-macho posturing, “ran…like a schoolboy.” Does the national AAA organization have any idea how much self-inflicted damage this guy is causing? I’d fire him in seconds. Perversely he’s probably good for our side of the argument.

[sjclaeys]

As the person who started this thread and for what it is worth, the response to my question certainly convinced me to not get AAA.

[dasgeh]

OT (though inspired by the article): Why didn’t the name “Brutalist architecture” tip people off to the fact that this maybe wasn’t the most pleasant design for buildings?

[dasgeh]

In case anyone cares:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-opinions-are-local/post/aaas-sorta-apology-to-david-alpert/2013/04/19/40b18a08-a911-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_blog.html

(Kudos for Martin for being in the Post)

[KLizotte]

Wish this program were available nationwide by AAA.

Posted 5/2/14:
Cyclists, rejoice: AAA Colorado has expanded its roadside assistance program to cover bicycles, which means members whose bikes break down during a ride can now call for help.

Under the expanded program, AAA will retrieve members and transport them and their bikes to the destination of their choice for no extra charge , AAA Colorado spokeswoman Wave Dreher said.

The service does not include bike repair, but Dreher said Colorado AAA staff members have been trained in bike handling.

Dreher said a normal response time is about 30 to 45 minutes. A service vehicle will meet the caller “at a trailhead or on a publicly traveled road.”

Christine Benetti, AAA member and operations supervisor at Bicycle Village on 28th Street, said she would use the service if necessary.

“It’s an important skill to be able to fix a flat tire or other easy fixes when you’re a cyclist,” she said. “Obviously, things happen that you can’t fix right on the road, and I think this service is good for that. It’d be cheaper than getting a taxi or a bus ride if you’re stranded.”

Read more: AAA Colorado covers bicycles in roadside program – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_25680166/aaa-colorado-covers-bicycles-roadside-program#ixzz332pMcE41
Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
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[Mikey]

@dasgeh 49487 wrote:

Can we create a scheme “to expand bike lanes until they consume the whole road”? At least in Georgetown?

I know this an older part of the discussion, but we should have a bike travel lane and a bike passing lane right?

[jrenaut]

Better World club covers bikes, too. And they actually advocate for things that would be good for society.

[peterw_diy]

@dasgeh 49773 wrote:

In case anyone cares:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-opinions-are-local/post/aaas-sorta-apology-to-david-alpert/2013/04/19/40b18a08-a911-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_blog.html

“It was never Mr. Townsend’s intention to be insulting”

Holy shit. What does he say when he means to be insulting???

[Terpfan]

@jrenaut 86863 wrote:

Better World club covers bikes, too. And they actually advocate for things that would be good for society.

I have to admit I kind of giggled aloud when I read “eco-minded auto club.” Makes me wonder if some of the bicycle-related groups have thought about offering something similar for a tack on price? I mean, I would be willing to shell out similar amounts on top of my annual membership to WABA or something similar for this kind of service. Even more if they could do minor roadside repairs.

[Arlingtonrider]

USAA has a similar and in some respects better program (e.g.,towing distance) available for around $14/yr if you’re a USAA member or eligible to become one through some link to the military.

[fongfong]

Late to this party.

If you want to join AAA, you are forced to join AAA mid-Atlantic. Each AAA chapter is different, and each one sets their own policies for things like local lobbying and bike service. Yes, if you are a member of AAA NY and you break down elsewhere, they will help you out with roadside assistance, but do not mistake the local chapters for one another. And the national organization has its own policy arm. Here is the list of the spokespeople for each chapter: http://newsroom.aaa.com/for-media/local-media-contacts/

So for me, the bottom line is that I would never give a penny to AAA mid-Atlantic until they stop with their anti-bike rhetoric. Getting rid of Townsend would also be required. That, and provide assistance to cyclists. But until they do this, they can pound sand.

I once asked the other spokesperson to name for me one bike lane project in DC that AAA supported. This was at last year’s National Night Out where AAA shows up at the local DC police station. It took him a long time to answer, and he said he supports cyclists etc. But could he name one bike lane? Finally, he mentioned that AAA supported the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lane. I thought this rich since they opposed the first several iterations of the lane and protested its very existence.

[thucydides]

@jrenaut 86863 wrote:

Better World club covers bikes, too. And they actually advocate for things that would be good for society.

Does anyone here have experience with Better World?

[JustinW]

I won a one-year Better World membership last year thru the National Bike Challenge. Have not had to use it in any way, but I do look at the monthly emails that they send that do indeed convey a sense that the company is progressively focused and at least talks a good talk.

[Author]

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