Roadside Assistance - Can i fight this?

System

arcon5 wrote: »

well considering vehicle breakdowns can be hazardous to other motorists, i'd consider it necessary not teach learners how to a) maintain a car b) ensure it is safe to drive.

being able to check/change lightbulbs may not be a necessity to driving a car -- but it your break lights are out because you don't know how to change them then there is a good chance of causing an accident.

Thats what an MOT is for. I realise they are not perfect but it is a yearly check to ensure your car is safe to drive.

If they included these skills in tests it would be funny.

"Do a 3 point turn"
"well done, now pull over to the side of the road and change the front tyre"
20 minutes later
"well done now reverse around a corner"

sarahjayne1977

Well i can say even though i know how to change a wheel, I will never doing it!
Why would i get my hands dirty when my hubby or RAC man can get dirty lol

Robisere

As an ex-workshop foreman, I find some of the comments here amusing, some frustrating and some positively ignorant.

Why should this lady be castigated because she cannot change a tyre? The blokes here saying that, probably looking at this from a bloke point of view, have no idea what "Abigail" does for a living. She may have worked in an office, or another completely non-manual work which would have given her no chance to develop the manual strength and motor skills needed to remove a wheel. As she says, that is why she buys breakdown cover. Fact is, her only mistake was to be unaware that she was not covered for this particular incident.

I have a very attractive daughter who is a teacher. When she began driving some years ago, I taught her to check oil and other fluids, change spark plugs and other service items on every car she owned. But I discouraged her from changing a wheel, because I knew that she did not have the strength/skill to do that.

Having said that, not all men are as super-talented, vehicle-wise, as they think. Some months ago I came upon a rather large bloke at the side of the road, with a caravan which had a flat. He had rounded-off the wheel nuts trying to remove the wheel, with the wheel brace from his car. Which was a different size to his 'van. I always carry a small selection of tools and was able to help him, but only because I have the ingrained skills, learned over years, to do that. The technique is one that mechanics learn over the first few years, a sort "jerk/bang/strike" that puts a lot of power into a short, sharp blow. I did this with a telescopic, long-handled socket that is sold by many Auto parts shops.

Point being: everybody has their own set of skills, from work and life. We are all different.

arcon5

An MOT checks the car is safe at a specific point in time..... it doesn't solve problems that occur between each MOT tests. For example, changing brake bulbs (which having a brake light out can result in penalty points -- according to the officer that kindly pointed out the defect on my car a while back). And since preventative maintainance is essential in helping prevent breakdowns which in turn can cause hazards.

Why does it need to be demonstrated during a test? It can be something that is required to be taught as part of a lesson.

arcon5

Robisere wrote: »

As an ex-workshop foreman, I find some of the comments here amusing, some frustrating and some positively ignorant.

Why should this lady be castigated because she cannot change a tyre? The blokes here saying that, probably looking at this from a bloke point of view, have no idea what "Abigail" does for a living. She may have worked in an office, or another completely non-manual work which would have given her no chance to develop the manual strength and motor skills needed to remove a wheel. As she says, that is why she buys breakdown cover. Fact is, her only mistake was to be unaware that she was not covered for this particular incident.

I have a very attractive daughter who is a teacher. When she began driving some years ago, I taught her to check oil and other fluids, change spark plugs and other service items on every car she owned. But I discouraged her from changing a wheel, because I knew that she did not have the strength/skill to do that.

Having said that, not all men are as super-talented, vehicle-wise, as they think. Some months ago I came upon a rather large bloke at the side of the road, with a caravan which had a flat. He had rounded-off the wheel nuts trying to remove the wheel, with the wheel brace from his car. Which was a different size to his 'van. I always carry a small selection of tools and was able to help him, but only because I have the ingrained skills, learned over years, to do that. The technique is one that mechanics learn over the first few years, a sort "jerk/bang/strike" that puts a lot of power into a short, sharp blow. I did this with a telescopic, long-handled socket that is sold by many Auto parts shops.

Point being: everybody has their own set of skills, from work and life. We are all different.

which just supports the argument that if basics of maintaining a vehicle was taught in lesson she's not necessarily be in this situation.

I can't see how anybody has made this into a male female thing either.

Infact I find your whole post to be very ignroant to what is actually being discussed in this thread!!

nearlyrich

I can't change the tyre on my car because 1 I can't lift the tyres they are huge and 2 it doesn't have a spare, just one of these cans of stuff you put in, the last three times I have needed to have a tyre changed the original tyre has shredded so not sure what I would do if it happened now, thank goodness for the breakdown warranty ...

System

arcon5 wrote: »

An MOT checks the car is safe at a specific point in time..... it doesn't solve problems that occur between each MOT tests. For example, changing brake bulbs (which having a brake light out can result in penalty points -- according to the officer that kindly pointed out the defect on my car a while back). And since preventative maintainance is essential in helping prevent breakdowns which in turn can cause hazards.

Why does it need to be demonstrated during a test? It can be something that is required to be taught as part of a lesson.

Because as with everything if its not tested it will not be done. Also it seems slightly harsh that a driving instructor would have to also know and teach mechanics.

Interestingly i was just chatting to my mate (who is a driving instructor) and he says that they ask you 2 questions at the start of the test about this sort of thing e.g. they ask you to show how you would test your brake lights. However although they expect you to have the ability to press brake and get someone to check the light comes on, they don't expect you to fix the problem if the light doesn't come on!

And they certainly don't expect you to be able to change a tyre!

System

arcon5 wrote: »

which just supports the argument that if basics of maintaining a vehicle was taught in lesson she's not necessarily be in this situation.

I can't see how anybody has made this into a male female thing either.

Infact I find your whole post to be very ignroant to what is actually being discussed in this thread!!

It also seems rather strange he refers to his daughter as "a very attractive daughter". Not too sure why her looks are relevant to this debate

unholyangel

goater78 wrote: »

But none of this is relevant to a driving test. A driving test purpose is to see whether you can drive a car safely and legally.

Part of driving safely and legally is ensuring your vehicle is roadworthy And as you pointed out in a later post, they do actually include basic car maintenance in tests now (have done since around 2002-2003 ish i think). Although perhaps standards are different where you are, it is entirely possible for a driving instructor to ask you HOW to change a tyre, how to check your oil, how to change a bulb etc..........I know this because these were the questions I was asked on mine. And although I do know how to change a tyre, i was utmost tempted to reply "call my dad/boyfriend/breakdown service".

Robisere wrote: »

A
Why should this lady be castigated because she cannot change a tyre? The blokes here saying that, probably looking at this from a bloke point of view, have no idea what "Abigail" does for a living. She may have worked in an office, or another completely non-manual work which would have given her no chance to develop the manual strength and motor skills needed to remove a wheel. As she says, that is why she buys breakdown cover. Fact is, her only mistake was to be unaware that she was not covered for this particular incident.

I have a very attractive daughter who is a teacher. When she began driving some years ago, I taught her to check oil and other fluids, change spark plugs and other service items on every car she owned. But I discouraged her from changing a wheel, because I knew that she did not have the strength/skill to do that.

Ooooh wow sexist/patronising much? I havent had a manual job either, always working in an office environment......but i still know how to change a tyre AND i am fully able to. You dont need brute strength. You just need to apply pressure in the right way at the right point. Motor skills needed to remove a tyre? Are you kidding me? Its common sense! No skill necessary. We're talking about a tyre, not stripping an engine! I'm not claiming women are as strong as men and it would probably be a rarity to have a woman who was stronger than the average male. But that doesnt make us weaklings!

unholyangel

CrazyRatLady wrote: »

I have stupidly weak muscles in my hands (sometimes I get defeated by food jars) but even I can change a tyre - it's all about having the right tools and using your feet, thus putting your body weight on it, to loosen the bolts.

Hit the edge of the lid with the blunt side of a knife or a spoon or fork or whatever. Do it a couple of times round the edge of the lid and it will break the air seal and the jar will open easy peasy

As i said above, its not necessarily about brute strength, its about applying pressure in the right way in the right place