Road Ranger to the Rescue!!!

Thursday, June 7, 2007

First, I have to acknowledge whatever angel who had me as an assignment today. I was a victim of the infamous debris on I-95. I was on my way to a mediation when I saw a car swerve ahead of me. As I'm fairly conscientious of the traffic around me, I knew I had trucks on either side of me and traffic behind me. In other words, hitting the brakes or changing lanes was not an option. I eased my foot off the gas, held on tight to the steering wheel and prayed.

Kaboom!!!!! The noise reverberated throughout the car. It took me a while to safely pull into the lane to my right and even more distance before I could pull off safely. Whatever was on the road, it ripped the hell out of my rear tire. I called my secretary to let the other side know what had happened and to call me on my cell for the start of the mediation. Then I was a good girl. I got in the trunk, pulled out the donut tire, jack and whatever the tool is for removing the lug nuts. I then pushed, pulled at the lug nuts without them budging a smidge.

So I next called my office's wonderful manager to ask which way I should be turning the lug nuts, and he said he was on his way. Mind you, temperatures were hovering in the high 80's and equal humidity. So with rescue on the way and being mindful of all the news stories of people killed on the roadside by disabled vehicles, I got on the other side of the barricade.

Just as the manager arrived, a tow truck pulled up: it was the Florida Dept. of Transportation's Road Rangers. Since we don't always appreciate what the government does, this is one thing the State of Florida does right. I never had such a more welcomed sight. In less than fifteen minutes the Road Ranger had switched out my damaged tire for the donut and sent me on my way. Get this, it's a free service.

I made my mediation and didn't actually get the aftermath shakes until I was driving home from the mediation. I know how lucky I was today. And the Road Rangers made a bad experience turn positive for me. Here's a link to the service:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Traf_Incident/rrangers/rdranger.htm


:) Carol