KYRA DAVIS: The Best Tow Truck Ride Ever

Today my car wouldn't start. A few days before my engine light went on so I was planning on taking my car into the shop regardless, I just didn't anticipate having to tow it in. Best laid plans and all that.

Anyway, a tow truck driver with AAA came to my rescue. His name's Joe. I'm not going to bother giving him an alias because Joe is such a perfect name for this and as for protecting his anonymity...well, I'm guessing there are other tow truck drivers in LA named Joe. Anyway, my mechanic is all the way on the other side of town so we had some time to talk. We started with the obvious topic, cars. He has a classic car which he baby's, particularly when he and his girlfriend (of five years) are having a fight. When tempers flare he just goes out to his car and starts washing and waxing and it calms him down. "It drives my girlfriend crazy," he laughs. "She thinks I'm giving my car all the attention I should be giving her during those times but what she doesn't get is that I can listen to her better after I spend some time chilling with the car." Then he added, "Relationships are hard, man!"

And I agreed emphatically.

At that point he told me he had bought his girl a ring, but couldn't figure out how to give it to her. So we spent our time on the I-5 planning out his proposal. When he got to the 110 he started quizzing me about my relationship. "I'm a guy, and I'm good at giving advice on how to deal with guys," he insisted. "So what's the deal? What's the good, what's the bad?"

So we spent our drive on the 110 and I-10 going over my relationship and he was right, he's good at giving advice. Then we pulled off the freeway and he said, "You look like a Starbucks girl, am I right?"

I looked at him with wide eyes and a sense of awe. Clearly this guy is, like, the next Nostradomus. "I am!" I exclaimed. "I am a Starbucks girl!"

"Tell you what," he said, "We'll drop your car off and then we'll find the nearest Starbucks and I'll drop you off there. You don't want to wait around at the shop, do you?"

"No! I'd so much rather be at Starbucks!"

And after dropping off the car we found a Starbucks. On the way he demonstrated how tight the turning radius on his tow-truck is by doing U-turns in small intersections with his flatbed.

At that point I was thinking this is the best tow-truck ride I've ever had. This guy was like a psychic Dr. Phil, and fun chauffeur all rolled up into one! And it all came with my AAA membership! It almost makes up for my car being screwed up (almost).

Anyway, it was an unexpected pleasure in the middle of an unpleasant errand. Not sure if it qualifies as a silver lining but it definitely made me smile.

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
The Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series,
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
And the upcoming J
UST ONE NIGHT erotic fiction trilogy!
Read the first few pages here!

18 comments :

UnknownFriday, December 28, 2012 at 6:15:00 PM PST
What a nice guy. So glad there was someone to put a smile on your face & day
AnonymousWednesday, January 2, 2013 at 1:01:00 PM PST
What a great story and definitely a silver lining!
StelleMonday, January 7, 2013 at 10:15:00 AM PST
Can ‘Joe’ be my tow truck driver too? =D He is such a sincere guy. Anyways, was your car silent when you turned the key in the ignition, or did it make a clicking noise? A car that wouldn’t start may be due to a faulty battery terminal connection or loose wiring connection. May I ask, Kyra, what’s their diagnosis on your car?

Stelle Courney
kyradavisMonday, January 7, 2013 at 10:45:00 AM PST
Fuel pump. It was NOT a cheap fix. But yes, everyone who has the misfortune of having to have their car towed should have the pleasure of riding shotgun to Joe the Tow-Truck driver :-P
kyradavisMonday, January 7, 2013 at 10:45:00 AM PST
Fuel pump. It was NOT a cheap fix. But yes, everyone who has the misfortune of having to have their car towed should have the pleasure of riding shotgun to Joe the Tow-Truck driver :-P
Tow Truck Dalby QLDMonday, January 28, 2013 at 12:59:00 AM PST
HI this is nice blog and thanks for sharing.
Dewey SetlakMonday, January 28, 2013 at 12:33:00 PM PST
“It was an unexpected pleasure in the middle of an unpleasant errand.”---Well, you must’ve been really lucky that time to cross paths with a really good tow truck driver like Joe. Haha! Someone like Dr. Phil, huh? Nice one! :’D I hope others, especially women would meet someone like him if they’re caught in a situation like this.
kyradavisMonday, January 28, 2013 at 11:16:00 PM PST
I definitely got lucky! Not so much with the car though...that cost over $600 to fix. But Joe was a major silver lining :-)
Alyson ShimmerSaturday, February 9, 2013 at 7:17:00 AM PST
Ouch! $600 for the repair? Add a few more dollars and you can pick from the selection of good quality used cars with that amount. Oh well, at least you enjoyed your tow truck ride and gained a friend. Joe sounds like a nice guy.
kyradavisSaturday, February 9, 2013 at 12:19:00 PM PST
Well keep in mind I live in CA. The average price of a 6 yr old used car here(in good condition) is $8500. For a ten year old car you might be able to find a decent one for $4500) so it would have cost me more than a few more dollars :-P And yes, Joe was awesome!
James DonovTuesday, February 12, 2013 at 10:22:00 PM PST
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I have a trinket for tow-truck rides and lifting machines too. They're really fun!
Clyde BethanyMonday, March 4, 2013 at 7:25:00 AM PST
Ah, the simple pleasures of a chance encounter. It's always good to end up striking a conversation with truck drivers that have a lot of stories to tell.
kyradavisMonday, March 4, 2013 at 11:26:00 AM PST
Well said, Clyde. :-)
Jasmine EnnorMonday, April 1, 2013 at 1:04:00 PM PDT
I remember when my pre-owned car got towed too. My brother and I were conversing with the driver before he dropped us off a mall nearby the shop. That was fun, he makes a lot of sense in every random topic we start. He even gave my brother some advices about his love life!
Daniel VanishMonday, April 1, 2013 at 2:07:00 PM PDT
Just one proof that being always outside and not being confine with the walls of the inside will certainly give you a whole lot of unforgettable memories and experiences. In which will certainly teach you a lesson.
kyradavisMonday, April 1, 2013 at 2:10:00 PM PDT
Jasmine,

I think we had the same tow truck driver! :-P

--K
Warren DicksonMonday, April 15, 2013 at 10:06:00 AM PDT
Always fun to have some quirky stories on the road. It makes me think of those stories about drivers striking a conversation with fellow drivers at a truck stop or where their vehicles break down (albeit this case is a bit different because it's between two different types of people).
Beatrice TaylorTuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9:50:00 AM PDT
Never knew that there are still person like Joe. Such a nice and sweet caring man, perhaps I should always request for Joe everytime I need the help of towing team. I enjoyed your story Kyra, hope something like this would happen to me too.