There’s never a good time for a flat tire, but when you’re on vacation, out in the middle of nowhere, with kids in tow, you need to make sure there’s someone you can count on—especially when you have a ship to catch. Fortunately, Janet Dial’s been a AAA Member for years, but even she was surprised at how quickly help arrived.

“Last summer, my kids and I were driving from Stockton to Los Angeles to take a Disney Cruise we’d booked through AAA Travel. Having made the trip a number of times, I knew how much time to allow. But out on Interstate 5, right in the middle of nowhere, there were these huge pieces of lumber scattered across the highway and one of our tires blew out.

“As you can imagine, I was a bit panicked. I pulled over onto the narrow shoulder with these huge 18-wheelers whizzing by. It was not a great place to try to change a tire, especially with two kids in the car.

“So I called AAA, and I explained that we had this cruise ship to make. They sent a tow truck in no time at all. And I mean: Right. Away. The driver was very understanding, and I felt really bad for this guy, because he had to change that tire so close to the roadway. But he was a real pro. He quickly had the old tire off and a new one in its place. I kept asking him if he thought it was safe to drive, and he was very patient with me. I must have seemed like a nervous wreck.

“Anyway, thanks to AAA we were back on the road in no time, and we ended up making it to the Port of Los Angeles with just ten minutes to spare. I always knew I could count on AAA. And now my kids know it too.

“All the other passengers had already boarded the ship. And they literally pulled away the gangway right behind us. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more relaxed for the first few hours of vacation. I all but collapsed on deck seven.”