Giving breakdown location with no smart phone

  • cooler's Avatar
    Folks,

    Breakdown cover.

    Had a close call last week, broken down motorcycle and didn't know the name of country road I was on. Luckily a postie turned up at the right moment.

    I have a good mobile phone but not smartphone. What is the cheapest and best way to be sure of my location? I love riding the back roads and moors and can see this as a real problem if I don't sort it.

    C.
  • 5 Replies

  • Beelzebub's Avatar
    In the olden days, when there were no mobile phones, this was a common problem. The answer was to walk to the nearest civilisation, where you could find a phone, and also check the location.

    Probably easier just to get a smartphone. It shouldn't cost much if you don't want the latest model, and there are always used or reconditioned ones around.
  • Santa's Avatar
    When I was working ad a driver, I finished a shift in the early hours of the morning in Worcester and my car wouldn't start. No problem I thought and phoned the RAC on my old Nokia.

    "Where are you," the lady asks.
    "I am in Plumb Centre's distribution centre warehouse car park," I reply.
    "What's the address?"
    "I don't know - it's pretty well known, a big warehouse."
    "Can you ask someone - a passer-by?"
    It's 3 am, there are no passers-by, not a soul and it's only warehouses around here."

    The conversation went on with her insisting that they couldn't help without an address, and me insisting that any locally based patrol would find me easily. Eventually, she gave in and the patrol guy arrived half-an-hour later to jump-start the car.
  • Motman's Avatar
    I was wondering that a few years ago when we were going to a rented cottage in the Peak District late at night and were going round the unlit lanes being directed but our satnav. It was literally "turn right on unnamed road and enter unnamed road...". I said to Mrs M, if we break down, we haven’t a clue where we are.

    Depends who you are with. We're with the AA and with their app, you can summons assistance from the app, no need to give location as they can locate you from the app and you can track the AA technician on their way to you too. Green flag does the same. Sadly, the RAC doesn’t have an app. As said, get a cheap smartphone.
  • Drivingforfun's Avatar
    I used to go driving in my 17 year old car without any phone at all. Not sure what I was thinking :eek:

    I agree with the above, there may be some kind of tracking device you could buy, but these days, a cheap smartphone would probably cost less anyway.
  • cooler's Avatar
    Folks,

    Thanks for the replies. Yes, I'm going with the cheaper smartphone.

    c.