Saved From Flat Tire Hell By The CVS "Samaritan Van"
Did you know that there was a fleet of CVS "Samaritan Vans" that patrol the highways looking for motorists in need of help? We didn't, until reader Danielle let us know she'd been saved by one.
Danielle says:
On Friday night around 5:30 I got a flat tire on a very busy Washington DC area highway. I know I should know how to change a flat tire, but I have roadside assistance through my insurance and warranty so I never worried about it. I called my husband who works on the other side of town and he said he'd try to come over instead of having to use roadside assistance, which would probably take even longer.
I waited for about 5 minutes when a CVS Good Samaritan van pulled up. The gentleman, Ernie introduced himself and got right down to business to put on my spare. He even apologized for being tied up with another driver farther back. He told me I could call my husband and tell him not to worry. 5 minutes later my tire was fixed and I was on my way. CVS only asks that you fill out a postage paid comment card. Because of this service I will definitely be shopping at CVS more often. Thanks to CVS and to Ernie, who helped me out of a jam on Southbound 395.
These random acts of kindness have apparently been going on for over 30 years, according to this press release.
Ernie is like a superhero. Hooray for Ernie.
CVS Samaritan Van Program Celebrates 30 Years of Helping Motorists on the Nation's... [Reuters]
(Photo:daquellamanera)
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Comments:
The Michigan Department of Transportation has these for when your car gets wrecked by a giant pothole.
I would freak the hell out if I were stranded on the side of the road, a van pulls up, and the guy tells me I can call my husband and tell him everything's ok.
Then again, I'm neurotic and have a fear of ending up in some urban legend.
A cool service, but yeah, I'd freak out if someone tried to help me.
Is it wrong I immediately thought that this is just some guy who wrote CVS on the side of his van in order to give some legitimacy to his predilection to helping people, rather than seeming like a weirdo? And like all the cards really goto his ex/someone who dumped him to show how great of a guy he is?
This is really cool. I am glad to hear it.
Danielle:
Please learn to change a tire. I'm not being sexist when I say that stuck on the side of the freeway alone is a very dangerous place for a woman to be (statistically, I'm pretty sure it's one of the most dangerous).
Cool
I wish someone like 7/11 would set up shop in the mountains somewhere on the way from Bakersfield to Los Angeles and offer roadside assistance. that would have really saved us when our car broke down about 70 miles from any town surrounded by mountains with no cell signal
@GitEmHomerJay!: I saw one of these on I-93 within the past month with the CVS name. Maybe it's changed back? I had never noticed one until then.
As someone who has driven on 395 during rush hour on Friday many a time, I have to say that this guy probably saved this woman's life because thems drivers is CRAZY.
@GitEmHomerJay!: Thress release says that they started it 30 years back with one van in RI. RI is where CVS started. I have seen similar services on the road though.
Why did the OP go to CVS in the first place? Everyone should know how to change a flat tire. Also the article is very sparse on details. I smell something fishy. OP is solely to blame for this.
And this country was founded on the principles of capitalism and free markets. CVS has no business bailing these people out. Survival of the fittest.
CVS wants a hand in every pie, is what this is. Mark my words, we are fast becoming a communist welfare state.. like Canada. See how big of a mess they are in. And with CVS "fixing" all the flats and pouring so much air into the system, we are at a very real risk of having hyper-inflation of tires by fall of 2009.
And this would never have happened if the OP used Linux.
@solidbrassfasteners: I see these guys in SW Ohio all the time. The vans are very well marked--not that some crazy skeeze couldn't be driving one, but it's definitely better than "some random chester-molester van" pulling up. I'd certainly have none of that.
@NYGal81: if your chest is the only thing that gets molested in a situation like that, I'd consider that lucky.
Not that I drive one of those random molester-mobiles or anything...
In unrelated news, I have free candy and I've lost a puppy in the back of my windowless white van...
@Parapraxis: "chester molester" is not molesting of the chest I don't think, it's just slang for a skeezy lookin molester van.
@MostlyHarmless: The sad part is I wasn't entirely sure you were being sarcastic until the second paragraph.
@RonDiaz: I thought "Chester Molester" was the full name of the anthropomorphic cheetah that shills Cheetos.
During rush hour in Southern California, a group of tow trucks patrols the roads to help stranded motorists. They're paid for by Metro transit. I haven't seen any CVS vans, but CVS has only been back out here for a few years.
@intellivised: Georgia DOT has these as well, and there were still the CVS vans roaming around (at least when I last lived there.)
I thought the CVS trucks started in MASS as part of settlement with the state over some sort of overcharging scheme and then they kept it up as it was good PR
@dohtem: lol, nope. not at all. I am not even overweight. And I havent had to wear a tie in ages now. And my job does not even involve linux at all. Thats a shame, but I make up for it by using it at home :)
@GitEmHomerJay!: If CVS is sponsoring the vans and the vans are only out there because there is a sponsor; I think it's ok to call them the CVS vans since they technically only exist because CVS gives money to the charity.
Otherwise it would just be a random act of kindness and those went extinct a loooooong time ago.
@WiglyWorm:
Yes, do this immediately. It's really not difficult to do, but you need to learn to do it right so your wheel doesn't break off when you drive down the road. ;)
Roadside assistance could take a long time to get to you, and there are some toll roads where private towing companies aren't allowed to operate.
These vans are the only reason i put up with cvs's price gouging. They helped my mom like 7 years ago. Her car broke down and they showed up and gave her a warm place to wait, a cup of coffee, and a post card while she waited for the tow truck to show up.
Everyone should have the basics to change a tire, but good luck getting that tire off if you had it previously serviced at a tire place. Those air-guns they use make sure you go back to them or anyone else with an air-gun. You won't be taking that tire off yourself.
I worked for CVS for a while and never heard of this service.
If I got stranded on 495 or 66 and some guy drove up to "help" me, I'd probably lock myself in the car, grab any nearby weapon-like objects, and be set to dial 911 on my cell before he even opened his door. God is that creepy, even in a company van.
Kindness is no doubt appreciated. However, I have never been a big fan of corporate-sponsored charity because I always think they do that simply to write down some taxes.
I live in one of the cities supposedly serviced by these vans and I have never seen one. I have seen plenty of DOT trucks helping motorists or going to an accident.
@Jessica Schwartz: in NC, we have IMAP vehicles (Internet Message Access Protocol. no wait, that's not right. Incident Management Assistance Patrol [www.ncdot.org])
@Jessica Schwartz: Great example of thinking of the name first, then contorting an acronym to fit. :)
CVS has to be one of the most unethical and worst companies I've ever seen. They must be sponsoring this to get more name recognition. I'm surprised CVS is actually involved in something that doesn't make them a lot of money. Generally they spend their time screwing medicare, medicaid, customers, and insurance companies to the wall.
There are a couple of these in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Often the WTAM traffic report will include "there's a disabled vehicle on... at... with the CVS Samaritan Van..."
@Juan Cantu: They're a bitch. It can be done, but not likely with the piece of junk that comes with your car. You'll need a real lug wrench for it, and you may have to jump on it to get the bolts cracked rather than using your hands.
@Juan Cantu: Also, telling a woman to learn to change a tire is great in theory...but how many of us gals can actually lift a full sized tire? I know, you can roll it...but mine's located in my trunk, so I would actually have to lift it out and get it onto the ground without it rolling away and me running after it screaming "stooooop!"
@Robobot: Yeah, I know. Especially on 495 because it's so busy that people don't necessarily look twice when someone is at the side of the road "helping" others.
This is why I have AAA.
@Phexerian: Okay, so lots of rich people donate a ton of money and host charity dinners - they're getting to hob knob but a lot of poor kids benefit. This is still extremely unethical? Their intentions may not be pure, but kids would get help.
CVS may not be in it to do awesome things and make the world better...but people are still stranded at the side of the road, and they may not have gotten help as quickly otherwise.
@solidbrassfasteners: Yeah, the first thing I thought when I saw that was "what a great premise for a serial killer novel."
If they could change your tire and bring you a couple of vicodin, now that would be a service!
... and Bank of America has lollipops at its' counters.
@pecan 3.14159265: yeah I sure can't though it would have been quite a sight to see me trying in my dress
I don't think its RUN by CVS. Its just sponsored by them. In the Boston area we had the CVS Samaritan van for many years. Suddenly they changed to another sponsors name.
Still, its a really cool thing.