You may remember a few weeks back you posted my blog about being stuck on I-25 in Wyoming and the dismal failure that was Verizon Roadside Assistance. I thought I'd drop you a line and give you an update.

I just got off the phone with a Latrina Jackson, she called to apologize for the troubles I had that day. Apparently someone high up at Verizon Wireless reads The Consumerist. Based on that blog, they have reviewed the call tapes and according to Ms. Jackson, "That call did not go the way it was supposed to." She claims the operator I spoke to that day is no longer taking calls and is being put through their training program again.

In an attempt to make me feel better about the whole ordeal, they took my mailing address and are issuing a check to cover the cost of the fuel delivery. This was way more than I was expecting. I don't know if you guys post updates on these stories, but perhaps your readers would like to know that while I still consider the words, "Can I connect you to Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" a death threat, but at least they can admit when they made a mistake.

Congrats, Jason! We're glad that Verizon Wireless stepped in to make things right, and that they're retraining the CSR who failed to grasp the meaning of "roadside assistance."

Here are the morals of this story:

1. Never EVER travel without extra fuel.

2. If someone ever says to you, "Can I connect you to Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" They are making a direct threat on your life.

So yesterday I drove from my home in Casper, Wyoming down to Loveland Colorado. Its about a 250 mile drive South down I-25. I was driving a 2003 GMC Yukon XL. I passed Chugwater Wyoming at about 11:00, checked the fuel gauge and decided that half a tank should get me into Cheyenne, 45 miles away.

23 miles later the needle of the fuel gauge finally unstuck and dropped to E in about a second and a half. Then the car sputtered and died. I was out of fuel with no sign of civilization for 23 miles to the North and 22 miles to the South. I raised my hood, hoping that some kind soul would stop and perhaps offer a ride.

I had been in and out of cellular service for the last two hours. In that time my phone was trying desperately to find a signal, which drains the battery at a horrendous rate of speed. I had one bar left on the battery so I went looking for my car charger. I didn't bring it. I don't know anyone in Cheyenne, so I dialed 411. The operator answered and I asked her for a tow truck in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She said to me, "Can I connect you with Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" I said, "Why yes you can, I didn't know Verizon offered Roadside Assistance."

So she connects me. I spent the next 15 minutes punching in my credit card number, my phone number, the last four digits of my SSN etc. etc. etc. Then I finally get a live person on the phone to help me. Goes like this:

Her: Thank you for calling Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance, how can I help you?
Me: Hi, I'm out of fuel on I-25 23 miles North of Cheyenne, Wyoming next to mile marker 30. Can you send some fuel out?
Her: I can help you with that, are you in a safe place?
Me: I'm on the shoulder of I-25, I'm pretty safe.
Her: Ok, where exactly are you?
Me: .... Interstate 25 southbound, mile marker 30, 23 miles north of Cheyenne Wyoming.
(No shit, this was her next question.)
Her: Are you at home?
Me: What? No, I'm next to I-25 in the middle of nowhere.
Her: Could you meet someone at your home?
Me: Are you serious? Lady, I'm broken down in the middle of the prarie here!
Her: I understand sir, is there a mile marker or an exit near you?
Me: Yeah, like I said, I'm at mile marker 30.
Her: Ok, is there a town nearby?
Me: Yeah, Cheyenne is 23 miles away.
Her: Ok, what is the zip code there?
Me: How the hell would I know the zip code of Cheyenne Wyoming?
Her: Sir, I can't do anything without a zip code.
Me: Can't you look it up somehow?
Her: Please hold.

Fifteen minutes go by, my phone is beeping its battery death rattle in my ear.

Her: Sir? Are you still there?
Me: Yes I am, but my phone is about to die, is someone on the way?
Her: I can't find a zip code for Cheyenne. Oh, wait, let me try this one....

I'm on hold again. Three minutes pass.

Her: Sir, what sort of service do you need?
Me: I don't care, send a tow truck, or a locksmith or a taxi or anyone that will bring me fuel!
Her: ok....

My phone dies.

So I figure she's got someone on the way and I wait. Its 12:30pm at this point in time. I took some pictures to pass the time.

I also picked up some of the bottles and cans from the roadside, carried them a few hundred yards off the road into an empty field and had a little target practice.

Four hours pass. No help has arrived. Finally, someone stops, this is the first time since I've been there. He let me use his phone, I called my voicemail. I had a message from the Roadside Assistance bitch that went like this;

"Sir, I was unable to find any services in Cheyenne. Thank you for calling Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance, have a good day."

She left me to twist. A 12 hour walk in any direction, she knew full well that I couldn't call anyone else, she just left me out there.

I then called 411 again and asked for a tow truck. The operator said, "Can I connect you to Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" I told her to go have sex with herself in a tirade of swearing that can only be described as Yosemite Sam uncensored.

One hour later Doug's Towing from Cheyenne was there, he collected $150 and I was back on the road.

"Verizon Wireless left me to die. With pics!" [AR15.com]

Here's a Washington Post article about consumers who aren't able to fill their gas tanks for the usual (former?) "pay at the pump" limit of $75.

One expert explains:

The average station makes a profit of $60 at the pump per day, says Jeff Lenard, a spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores. "It's not uncommon to lose money selling gas. So the idea of losing $20 or $50 [in charge backs] is too much."
...
Stations "are faced with two bad options — allow the pump to go beyond $75 and risk not getting paid . . . or take a customer from frustrated [with gas prices] to outright anger," Lenard said.

At the Pump And Past The Limit [Washington Post]

• Myth 1: Buying is cheaper than leasing — as a rule, this is usually true only if you "keep a car well past the day the loan is paid off (or you paid cash to begin with)." If you trade in the car before the loan is paid off, leasing may be a cheaper route.
• Myth 2: It's nearly impossible to negotiate a good buy — in fact, you can negotiate a better deal if you learn some of the basic terminology (like capitalized cost, money factor and residual value) and ask the dealer to show you several deals from different banks.
• Myth 3: Only businesses get tax breaks — Solheim says individuals can get them, too: "In most states, you pay sales tax only on the monthly payments, not the sale price of the vehicle." The exceptions: Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, and Virginia.
• Myth 4: You may have to pay hefty fees when turning in the car — Solheim just says that you can negotiate a higher monthly fee for a larger mileage limit if you need it "and still save money."
• Myth 5: If you want out early, you're stuck — there are now websites where people who want out of leases early meet up with people who want short term lease, so everybody wins!

"Five Myths on Leasing a Car" [Kiplinger]
(Photo: Getty)

Merola said the McDonald's employees told her to wait there for her food. Merola was handcuffed behind her back and put in the cruiser. Another officer arrived and took her to the Pinellas County Jail .

Merola said she was searched, photographed and fingerprinted. Jail records show she was released about 90 minutes later on her own recognizance.

Imagine waiting until 75 to start your life of crime. What a procrastinator.

Grandmother Arrested At McDonald's Drive-Thru For Not Pulling Car Forward [Local 6 via BoingBoing] (Thanks, Everyone!)

When we arrived at our only stop along the ride in Framingham, MA at 4:35 PM, about 20 minutes away from Boston, the people who had gotten their tickets to Framingham walked off of the bus. I was surprised and delighted to see that we were about 25 minutes ahead of schedule and that we would arrive in Boston ahead of time- something I was looking forward to after my previous trip. However, after the bus driver stood outside for 5 minutes to smoke a cigarette, he came back inside the bus and made an announcement:

"Usually," he said, "on Sundays, I leave right after I drop off the passengers. You'd be about thirty minutes early. However, on the way here, I was told on my radio, 'are you alright?' I said, 'yeah I'm fine,' and they had told me that someone on this bus had called in and said that I was swerving all over the road and falling asleep.'"

I personally noticed this a bit along the way.

"And, since someone said this, and aggravated me, I'm going to aggravate you. We aren't going to leave until 5 o'clock [25 minutes from then]. And no, you can't go out and smoke."

The driver kept us captive on the bus. Some people voiced their opinions, some even apologizing for whomever called the company that he was swerving. One person said, "I don't know why you're punishing all of us for something one person said," and he replied, "one apple spoils all of the rest." A woman asked if he could continue "because of the baby." He said, "What baby?" The woman replied, "my baby," picked up her child and showed it to him. "No way," he said, and stood there, staring at us.

[Director Of Safety And Security, Christopher Crean] also received what he described as an atypical handwritten letter from a third passenger, faxed to him with no return address or phone number, praising the driver for acting "respectfully and courteously" despite "agitated" passengers.

Mitsubishi Raider
Percent Discount: 29%
Average MSRP: $24,777
Average Discount from MSRP: $7,233

Jeep Commander
Percent Discount: 29%
Average MSRP: $35,527
Average Discount from MSRP: $10,232

Dodge Ram Pickup 1500
Percent Discount: 28%
Average MSRP: $34,995
Average Discount: $9,713

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Classic
Percent Discount: 27%
Average MSRP: $24,850
Average Discount: $6,643

GMC Sierra 1500 Classic
Percent Discount: 26%
Average MSRP: $25,548
Average Discount: $6,687

Isuzu Ascender
Percent Discount: 26%
Average MSRP: $25,246
Average Discount: $6,584

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Percent Discount: 25%
Average MSRP: $33,466
Average Discount: $8,470

Lincoln Town Car
Percent Discount: 25%
Average MSRP: $46,711
Average Discount: $11,776

Dodge Durango
Percent Discount: 25%
Average MSRP: $34,769
Average Discount: $8,748

Dodge Dakota
Percent Discount: 24%
Average MSRP: $27,788
Average Discount: $6,674

Chrysler Aspen
Percent Discount: 24%
Average MSRP: $39,009
Average Discount: $9,199

Mercury Grand Marquis
Percent Discount: 23%
Average MSRP: $28,012
Average Discount: $6,468

Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Classic
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $34,553
Average Discount: $7,678

Chrysler Pacifica
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $31,343
Average Discount: $6,918

Saab 9-7X
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $40,664
Average Discount: $8,837

Dodge Grand Caravan
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $28,986
Average Discount: $6,299

Buick Rendezvous
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $28,893
Average Discount: $6,263

Isuzu i-Series
Percent Discount: 22%
Average MSRP: $20,603
Average Discount: $4,442

GMC Sierra 1500HD Classic
Percent Discount: 21%
Average MSRP: $35,845
Average Discount: $7,686

Chevrolet TrailBlazer
Percent Discount: 21%
Average MSRP: $31,128
Average Discount: $6,667

America's Most Discounted Cars [BusinessWeek]

You must have your vehicle inspected after five-years of ownership by an "authorized" Chrysler dealer. And check out this nugget, "The inspection must be made within 60 days of each 5-year anniversary of the warranty start date of the vehicle. " So, you void your lifetime warranty if you forget about leap year.

Chrysler offers a lifetime warranty [Boston Globe]
Chrysler to Offer Lifetime Powertrain Warranty; Covers Most Cars and Trucks [AP]
(Photo: kerinin)

The difference is about 1%, enough to force wholesalers to sell "temperature adjusted" gas. If you gas is hot, the gas station owners get more of it for the same price. Not so with a gas pump. You pay the same for gas no matter what temperature it is.

NPR says the House of Representatives estimate you're losing $2 billion dollars a year to expanded gas. Fuel companies say the winter months even it out. NPR also points out that "summer" gas (a different blend required by the EPA) actually has more energy per gallon...about 1-2% more.

Nevertheless, there's a raging debate going on in several southern states about whether the nations gas station pumps should be retrofitted to adjust for temperature changes. If you're lucky enough to live in Hawaii this doesn't concern you; Hawaii is the only state to adjust for warmer gas.

Heat Throws Off Gas Pumps, and Motorists Pay [NPR]
(Photo: moorsteen)

So, people of the tubes, you can help Justin and heck, help us all, by adding your knowledge to his website "Tank on Empty." The internet is so nifty sometimes. —MEGHANN MARCO

Tank On Empty [via Network World]

Leo at ZenHabits teaches us that driving more slowly has benefits.The most obvious one is fuel economy. The most interesting one?

Save Time: While you think you're saving time by driving faster, it's not a lot of time. And that small amount of time you're saving isn't worth it, considering the other factors on this list. Better yet, start out a few minutes early and you'll arrive at the same time as someone who drove faster but started later, and you'll arrive much happier than that person to boot.

We can agree with this statement. When we were learning to drive out in the rural country roads of Illinois, a huge caddy came speeding up behind us, and, squealing its tires, roared past.

"Dad," we asked, "Can we please go faster and speed?" He told us that we could, but bet us that if we stayed at our current speed (which was already a few miles over the limit, to be honest), he bet us $10 that we'd catch up to the asshole in the Caddy. "Uh, whatever," we said.

The caddy was sitting at a stoplight 2 miles up the road. We lost $10. We took this bet 3 more times on 3 separate occasions before realizing that it was always a losing one. After a certain point, speeding and driving like a fool just doesn't help that much. It's best to just go with the flow.—MEGHANN MARCO

5 Powerful Reasons to Drive Slower, and How to Do It [ZenHabits]
(Photo: HAM guy)

For some reason, we're not sure why, people think this will affect fuel prices. Uh. No. So before you forward that email, take a look at these links from Snopes.com. And if you want to save money on gasoline... buy a hybrid. Or a bike. Or take the bus. Or walk. Or take a train. Or skateboard. Or unicycle. Whatever. —MEGHANN MARCO

Pain in the Gas [Snopes]
Gas Out [Snopes]
(Photo: Scott Ingram Photography)

"I think it's going to happen," said Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at Alaron Trading in Chicago. "Unless things change dramatically, I think we're going to see $4 a gallon."

"More and more communities are going to see gasoline that approaches or exceeds $4 a gallon," John Kilduff, an energy analyst at Man Financial in New York, said recently. "Where we're currently at with prices, that's a given."

Get ready for $4 gasoline [CNN]
(Photo:The BH)

"Area residents, like myself, use the alley to rejoin the neighborhood arterials and frequently have difficulty going against the flow of the oncoming alley traffic," Sarbach said. He said he'd "had several close calls as cars quickly turn into the alley off of Galer; my son and daughter have noticed a few impolite finger gestures from vehicles backing out of the alley onto Galer (Street) to clear (a) way for our vehicle."

"It could only be a matter to time until there is an accident as the store is very, very busy most weeknights."

The reader was right, it wasn't a real traffic sign.

Wayne Wentz, Seattle's traffic management director, said the city "only changes alleys to one way if there has been a process involving the property owners along the alley, and owners approve the change. This has not occurred for this location."

Getting There: Trader Joe's sees the arrow of its ways [Seattle P-I] (Thanks, James!)
(Photo: Velo Steve)

I emailed you about 2 weeks ago complaining that Progressive Insurance only runs it's credit check every 3 years. Knowing my credit history improved, I thought this unfair and called them.

Since them I received an updated bill and it was $67.50 cheaper (for 6 months)—just based on a new credit check! Obviously if readers credit history worsens, wouldn't recommend an updated credit check, but for most people, if you don't ask for the current credit check, you could be losing dollars.

(Photo:foundphotoslj)

Pizza Hut has recently undergone intense scrutiny from academics concerned about the childhood obesity epidemic. Pizza Hut sponsors the "Book It!" reading program, rewarding students who read with one personal pan pizza a month, and drawing ire from Susan Linn, a Harvard psychologist and co-founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

We have fond memories of Book It!, so perhaps we're biased, but apparently Linn takes issue with giving kids unhealthy food as a reward for doing something they should already be doing.

We wonder what the Book It! haters will have to say about Buckle Up for a Successful Season. Better a little bit chubby than dead, we think. —MEGHANN MARCO

Buckle Up For A Successful Season [Ohio State Patrol]
(Photo: maggiejp)

Better sign up for SameLane, the dating service for those who like being ogled while driving, and those who love them:

Here's how it would work: Motorists would register their license plate and phone numbers with the company's website and receive bumper stickers letting the world know of their availability.

Other parties could then call a central number (for a charge), enter the license plate number and be put in touch with the bumper-sticker owner's phone."

Firm redefines 'speed dating' [LA Times]
(Photo: blmurch)

"Hey there, big guy. Having a few drinks?" a female voice says a few seconds after an approaching male sets off a motion sensor in the device. "It's time to call a cab or ask a sober friend for a ride home."

(You can hear the voice by clicking through to the article, scrolling down a bit, and watching the video. No actual urinal use is depicted.)

What would really be more helpful is a urinal cake that somehow measures your blood alcohol content, to see if you're genuinely sauced. Sexy voice optional. — MARK ASHLEY

DWI message finds home in urinal [Santa Fe New Mexican] (Thanks Dr. Vino!)

Wayne doesn't get high mpg marks by tinkering with engines or using funky fuels or even, most days, by driving a hybrid. He gets them by driving consciously - hyperconsciously....

Wayne is doing no more than 15 miles per hour. Before he's out of sight, though, he turns a full loop on the exit road to slow himself down, so he doesn't have to brake at a traffic jam ahead. Wayne hates braking.

We are not endorsing these, they're just interesting:

• Avoid braking. As in, stop the car without braking.

• "Ridge-riding" This is Wayne's term for riding over the white line. It tells people that he's moving slowly, and has other benefits: "Ridge-riding, Wayne explains, saves gas in the rain, as it gets the wheels out of the puddly grooves in the road created by more, let's say, traditional drivers. "People are burning fuel to throw water in the air," he says, adding that you can hear if you're driving in the road's grooves or out of them."

• Drive with no air conditioning, and with the windows up. Yes, "and." Not "or". And. (Wayne lives in the Chicago/Milkwaukee area, for those of you familiar with that region's lovely weather.)

• Take sharp turns at 50 mph with the engine off.

• Push the car out of the driveway.

• Draft 18-Wheelers by driving close behind them. (Never do this!)

The lengths Wayne goes to save gas are strange, occasionally very unwise and sometimes oddly admirable. When the world ends, we'd like to know Wayne. Perhaps not before. —MEGHANN MARCO

This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk [MotherJones via Get Rich Slowly]

The Speed Trap Exchange, sponsored by the "National Motorists Association," AAA's crazy cousin, offers a list of speed traps throughout North America and the Caribbean. Users can add locations to the list, sorta like a wiki.

Readers indicate if the trap is an automated box or a favorite cop hangout. Either way, look up your city, plan your route, and save yourself the money and the hassle of getting pulled over.

Not that we'd ever be caught speeding ourselves, at any point in time, ever, of course. No, never. — MARK ASHLEY

(Photo: chrischappelear)

Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company - $39.5 billion - even as earnings for the last quarter of 2006 declined 4 percent.
The 2006 profit topped the previous record of $36.13 billion which Exxon set in 2005.
Revenue at the world's largest publicly traded oil company rose to $377.64 billion for the year, surpassing the record $370.68 billion that Exxon posted in 2005.
Exxon Mobil's record annual earnings followed a year of extraordinarily high energy prices as crude oil topped $78 a barrel in the summer - driving up average gasoline prices in the United States to more than $3 a gallon. Prices retreated later in the year.

Exxon Mobil posts U.S. record annual profit despite decline in 4Q results [Boston Herald]

You should consider:
• Flushing the coolant system
• Replacing your wiper blades
• Replacing your battery if it's more than 4-ish years old
• Checking your tires/Switching to snow tires if you live someplace hilly/snowy
• Getting that 30,000 mile check-up you've been putting off
• Changing your oil
• Putting jumper cables in your car, as well as a first aid kit and a blanket. Even if you don't need it, you could help someone!
• Checking to make sure your jack and spare tire are in good working order
• Testing the 4-Wheel drive.

Happy winter driving! —MEGHANN MARCO(Photo courtesy William Selman, Thanks!)

How to Winterize Your Car [eHow]
10 Tips for Winterizing Your Car [MSNBC]

Here's how he did it.

He found, for one, "whether or not the local school district was in session proved to be the greatest measured variable in explaining the morning commute time variation."

In the end, instead of leaving home at 8am and leaving work at 5:30pm, he could save the most time by changing that to 8:30am and 6:00pm.

Don't be shy, the paper looks daunting but if you actually read it instead of the skim job the blogoagogorama thrives on, it's pretty understandable.

"Beating Traffic" [OmniNerd via Digg]