Is it safe to assume that you’re a charitable person? A Minister perhaps? Nah.
I had AAA for many years, (now I’m covered through my car insurance co.), and a husband who could probably put a car together blindfolded and who would be there for me in any emergency. In other words, helpless I’m not.
Yet, the Road Rangers were still such a blessing to me during a bad time, and they still are a blessing to anyone in need on the road today, yes, ANYONE on the road today. Get it!?
If you ever break down on the roads somewhere in FL, and a Road Ranger stops to help you, I wonder what you would say to him.
Road Rangers is NOT a charity. We all PAY for it. And it’s actually a tax dollar that is working for US. We actually SEE it working. Nope, I DON’T have a problem with it in the least.
In fact the RoadRanger service takes car of people who don’t pay for it, like Tourists, illegal aliens, etc. You may not have a problem with it, you like the service so much you are willing to use force to make others pay for your service, it even if they don’t want or need the service.
Those of us who don’t live near Orlando, Miami, Tampa or drive the Parkway, don’t get the service. They don’t patrol or work in the more rural counties of the state. It is another way city people who would rather not be responsible for themselves make the more self reliant people of rural areas pay for thier irresponsibility. In the hundreds of times I’ve driven the entire length of the Suncoast parkway I’ve never seen a RoadRanger North of SR54. And on US19 I’ve never seen one at anytime between Spring Hill and Tallahassee. So for me and where I live and Drive it is a usless service that I’m being forced to pay for to support people who live in and around our big cities.
“...use force to make others pay for ‘your’ service.” end quote
Such drama and exageration! There are many things that we all pay taxes for that we don’t necessarily get direct benefit of. I still pay taxes to help the schools, even though no one in my family is in school anymore. But I guess you could say that I’m ‘forced’ to pay those taxes anyway. So? Should the state send everyone a checklist of the taxes that they will and won’t pay for?
You’re griping to the wrong people, take your soapbox to the legislature, or to the state capital or where ever it is you need to go, and see if you can get them to listen to you. Because for me, this has been hashed enough.
If it’s exageration then explain exactly what would happen if I choose not to pay my Florida Property Taxes, or Vehicle Registration. If I failed to capitulate they would use violent force through the police to physically extract me from my house and confiscate it.
Actually I have and do take issues to the Legislature, and they have listened. Notice that you can carry a concealed weapon, no longer have to wear motorcycle helmets, etc. Alone no individual can make the government move, but if enough people get fed up with the hughe amount of taxes and do something it can and will change. If I recall correctly in Boston they had a little Tea Party of less than this.
So you’d rather spend $21 Million dollars to provide free road side service rather than build new schools, offer teachers better pay, improve bridges and roads, lower taxes, provide health care for the poor, provide training to police, build mass transit, etc. There is not an endless pot of money from taxpayers.
What’s worse is that through threat of violence we are forced to pay for this charity. I think that I should be allowed to pick and choose what charities I want to donate my money, rather than some bureaucrat in Tallahassee or Washington. If you think that free roadside assistance is a good charity then by all means give money to it. But don’t use force to make people who don’t believe it’s a good charity donate to it.
Remember all government charity programs are funded by threat of force. Just try to not make your donation and see what happens.
There are many areas that our tax money is wasted, but I don’t feel that this is one of those areas. Maybe it’s because this particular service was there to help me when I needed it. And for the next person who find themselves at the side of the road waiting for help.
In other words, I actually saw my tax dollars working for me. What a concept! You see it as “charity”, I certainly don’t. We all paid for it, and this service is for ALL of us. How is that charity?
There are so many other things to get worked up about. This isn’t one of them.
So you’d rather spend $21 Million dollars to provide free road side service rather than build new schools, offer teachers better pay, improve bridges and roads, lower taxes, provide health care for the poor, provide training to police, build mass transit, etc. There is not an endless pot of money from taxpayers.
What’s worse is that through threat of violence we are forced to pay for this charity. I think that I should be allowed to pick and choose what charities I want to donate my money, rather than some bureaucrat in Tallahassee or Washington. If you think that free roadside assistance is a good charity then by all means give money to it. But don’t use force to make people who don’t believe it’s a good charity donate to it.
Remember all government charity programs are funded by threat of force. Just try to not make your donation and see what happens.
There are many areas that our tax money is wasted, but I don’t feel that this is one of those areas. Maybe it’s because this particular service was there to help me when I needed it. And for the next person who find themselves at the side of the road waiting for help.
In other words, I actually saw my tax dollars working for me. What a concept! You see it as “charity”, I certainly don’t. We all paid for it, and this service is for ALL of us. How is that charity?
There are so many other things to get worked up about. This isn’t one of them.
It sure seems to have gotten you worked up!
Yes, I said that in regard to another poster. Then I thought if I made my posts vociferous as well, the message would get through better. You know, fight fire with fire, so to speak. Didn’t work.
Oh well, you won’t find me crying in my beer over it.
$ 21 Million a year might sound like a lot of money, but let’s put this in perspective.
Florida’s population is 18 million. Each member of a household pays about $ 1.17 a year for this service. For most folks that’s the tax on one tank of gas.
If the Road Ranger program is not funded by fuel tax, it should be, so we don’t have to fret about tourists and illegals getting over. Everyone that spends money in Florida, pays taxes.
There must be something more effective to P & moan about.
Just one thing. I agree with the people not taking responsibility for routine PM’s on their cars or checking the gas gauge BUT! I know when I was I-4 going to work and had a flat I pulled over and called AAA. Why? Afraid to break a nail or get dirty? Don’t know how to change a tire? NO to the above. I was afraid to change my tire b/c I felt too close to the cars whizzing by to be safe. Yes, I confess I was scared. The cars were whizzing by very fast and very closely. I have AAA. I called them. They have a big truck with a flashing lite bar. It catches attention better than my little truck leaning on the side of the road and alerts the comatose driver to not plow into me. Besides, there were way too many morons who DID see me and my flat tire - that was a good tire but picked up a screw in the road - who hollered stupid things like raise my blouse and worse. All of that miraculously stopped when the Road Ranger stopped to help me wayyyy b4 AAA did. For the record, I perform my own oil changes, check my vehicle fluids under the hood, gear oil, and the rear end. Wipers, lights, fuses and tires too. Little things only - I don’t proclaim to be wonder woman or whatever and I’m not into the ERA or bra burning but I am into self responsibility and common sense.
Bottom line: Try not to be so judgmental. Not all people who have a breakdown is an irresponsible bum. How was I to precog my radiator goose neck breaking a couple of years ago? Steam all over the place! (Had to pull the old rad out and put another in) Same with the screw in the road on I-4. Thank you Road Ranger! I could not believe the way some passersby were kicking me when I was blatantly down. As far as illegals and tourists go....well, the tourists spend money in FLA and that includes sales tax so I don’t have a problem with it. And the illegals; that’s another kettle of fish, indeed. They benefit from alot of stuff without paying into the pot first - not just the Road Ranger program.
I get it because your scared and/or impatient you want to use the force of government and make everybody in the state pay for a service that only those near big cities can take advantage of.
With the current budget cuts to education don’t you think that the 21 million could be better spent there? That is the wage and benifits of about 400 teachers.
I get it because your scared and/or impatient you want to use the force of government and make everybody in the state pay for a service that only those near big cities can take advantage of.
With the current budget cuts to education don’t you think that the 21 million could be better spent there? That is the wage and benifits of about 400 teachers.
Yeah hire more teachers. Because somewhere, there is a fourteen year old boy who hasn’t had sex yet.
I get it because your scared and/or impatient you want to use the force of government and make everybody in the state pay for a service that only those near big cities can take advantage of.
With the current budget cuts to education don’t you think that the 21 million could be better spent there? That is the wage and benifits of about 400 teachers.
Yeah hire more teachers. Because somewhere, there is a fourteen year old boy who hasn’t had sex yet.
Our school board is the laughing stock of the country. The comment was made on national news yesterday by the commentators, that they’re wondering what in the world we’re doing in Hillsborough County. That our school board is more concerned with doing away with the Christmas holidays, than hiring teachers who aren’t perverts.
Well, my last remark on the subject is that when I had the flat and the road ranger showed up I admit I had never heard of these guys and being in the transportation industry mistakenly thought at first he was some sort of scam guy - y’know stops upon a motorist in trouble and charges an incredible amount of money for service. I told him I was unfamiliar with “Road Rangers”. He briefly explained the program and assured me he was legit. After looking over his vehicle and uniform and his ID he said the MAGIC words: This is your tax dollars at work. My tax dollars working for......ME! I felt I really needed my tax dollars to work for me at the moment. I was sold. Tax dollars going for something that can have a direct, positive impact.
The school issue? My suggestion is realistically impossible in this nation and perhaps any other because the government has an it takes a village to raise a child mentality when it comes to raising taxes for public education but after that - Feh! Here goes: Impose a school tax on people who have kids in the public school system. Let them support it. They made the kids. Those who have kids in private schools are already paying for education and need not pay that tax. Childless folks or people with grown children no longer in school need not pay. That’ll cut down on the constant breeding and parents will realize the vested interest they really have in the kid’s education. Or perhaps not. I can see the problem with folks who wouldn’t have the money for school tax and then there would be subsidies that would be reallocated from other places and a big mess would ensue.
BUT THAT’S ANOTHER THREAD - This thread is about Road Rangers - Sorry for the digression.
I just want to thank all of you for the conversation, respectful debate and food for thought.
The school issue? My suggestion is realistically impossible in this nation and perhaps any other because the government has an it takes a village to raise a child mentality when it comes to raising taxes for public education but after that - Feh! Here goes: Impose a school tax on people who have kids in the public school system. Let them support it. They made the kids. Those who have kids in private schools are already paying for education and need not pay that tax. Childless folks or people with grown children no longer in school need not pay. That’ll cut down on the constant breeding and parents will realize the vested interest they really have in the kid’s education. Or perhaps not. I can see the problem with folks who wouldn’t have the money for school tax and then there would be subsidies that would be reallocated from other places and a big mess would ensue.
BUT THAT’S ANOTHER THREAD - This thread is about Road Rangers - Sorry for the digression.
I just want to thank all of you for the conversation, respectful debate and food for thought.
why don’t you start that thread with the above quoted material. If you get what you want , don’t complain about the society that arises from it or better stated the levels society sinks too..
Well, my last remark on the subject is that when I had the flat and the road ranger showed up I admit I had never heard of these guys and being in the transportation industry mistakenly thought at first he was some sort of scam guy - y’know stops upon a motorist in trouble and charges an incredible amount of money for service. I told him I was unfamiliar with “Road Rangers”. He briefly explained the program and assured me he was legit. After looking over his vehicle and uniform and his ID he said the MAGIC words: This is your tax dollars at work. My tax dollars working for......ME! I felt I really needed my tax dollars to work for me at the moment. I was sold. Tax dollars going for something that can have a direct, positive impact.
Then you would suggest we expand it so that motorists with flats between Perry and the Capital can get help too, what about people on US41 North of Inverness, or People in Seabring. This is only a benifit for people who live in and around cities. It is usless to a large part of the state. It is a service that is available without the government, and service that the government shouldn’t be providing. We have way too much government in general, and specifically in areas that are not constitutionally mandated. Our state has a constitutional mandate to provide education services, funding the non-mandated Roadranger service takes the limited funds available. There must be a downsizing of government or we will soon be so overtaxed that you will see an exodous of people to places with more economic freedom.
You need your tax dollors to work for you, why not keep them in the first place and pay less taxes by promoting and having less government.
I have to agree that if you can’t change a tire, you shouldn’t be driving a car. It should be taught in drivers education as it was back in the old days when I learned to drive.
With cell phones you might be able to call for help but you can get yourself back on the road quicker. Other things that go wrong with today’s vehicles are harder to fix. Even running out of fuel can make it difficult to restart.
Really? My wife just doesn’t have the upper body strength to break loose, and properly tighten the lugs. Personally, I’d rather she call AAA (we are members -and they DO respond -just don’t get in a hurry) because I’d feel a bit uncomfortable knowing she had tightned her lugs and decided to drive.
I’m a big boy, and spent quite a few years working on my cars, pickups, etc. I’m certainly more than adequately knowledgeable where maintenance is concerned (I maintain our vehicles -and I’m fanatical about it. Result? we get hundreds of thousands of trouble-free service out of our vehicles -CONSISTENTLY. )
Now, I’m only 42, but have cardiomyopathy brought on by a virus, and this resulted in a very weak heart. I’m no longer able to get out there in the heat and break the lugs free, change the tire, and then put all 8 lugs back nice and tight. IF I pulled that stunt, I’d likely end up in an emergency room with heart failure.
I suppose I should just give up driving -and my wife should never drive again -because we are no longer able to change our tires.
What a rediculous comment.
Considder also -if the person really is uncomfortable with the task, do you REALLY want them doing it? If they do it poorly, they become a real danger to everyone on the road.
