Freeway Service Patrol to the rescue

November 12, 2004

It was an experience one wouldn't wish on friend or foe, because although in this case everything turned out fine it could have easily cost lives and heartache to others. While driving on Highway 4 in Antioch last week I suddenly had a blow-out on my passenger-side front tire. Being in the fast lane doing close to the speed limit and surrounded by other cars to my right, there was no other choice for me but to move to my left and onto the shoulder.

Luckily for me and my family who were in the car with me at the time, the person behind me wasn't following so close to my rear that he couldn't stop short, because my car lost speed rapidly. In other circumstances that kind of an emergency could have resulted in losing control of the vehicle. For some reason I was quick to react and simply pulled over to the side of the road.

The only immediate problem seemed to be that there was no room to get out of the car and safely change the tire while cars rushed past in their usual flurry just before Sommersville Road. It could have been worse, I could have been a few yards ahead where there was no median strip at all. As it was, I was in a narrow area that didn't allow me to move over far enough off the pavement for my comfort.

I could have changed the tire. I had done it before years ago, but then I was in the mountains on a road that wasn't too busy and well off the road. That day hadn't been fun to remember either, as there was a sudden unexpected heavy rain shower and I was wearing white pants and the red mud ruined any hope I had of wearing them again.

Things were a lot different this time anyway. Being in the age of cell phones and having AAA road service to count on I figured why risk life and limb and just call the service and have them come out and take care of the problem. That was no problem, according to the dispatcher. Someone would be out within 45 minutes to an hour. After all, it was after 3 p.m. in the afternoon on a weekday, what could one expect?

It certainly wasn't the man in the tow truck who pulled over behind me and offered to change my tire not more than five minutes after I was off the phone with AAA. And no, he wasn't a AAA driver. He was Craig Nathlich with the Freeway Service Patrol.

Most of us are skeptics in this world, so when he first came to the window and said "Don't worry, stay in the car," one had to ask themselves if he hoped to highjack our car, flat tire and all. Not hearing of the Freeway Service Patrol until that moment, it was interesting to note that the group patrols freeways throughout the Bay Area and helps drivers in distress whenever possible. And they do more than simply help, they provide the service free of charge.

For the most part they take care of common freeway stalls, like changing a tire, jump starting a vehicle, taping hoses and refilling radiators or giving a gallon of fuel to help the motorist get to the nearest service station.

If they can't get the car back on the road safely, they will tow it free of charge to the nearest California Highway Patrol identified location off the freeway.

I must say I was pretty nervous when the man boldly pulled his truck out a little so that he could have a buffer between himself and oncoming traffic, then simply and efficiently changed our tire without any of us having to get out of the car. All he asked in return was that we fill out a card and mail it in describing what we thought about the service.

After mentioning the service to a few friends and my sister, who live here in Oakley, I found that the service has come in handy for a few people right here in town. One person was helped on Highway 4 just before the turnoff when her radiator overheated. The serviceman added water and then followed her off of the freeway to the Bridgehead Chevron station so that she could call her family for help.

The Freeway Service Patrol is jointly sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Highway Patrol. We all hope we will never have to use this service in the future, but it's nice to know there is someone watching out for you just in case something does go wrong.

Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.

Distributed by the Contra Costa Times

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