Has your car ever broken down on the highway? Or maybe even on a long stretch of road in the middle of nowhere? To make matters worse, it is dark outside and you have the kids in the car.
Years ago it happened to me. Luckily, my son was at home with his father. If he had been with me, I know the situation would have been a lot worse. At the time, I did not have a cell phone. I can hear it now, “What? No cell phone?” Yeah, that’s right. Can you imagine breaking down and not having a cell phone? Do I have one with me now? Oh yes, 24/7! So, here I was on the interstate and my car decided to kick the bucket. It was late at night (I had just left class) and I had no idea what to do. Years before, my grandfather had given me an old sun visor that I used in the front windshield to block out the sun. On the back of this visor, it read NEED HELP, CALL POLICE. So, I used it…
In about five minutes, I had four police cars surrounding the car. It was amazing. Guess they thought something major had happened! However, it didn’t matter to me, I was just glad they were there! Ever since that night, I am always prepared in case of a breakdown. Luckily, I wasn’t stranded for hours, just what seemed like hours. However, I now carry several items in the back of my car, just in case. But, just so you all know – my cell phone is number one on my list!
Water – in the back of my car/trunk you can always find a couple of unopened bottles of water. You never know when you may be stranded and for how long.
Snack food – packs of crackers and/or granola bars of some sort (I have these anyway because of the kids).
Flashlight – these will come in handy especially if you are stranded at night.
Jumper Cables – You never know if you need a boost. Sometimes one of those good Samaritans will stop and you may be the only one with a pair of cables.
Blankets – for those of you who live in cold climates, especially where it ices over and snows, blankets may be needed.
Spare tire, wheel wrench and jack – very important to carry this in your trunk at all times.
I may have not mentioned items that some of you carry so please feel free to comment on your own list. There may be some of us who read it and say, “Oh yeah, why didn’t I think of that?”
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