For those who still do not think they need a cell phone..

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I left Sam's, today, shortly before 4pm. I chose I-26 instead of 526/I-26 to head towards 17A. I was commenting about the traffic coming onto I-26, from 526, just west (?) of the interchange. I was in the number one lane, from left to right. The fast lane. I went all the way left to open up room for the merge..

Just as fast as we were moving.. we had come to a complete stop.

In that brief moment, the car in front of the car in front of me, stalled.

The lady in front of me managed to flip on her blinker, and get on her way.

I hit my emergency flashers, as an older man got out of the Chevy Cavalier, now directly in front of us, and started to push.

I sent The Boy to help him.

In a few short minutes, we were both pulled over, to the left, against the concrete divider wall.

On a bridge, over the railroad tracks.

When the traffic was dense, the cars were going slow enough to make us feel a little safe. Maybe.

The constant flow of traffic had the bridge in a constant bounce. It was like standing during an earthquake.

When the traffic thinned, a bit, the cars were flying by us, near 70 miles per hour.

Do you stand between the car and the wall? Or the two cars? It really didn't matter. None of it was safe.

Maybe I watch too much reality tv. You all know that I rarely watch tv, but I've seen some amazing things happen when a car clips a car on the side of the road.

The stranded driver did not have a phone. He also did not know how to use my cell phone. He also could not really hear, on my phone, to make the phone call. He chose to call his insurance company.

Its really the last thing I would have done.

The Boy would not get back into my vehicle, and strap in, where Girlie remained, without me. He felt he could help me, if needed, more, if he were with me.

None of us were safe outside of our vehicles.

But what could we do?

It took three phone calls and 35 minutes to give Geico our location, his policy information, and his intended tow destination.

Half of this 35 minutes, we were joined by what appeared to be an off-duty patrolman. He wasn't going to stay, until I asked him, "How will I get back onto the interstate, into the fast lane?"

The stranded driver, was leaned into his car, in the million degree heat, sweating profusely, so he could attempt to hear the lady on the other end of my phone.

I'm not quite sure why it took so much time.

We all decided to get back into our working vehicles and buckle up.

When the stranded driver was finished with the call, he brought me my phone and we shook hands and wished each other well.

Just as the patrolman stopped the traffic, for me to pull out, a second patrolman arrived, and had blocked the number two lane. I had two blocked lanes to return to my own commute. After I pulled out, the second patrolman pulled in, in front of the stranded driver.

I had been thankful for the change in traffic, with the flashing blue lights behind me. I felt better leaving the stranded driver, with flashing lights both behind and in front of him. The first patrolman called DOT for a traffic sign to be dispatched.

An hour later, I got a call from some lady named "Kathy" from some towing company, saying she was on her way.

An hour later?

Twenty minutes later, Geico called me, looking for the stranded driver. They wanted to know if anyone had called from a towing company.

Now, let's think about this, for a minute. Where would this man have gone to call for help? How could he have even attempted to cross all those lanes of traffic and then walk to the next exit for a phone? Where would he have found a public telephone?

What it if were a young mother with children?

It was scary standing out there. I found myself shaking, nervous, just being out there.

It costs $19.99 to buy a GO phone at your nearest Walmart. We own two of them. We utilize the "free" mobile 2 mobile features, mostly.

But $20 is cheap insurance, in my humbled opinion.

And it could save your life.

No one is paying me to tell you this. There may be other programs or phone services that are better. I only know about this one, because I use it. Jitterbug? Sing the jingle with me? :)

I won't go into the insurance that I pay for, or possibly overpay for, for my vehicle. But I pay for service that I didn't watch this man get today.

I'm extremely thankful for a very reliable vehicle. I've had my share of "side of the road" waits, for tow trucks.

I also think its extremely helpful, when you pick your car up from service, that you drive home on the right side of the interstate, just in case.

(Please don't email me, to tell me the costs associated with the GO phone, or expiration of minutes. I know them. I realize that over time, you must pay more than twenty dollars.)

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