My truck's alternator died on the way to my daughter's recital last Friday

I was driving to the community center on 5th street when the dashboard lights started flickering and then the engine just cut out completely at a stoplight. Had to push it into a parking lot and call my buddy Dave to jump me, but the battery was already toast too. Anyone else have a car part fail at the worst possible time and how did you handle the hassle afterward?

3 comments

3 Comments

rubyk261mo ago

That's a tough break, right before the recital too. Did your buddy Dave end up helping you get the truck to a shop that same night, or did you have to leave it sitting in that parking lot until the next day? I'm asking because I had a similar thing happen with my old van's alternator on a Sunday, and the tow alone set me back a pretty penny since it was after hours. Ended up having to borrow my sister's car for the rest of the week, which was a whole other headache. Just wondering how you managed the logistics of getting it fixed without missing the whole recital.

hollyl251mo ago

Honestly rubyk26, I gotta say sometimes you're better off just paying for the tow and moving on. Dave's a great guy and all, but waiting around for a buddy to help you in a parking lot at 9pm just ends up costing you more in time and stress. I'd rather shell out the extra cash for a proper tow truck than risk missing the whole recital because someone's "on their way" for two hours. Plus then you get peace of mind knowing it's handled and you can focus on the music. But hey, different strokes for different folks I guess.

piperbailey1mo ago

Dave didn't show up until almost 10:30 because he stopped to grab tacos first, so I just sat there watching my battery light flicker like a disco ball. Ended up having to jump it with his truck and limp it to a shop that was luckily still open, but the mechanic charged me double because he was closing up. Next time I'm just calling a tow truck and eating the cost, at least then I'd have gotten there in time for the warm-up instead of walking in during the second song.