Kindness on the Roads

Story By: ELLISPark.co I Apr 12, 2023

When something goes wrong on the road, it can be scary. Thankfully, the CAA community is full of good neighbours and Associates who go above and beyond what is expected of them to look out for others. Here, we’re sharing a few heartwarming stories from our community of people doing good while on the road.

Problem solving.

A few years ago, after a fun day at the Toronto Zoo with her kids, a London, Ont., woman arrived back at the parking lot only to discover that her SUV had a flat tire. Her kids were tired and hungry, and they had a two-hour drive ahead of them, but, luckily, her parents had recently gifted her with a CAA Plus Membership, so she knew her problem would be well taken care of. The first CAA Roadside Assistance driver arrived promptly and devised a plan to put on a spare tire that would help the family get home. A second driver, named Terry, soon arrived on the scene thinking he was answering a different call. Although he soon realized his mistake, Terry still took the time to listen to the problem and the plan, then asked to take over the case. Instead of letting the family drive such a far distance on a spare tire, Terry offered to tow them all the way back home. The woman’s kids were thrilled to ride in a tow truck, and Terry went above and beyond to make everyone comfortable, even stopping for food along the way. It’s a good deed that the family will never forget.

Family first.

When Elizabeth Johnson’s parents sold their property, she headed over to pack up some of the precious belongings and memories she wanted to keep. She filled her car with boxes, got back in with her dog and started the drive home down the 401. Then, while in the middle lane surrounded by trucks, one of her tires blew. “It was really scary because I didn’t know what the problem was,” she writes. “The car was just pulling hard to the right and I had to fight to keep control.” She safely pulled over and called CAA because her husband had a membership. The Associate who answered politely told her that memberships applied to the driver, not the car, and Johnson burst into tears because she didn’t know what to do. The Associate stayed on the phone with her, gave her a membership, and sent a truck to help. The CAA Roadside Assistance driver was also wonderful, and was not only able to help, but got Johnson smiling before the work was done. Johnson felt comforted and cared for, which made all the difference.

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He was kind and friendly, and stayed with her until he was confident that she had a safe way to get back home.

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Phone a friend.

When a CAA SCO Member’s husband died in 2018, she was suddenly left alone. Her husband was usually the person in the household who handled anything related to their vehicles, causing the woman to panic every time she got behind the wheel. What if something went wrong? How would she fix it? Who could she call? Then she remembered that her husband used to receive CAA promos in the mail, so she decided to become a Member. The second she was signed up, she felt immediate relief. Flash forward a few years to a cold winter night, the woman’s car refused to start in a mall parking lot. She felt safe knowing she could call CAA. She was so reassured by the responder and the text updates she received about her service call, and when the CAA Roadside Assistance driver arrived, she was blown away. He was kind and friendly, and stayed with her until he was confident that she had a safe way to get back home. Then, when he towed the car to her mechanic’s shop, he took care of all the details to make sure she felt comfortable.

Safety first.

Last winter, CAA Associate Alison Hammill was driving to North Bay, Ont., with her nephew to visit family for the holidays. In classic Canadian winter fashion, the weather was, in a word, unpleasant, thanks to a mix of rain and freezing rain, resulting in rough and sloppy roads. En route, the car in front of Hammill spun off the road and collided with the centre median. She immediately pulled over and her nephew rushed out to assist the driver, who was in shock but, thankfully, uninjured. His car, however, was a different story: the right side was crushed and completely undrivable. Hammill’s nephew helped the shivering man get in touch with CAA, and Hammill felt a burst of pride, both for his act of kindness and the fact that CAA was top of mind for him.

We want to hear from you! What does doing good look like to you? Do you know of a person or group in your community who is driven by good and goes above and beyond to make the world a better place? Share their story with us by filling out the form below.

Kindness on the Roads

Problem solving.

Family first.

Phone a friend.

Safety first.

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