Verizon Wireless left me to die. With pics! - Page 2

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Verizon Wireless left me to die. With pics! (Page 2 of 4)

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:01:11 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
82001

3 secs to find every one

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:02:00 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
RIF. His fuel gauge was FUBAR.

The odometer was too? I must have the only father in the world smart enough to teach me that gas gauges could be wrong....know the range of the vehicle and how many miles you can go between fill ups.

@ 280 miles travelled, I better get gas soon as I only have about +/- 20 miles left in the tank.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:02:10 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
82001

Information that would have been useful to me yesterday.

Quoted:
bestcellbuy.com/bestcellbuy/images/Nokia/Car_charger/Nokia_6101_car_charger.jpg

Wouldn't have done me any good. That's for a Nokia, I needed one for a Blackberry. In related news, I bought one in the Flying J as soon as I got to Cheyenne.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:04:12 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:

Quoted:
RIF. His fuel gauge was FUBAR.

The odometer was too? I must have the only father in the world smart enough to teach me that gas gauges could be wrong....know the range of the vehicle and how many miles you can go between fill ups.

@ 280 miles travelled, I better get gas soon as I only have about +/- 20 miles left in the tank.

Yeah, that was my fault. The car is not my personal car. I own a car lot and that was jut one I picked to drive for the day. When I left town the tank was already full and I didn't even think about the trip odometer.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:05:08 AM EDT

[#5]

**** Verizon.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:06:56 AM EDT

[#6]

I have to use the trip odometer on my car as the gauge broke after it was invovled in a wreck a few years ago. (the car, not just the gas gauge

)

Since I've driven it so much I know when I need to fill up. That varies based on highway or city driving.

Weird thing is that I do the same thing on my truck that has a good fuel gauge. Just force of habit now I guess.

ETA:

Can you hear me now? Hello, what zip code? Can you hear me....

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:08:23 AM EDT

[#7]

www.alternativewireless.com/blackberry/images/blackberry-invehicle-charger.jpg

If you had a laptop with you, you may have been able to charge it off the laptop's USB port too.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:08:37 AM EDT

[#8]

If youre mad now just wait until you get the bill for this service.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:09:15 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
The car is not my personal car.

Alright, you get a pass on this one. 9.875 on the rant.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:13:56 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Do you reset your Trip-meter after every fill up?

Irregardless...things can go wrong. Glad you made it back to civilization in one piece.

ALWAYS DO THIS!!!!

It's a great back up for any fuel gauge issue.

TXL

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:14:26 AM EDT

[#11]

you should thank them.

if they hadn't left you there to die you would have been able to come here and make this supurb rant!

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:14:44 AM EDT

[#12]

Your other big complaint should be that you have a phone equipped with GPS, so you should be able to give your exact location -- but Verizon, in their infinite (money grabbing) wisdom have disabled the GPS for all but their pay services.

Dump Verizon. Thieves (and apparently murderers).

(Not that any US cell company is much better, but at least AT&T don't disable life saving stuff like GPS.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:15:44 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
I always set my trip gauge in addition when I fuel up. I know the drop-dead point on my Honda CRV is 260miles on the 12 gallons it holds. Likewise I know that 310 miles is drop dead on the 13 gallons my Eclipse holds. It used to do better, probably needs a tune up now.

All the damn gas gauges I have had in new cars seem to decrease on a logrithmic scale after 1/2 anyway. I damn near got in bad shape in the middle of nowhere going by the gas gauge so I don't do that any more. It's the trip gauge for me.

+1 I always use my trip gauge to determine what I can get

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:16:00 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Her: Thank you for calling Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance, how can I help you?
Me: Hi, I'm out of fuel on I-25 23 miles North of Cheyenne, Wyoming next to mile marker 30. Can you send some fuel out?
Her: I can help you with that, are you in a safe place?
Me: I'm on the shoulder of I-25, I'm pretty safe.

You could answer "No, I am not in a safe place. I need help within the next 20 to 30 minutes at the most." Sure it's an exaggeration, but the phone bank staff are trained to respond to that.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:18:20 AM EDT

[#15]

Ouch. I'd be just as pissed at GM for the faulty fuel gauge that got you stuck there.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:18:53 AM EDT

[#16]

10!

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:19:22 AM EDT

[#17]

Consider getting a 2m amateur rig (license required), or even a CB radio. There are still places out there with no cellular coverage...

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:20:38 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
My fuel gauge drops to E every time I go below 3/4 of a tank. Some chump siphoned the gas out of it on the previous owner, bending up the fuel level sensor as well as the dip tube. Thank god the warning light still functions at 1/4 tank!

thats the type of thing I'd pay money to get fixed.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:26:21 AM EDT

[#19]

Yikes!! Very scary!! Glad you made it out unscathed, though...I look forward to her pulling the tape right into the shredder for you...definately contest any fees they send your way...

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:29:11 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
It you would have bought a more fuel efficient vehicle then you wouldn't have been in this fix.

not a fan of SUVS. wouldna own one if it was given to me..

HOWEVER.. they have bigger tanks to compensate for their bigger thirst.. i suspect that that SUV would go as least as far as my honda fit on a full tank of gas...

interesting to note (something i have discovered recently) carry a bicycle. I do 20 to 50 mile rides several times a month. would take me little time to travel 30 miles or so to town on a bike.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:33:29 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
It you would have bought a more fuel efficient vehicle then you wouldn't have been in this fix.

not a fan of SUVS. wouldna own one if it was given to me..

HOWEVER.. they have bigger tanks to compensate for their bigger thirst.. i suspect that that SUV would go as least as far as my honda fit on a full tank of gas...

interesting to note (something i have discovered recently) carry a bicycle. I do 20 to 50 mile rides several times a month. would take me little time to travel 30 miles or so to town on a bike.

I had lots of time to think about how I'd never let this happen again while sitting by the side of the road yesterday and I considered this. I even considered carrying one of those little mini sport bikes. Then I considered laying in the middle of the road to try and get someone to stop, but was afraid it wouldn't work and then I'd be laying there with tire marks.

In the end I decided that I'll just carry some extra fuel and fill up more often. I'm lazy and need the cargo space.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:35:41 AM EDT

[#22]

So the lesson we learned today kids...

don't trust your fuel gage,
don't trust the cell phone company to bail your ass out,
always rest your trip-meter on every fill up,
have a car charger for your cell phone in every car you own,
have a camera to take pictures to share while your out of gas on the side of the road in the middle of fucking no where,
have a truck gun handy for some inprompto target shooting,

Anything else?

7mm

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:38:00 AM EDT

[#23]

excellent rant 10/10

no draw down, but plenty of Verizon fail.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:39:12 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Do you reset your Trip-meter after every fill up?

Irregardless...things can go wrong. Glad you made it back to civilization in one piece.

ALWAYS DO THIS!!!!

It's a great back up for any fuel gauge issue.

TXL

I do this every single time. The low fuel light comes on at roughly 280 miles, it fluctuates depending on whether or not I've been driving on the highway, or just city traffic.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:39:34 AM EDT

[#25]

you should post this to the consumerist

consumerist.com

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:40:39 AM EDT

[#26]

I like the pics. Go break down again.

If I won the lottery it'd be WY, ID, MT or northern AZ ASAFP for me.

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:41:10 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
you should post this to the consumerist

consumerist.com

I was just thinking this myself...

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:45:13 AM EDT

[#28]

Well, since you stated you own a car lot, are you planning on fixing the fuel gauge system or at least disclosing its malfunction to a potential buyer?

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:45:15 AM EDT

[#29]

[Verizon Nerd] Can you hear me now? [Verizon Nerd]

Posted: 9/30/2008 10:56:00 AM EDT

[#30]

Wow...Casper to Cheyenne is some of the most sparsley populated space I've ever driven through. I feel Your pain.

I was moving My stuff down to Dyess AFB back in Jan of 1983 when I trusted the fuel guage of a U-Haul truck. I was 12 miles South of Buffalo, Wy. & wondering if maybe a half a tank would get Me to the next town when it sputtered to a halt.

Nobody stopped to give Me a lift back to town...but the second car after I hit the road on the way back carrying a gas can stopped a saved Me 12 more miles of hiking.

Never trust a fuel guage on a vehicle the first time You drive it!!!

The Ol' Crew Chief

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:01:28 AM EDT

[#31]

Traveling from Denver to Casper, I always fill up in either Chugwater or WHeatland without fail, even in the summer.
I drive an 04 CHevy 2500HD, and rarely let it go under half a tank, plus I carry 10
gallons in the bed with me at all times.

The winter, I usually fill up a bit more frequent if I have been using 4 wheel drive.

I rarely let the trip odometer reach 200 miles, I fill up right aroudn that mark as a backup to the fuel gauge.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:06:57 AM EDT

[#32]

I think Verizon sucks ... I have been tryoing to get off their online billing for 9 months .

All I want is a paper bill so I can send them my money .

Is that too much to ask . 9 months I have been trying to get a regular bill .

I think Verizon sucks

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:07:27 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

I also picked up some of the bottles and cans from the roadside, carried them a few hundred yards off the road into an empty field and had a little target practice.

So the day wasn't a total waste

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:08:23 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:

Quoted:

1. Never EVER travel without extra fuel.

Or you could just keep an eye on your fuel gage.

Did you actually read his post? Hard to watch a malfunctioning fuel gage...

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:12:08 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
So yesterday I drove from my home in Casper, Wyoming down to Loveland Colorado. Its about a 250 mile drive South down I-25. I was driving a 2003 GMC Yukon XL. I passed Chugwater Wyoming at about 11:00, checked the fuel gauge and decided that half a tank should get me into Cheyenne, 45 miles away.

23 miles later the needle of the fuel gauge finally unstuck and dropped to E in about a second and a half. Then the car sputtered and died. I was out of fuel with no sign of civilization for 23 miles to the North and 22 miles to the South. I raised my hood, hoping that some kind soul would stop and perhaps offer a ride.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/xdoctor/Picture005.jpg

I had been in and out of cellular service for the last two hours. In that time my phone was trying desperately to find a signal, which drains the battery at a horrendous rate of speed. I had one bar left on the battery so I went looking for my car charger. I didn't bring it. I don't know anyone in Cheyenne, so I dialed 411. The operator answered and I asked her for a tow truck in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She said to me, "Can I connect you with Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" I said, "Why yes you can, I didn't know Verizon offered Roadside Assistance."

So she connects me. I spent the next 15 minutes punching in my credit card number, my phone number, the last four digits of my SSN etc. etc. etc. Then I finally get a live person on the phone to help me. Goes like this:

Her: Thank you for calling Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance, how can I help you?
Me: Hi, I'm out of fuel on I-25 23 miles North of Cheyenne, Wyoming next to mile marker 30. Can you send some fuel out?
Her: I can help you with that, are you in a safe place?
Me: I'm on the shoulder of I-25, I'm pretty safe.
Her: Ok, where exactly are you?
Me: .... Interstate 25 southbound, mile marker 30, 23 miles north of Cheyenne Wyoming.
(No shit, this was her next question.)
Her: Are you at home?
Me: What? No, I'm next to I-25 in the middle of nowhere.
Her: Could you meet someone at your home?
Me: Are you serious? Lady, I'm broken down in the middle of the prarie here!
Her: I understand sir, is there a mile marker or an exit near you?
Me: Yeah, like I said, I'm at mile marker 30.
Her: Ok, is there a town nearby?
Me: Yeah, Cheyenne is 23 miles away.
Her: Ok, what is the zip code there?
Me: How the hell would I know the zip code of Cheyenne Wyoming?
Her: Sir, I can't do anything without a zip code.
Me: Can't you look it up somehow?
Her: Please hold.

Fifteen minutes go by, my phone is beeping its battery death rattle in my ear.

Her: Sir? Are you still there?
Me: Yes I am, but my phone is about to die, is someone on the way?
Her: I can't find a zip code for Cheyenne. Oh, wait, let me try this one....

I'm on hold again. Three minutes pass.

Her: Sir, what sort of service do you need?
Me: I don't care, send a tow truck, or a locksmith or a taxi or anyone that will bring me fuel!
Her: ok....

My phone dies.

So I figure she's got someone on the way and I wait. Its 12:30pm at this point in time. I took some pictures to pass the time.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/xdoctor/Picture006.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/xdoctor/Picture001-1.jpg

img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/xdoctor/Picture003.jpg

I also picked up some of the bottles and cans from the roadside, carried them a few hundred yards off the road into an empty field and had a little target practice.

Four hours pass. No help has arrived. Finally, someone stops, this is the first time since I've been there. He let me use his phone, I called my voicemail. I had a message from the Roadside Assistance bitch that went like this;

"Sir, I was unable to find any services in Cheyenne. Thank you for calling Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance, have a good day."

She left me to twist. A 12 hour walk in any direction, she knew full well that I couldn't call anyone else, she just left me out there.

I then called 411 again and asked for a tow truck. The operator said, "Can I connect you to Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" I told her to go have sex with herself in a tirade of swearing that can only be described as Yosemite Sam uncensored. It probably wasn't fair, I don't think she was really a Jewish shemale.

One hour later Doug's Towing from Cheyenne was there, he collected $150 and I was back on the road.

Here are the morals of this story:

1. Never EVER travel without extra fuel.

2. If someone ever says to you, "Can I connect you to Verizon Wireless Roadside Assistance?" They are making a direct threat on your life.

does that Giant Trap have Onstar? if not you may wanna subscribe!!!

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:14:08 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
82001

82007
82001
82009

That small of a town needs 4 zip codes

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:20:30 AM EDT

[#37]

What no pics of targets so we can judge your shooting skills in a stressful time.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:22:21 AM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
bestcellbuy.com/bestcellbuy/images/Nokia/Car_charger/Nokia_6101_car_charger.jpg

His car was out of gas. Plugging shit into your car battery without the alternator turning is a good way to kill your battery. If the car will even let you draw from the battery with the car off. I know mine won't. I'm not sure if the key has to be in and the electrical switched on or if the engine has to actually be running.

eta: I'm not sure how much juice a cell phone would draw from a car battery. Hm.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:24:11 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
[Verizon Nerd] Can you hear me now? [Verizon Nerd]

damn, beaten to the punch....

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:31:23 AM EDT

[#40]

Wyoming is usually known for people helping other people, surprised nobody stopped if you attempted to wave someone down. If you were standing alongside your car with the hood up I would have stooped for you. Wouldn't have any extra gas, but would have had a cell phone or given you a ride (with my pistol under my leg...some crazy MF'ers out there

).

Anyway...in that area to the East of I-25 is some public land with some active Prairie Dog towns you could have shot up LOL.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:34:15 AM EDT

[#41]

That is the best rant I have read on here:

SUV/Truck - Check
Cursing - Check
Shooting/Guns - Check
Morons - Check and Check
Hilarity - Double Check

Just great, thanks for the laugh.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:35:45 AM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:

Quoted:

1. Never EVER travel without extra fuel.

Or you could just keep an eye on your fuel gauge.

RIF. His fuel gauge was FUBAR.

So he says

j/k

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:36:00 AM EDT

[#43]

LOL! Good rant. I feel the same about Sprint. They are the sux!

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:39:06 AM EDT

[#44]

cellphone 411 operators can triangulate your postion and pull up a map and give you directions... finding a tow company should take no more then 60 seconds.

I used to do that stuff- lot's of people locked out/outta gas/stranded etc....

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:40:58 AM EDT

[#45]

My fiancee routinely ignores the low fuel light on her Honda Civic. I've been telling her not to do that for years. I've forwarded her this thread.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:44:35 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
bestcellbuy.com/bestcellbuy/images/Nokia/Car_charger/Nokia_6101_car_charger.jpg

This.

A cell phone without a spare battery and/or charger is like a firearm without a reload.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:45:02 AM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:
So the lesson we learned today kids...

don't trust your fuel gage,
don't trust the cell phone company to bail your ass out,
always rest your trip-meter on every fill up,
have a car charger for your cell phone in every car you own,
have a camera to take pictures to share while your out of gas on the side of the road in the middle of fucking no where,
~~have a truck gun handy for some inprompto target shooting,~~

Anything else?

7mm

I was headed to Loveland yesterday and I was going to stop and help this SUV driver out by the side of the road. But instead he was shooting off a gun in a crazy fashion. I hightailed it out of there.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:45:06 AM EDT

[#48]

Excellent rant. This coming from a satisfied Ex-Verizon customer.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:48:06 AM EDT

[#49]

Quoted:

Quoted:
bestcellbuy.com/bestcellbuy/images/Nokia/Car_charger/Nokia_6101_car_charger.jpg

His car was out of gas. Plugging shit into your car battery without the alternator turning is a good way to kill your battery. If the car will even let you draw from the battery with the car off. I know mine won't. I'm not sure if the key has to be in and the electrical switched on or if the engine has to actually be running.

eta: I'm not sure how much juice a cell phone would draw from a car battery. Hm.

You don't have to charge it up, you can call as soon as its plugged in. I've done it many times. You don't need the vehicle running, do you need it running to put your windows up and down

? I'm sure a 5 minute cellphone call would not kill a truck battery.

Anyway a cellphone charger and maybe even a 12v battery booster are good things to keep in an car emergency kit.

Posted: 9/30/2008 11:50:16 AM EDT

[#50]

Quoted:
cellphone 411 operators can triangulate your postion and pull up a map and give you directions... finding a tow company should take no more then 60 seconds.

I used to do that stuff- lot's of people locked out/outta gas/stranded etc....

Maybe in a heavily populated area, but here in Wyoming cell phone coverage may mean just one tower to cover a large area. If you are outside of the largest cities in Wyoming, good luck finding service.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Verizon Wireless left me to die. With pics! (Page 2 of 4)

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