Well,
This thread maybe has a couple of themes. One, the roadside service the couple used or, has been using, for the most part, has been somewhat reliable for them, up to this point. Now, for some odd reason, it became UN-RELIABLE!!! Now, is this a reason to drop them? Well, that's kind-of a reason for argument. It could be this one time that communications were screwed up by all who were involved in the RSS system, THIS TIME.
But, would or, could this happen again, to the same couple? Who knows. And, as for any of the Road Side Services being any better than any other one, that's a simple matter of opinion. We've all read horror stories of how the different companies of RSS have failed the clients at one time or another. Is there any ONE of them that has NEVER failed ANY of the clients they have? I doubt it.
I think it's really a luck of the draw. When you sign up for Road Side Service, any of them, you hope that you get good RSS response, if and when needed. Will it happen, the odds are, it will. But, a screw up can and will happen, every now and then. Take your pick.
As for the other themes of this thread, the OP had some bad luck, PERIOD! He got going again, albeit after a bit of frustration, only to have it happen again. Talk about BAD LUCK! Then, he tried to drive with a bad tire and did more damage, at least is sounds that way to me. Well, I might have done the same thing, calculating a risk, to get to a place that was safer, nicer and more known, to complete repairs. Well, he goofed up. But, I suspect he'll get things fixed and, move on with life.
Scott