Car trouble is something that most (if not all of us) will have to go through at some point in our lives. Whether we are trying to get somewhere only to find out that when we turn on our car that it is dead; or whether we are trying to leave work and realize that we cannot find out keys, it's going to happen eventually. So, what do you do about it?
Car trouble doesn't have to be the major headache that it usually is for most people if you are prepared ahead of time. For instance, if you know that you are going to be traveling to a place in a separate city or state that yo have never been to before, then it pays to know a thing or two about the area that you will be traveling in prior to your departure. Additionally, make sure that you have your car checked out prior to when you know that you are going to leave. Take it to the mechanic and have the oil changed/checked, the tires rotated and balanced as well as any other pressure gauges, etc. checked. Keep in mind that when you are traveling, prevention is better than cure!
Despite the fact that most of us have cell phones and other gadgets, technology isn't perfect, and sometimes the old fashioned way of doing things is slightly more effective. For example, I have had several instances where my phone was having some sort of issues where I wasn't able to use it for a couple of days. During that time, I had to borrow someone else's cell phone in order to make the phone calls that I needed. However, because cell phone numbers change and most of us don't really bother (or simply cannot keep up) to remember the numbers of all of our friends, family members and other acquaintances, it is not that unusual to find out that when push comes to shove, we cannot remember the phone numbers that we should, when we should.
If your car has a locked glove box, this might be a great place to store a secret list of emergency contact phone numbers. You should keep this list with you at all times in your vehicle. Another thing that you can keep in your car is what I like to refer to as an 'emergency car kit'. In this kit (which I keep in a bin), you should have: a flashlight, first aid kit, extra set of clothes (and shoes), umbrella, ice scraper, and some water and non perishable food items. You never know when something will happen while you are driving that will require the use of one of these items. For example, I was recently at a soccer game whereby one of my teammates was hit in the face pretty hard with the soccer ball, which opened up a gash in her forehead. However, no one had a first aid kit. That's when I remembered that I always keep on in the trunk of my car. It pays to be prepared!
