Free 511 California Motorist Program May Help You

Even though my mind frequently races with snippets, stories, and life lessons for HypoGal blog posts, the HypoGal Blog has been quiet for six months. My experience with the California 511 Motorist Assistance Program teaches me another life lesson. Best of all the California 511 Motorist Assist Program is free. 

Two days ago, my body was spread out on my well-worn family room couch as my IVIG treatment bottles dip into my body. If you want to learn about IVIG, then you can click on this link. My body receives IVIG infusion every twenty-one days to halt two rare chronic diseases, Relapsing Polychondritis and CIPD.

Below is a photo of my body receiving IVIG treatment: 

 

My desire to blog resonates from my ongoing life lessons;

  • If you become incredibly itchy after IVIG treatment, then the infusion may need to be slowed down. When my IVIG infusions are dipped to quickly, a nasty allergic reaction can follow.
  • It is best to schedule your Mammogram at the end of the day. Yes, it is crazy, but I had a Mammogram hours after my IVIG. My Mammogram appointment was for 5:30 PM, and I found the office deserted.
  • If your car tire blows out on the freeway, then being an AAA member is a welcomed relief.

Unbelievable, after a day of IVIG infusion, a Mammogram machine squeezing each of my dense breasts, my car's right front tire blows out as I enter the freeway. What a day!

Oh, it gets worse, I call AAA, and my iPhone will not connect with any of the AAA's dial by choice selections, so AAA disconnects.

With my iPhone battery on red, my husband not answering his phone, my daughter answers my call for help. I should mention that my phone charger decided to stop functioning, ugh. My daughter calls AAA, and she tells me the AAA tow truck should arrive within twenty minutes.

Within a minute a tow truck pulls behind my inoperable car. I am so confused; I just hung up the phone with my daughter. All I can think, this is a surreal AAA service; I soon find out I am wrong.

From the tow truck, a tall, well-built thirty-something young man approaches my car. I say, wow AAA is this fast?!

He smiles and informs me that he is with the California Freeway Assist Program 511.

Upon learning this news, I am a bit creeped out. California is such a mess, and this white knight with a tow truck magically appears? I should also write that my youngest daughter is binge-watching Criminal Minds. I can envision me as the would-be dead woman that mindlessly accepts a tow from a faux California State employee.

My almost white knight makes my decision to jump into his tow truck easier when he informs me that he can only tow me off the freeway and not to a repair shop. As the words, stranger danger, and Ted Bundy scream though my mind. I thank the handsome gentleman for his offer but decline.

The would-be white knight does answer all my questions about the California 511 tow service, and he even allows me to take a photo of his brochure. I wonder why I can't have the brochure; maybe his plot is elaborate?

I later find out that California has a motorist assistance and traveler program that you can contact by dialing 511. My mind resonates with the saying; you do not know what you do not know.

Go figure, California spends millions of dollars on the 511 programs, but I wonder how many Californians know about this program?

About fifteen minutes after my would-be white knight leaves me, an AAA tow truck driver does arrive to tow my vehicle. Unbelievably, I can't ride with him. Passengers are not allowed to ride with the AAA driver; it is COVID. The state of California is one enormous contrarian.

Before my car is resting on the tow truck, my husband pulls up behind my car. Fortunately, my daughter can contact my white knight, my husband.

My husband and I follow the AAA tow truck driver to a nearby tire store.

As we drive away from the tire store, I wonder why I can sit in the tow truck with a California 511 tow truck driver but not a AAA tow truck driver?

So how was your day?

P.S. When combing the 511 website I discovered you can view the following traffic video cameras live throughout California. 

Please, Like, HypoGal on Facebook.

You can find additional shortcuts to living with a chronic illness on HypoGal.com.

Resources:

https://go511.com/Home/News