Paper maps and a payphone to get a car home from Portland

Back in 2009 I had to move a dead BMW from Portland to Seattle and there was no internet in my truck cab, just a paper map and a flip phone. I called a tow outfit listed on a diner bulletin board, and the guy quoted me $380 cash to haul it on his flatbed, no contract, just a handshake. Now I book everything through an app, get live GPS tracking, and paid $410 for a similar run last month with three different quotes before I even left the driveway. The weird part is I kind of miss the uncertainty, you never knew if the driver would actually show or if you'd be stuck at a gas station for 4 hours. But I wouldn't go back, the tracking alone is worth it. Anyone else remember the old days of calling random numbers from a list and hoping for the best?

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rowanbennett6d ago

Reminds me of calling around for a locksmith once and getting a guy who showed up in a van with no name on it. Felt sketchy but he had me back in my car in ten minutes for forty bucks.

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