I live in California and attend graduate school at night at CSU San Bernardino. One evening on the way home, I was in a terrifying hit-and-run collision on the freeway. I was alone, injured and far from home and my car was inoperable. Frankly, I was scared.

Fortunately, AAA sent an emergency road service technician to help me from a nearby towing service. His name was Bill, and he was a man of both outstanding professionalism and chivalry. I am grateful that he was the one to respond to the call. Not only was Bill an absolute gentleman, he was extra kind and considerate at a time when I was most vulnerable.

He also had to wait for nearly an hour so the California Highway Patrol could interview everyone, and he even offered to buy a juice for me while I waited. He never complained and, in fact, showed a gentle sense of humor.

He also patiently explained service options to me that I was having a hard time considering because I was so rattled. Then Bill towed my wreck 50 miles. After he delivered it, he unloaded the car for me because he realized (when I hadn’t) that I’d probably never see my books and belongings again if he didn’t remove them from my open, unlockable car. When he was finished with this job, his shift had already ended and he was almost two hours from his home, but he didn’t complain about that, either.

— Anne Cox, California

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