I have been a member of the same car breakdown association since I was 18 and that’s a long time.

I remember when we had badges on our radiator grills and motorcyclists working for the organisation would salute while passing on the other side of the road. Clearly, health and safety considerations have altered the scenario. There are no motor cycle repairmen any more and we have cards instead of badges.

I had occasion this week to call upon the services of my yellow van men in London. My car made noises that were sufficiently unusual as to persuade me that the expertise of professionals was required.

I met my first patrolman at 1.45pm. A brief examination under my bonnet convinced him that a recovery vehicle would be required. He took my details, called into control and told me that one would be with me between 5 and 6pm. That timing was to fit in with my commitment in London and was perfectly acceptable. At 5.10pm a patrolman arrived, insisted on checking the first man’s diagnosis and having done so concurred with his analysis. A tow was necessary.

However, he couldn’t do it. His van was not equipped to tow a car like mine all the way to High Wycombe. The first patrolman had given all the details of car and its intended destination, but the phone operator had failed to communicate this to him properly. He would summon a colleague with a more appropriate vehicle. At 6.45pm said colleague arrived. We went through the same diagnostic procedure and then he solemnly informed me that he couldn’t tow me to Wycombe however, as he was due to go off shift in an hour and he wouldn’t finish within his working hours. I was starting to get a little tetchy at this point. At 7.30pm I finally met up with a man with the right van, the right information and an available time span that could accommodate the journey to Bucks.

He told me that the phone operators were trained to answer the phone and had no detailed knowledge of the types of vans required for different jobs.

I got home at 9.30pm.

Every one of the four men I encountered had to fill in a form which I had to sign.

Before they started selling insurance, holidays and credit cards, I remember them as being much more efficient.