AAA maps and books

[rschen7754]

What are people's strategies for getting maps and TourBooks from AAA?

I would like to ask them for all the TourBooks at once, but I don't know if they would go for that, and it would be too big to carry. So I usually space them out over the course of a few years.

[PHLBOS]

Some AAA offices have vending machines, that are activated by one's AAA Membership Card, which contain maps & tourbooks, usually for the surrounding area.  I try to do that first and then go to the counter & ask for ones the machines don't have.

[1995hoo]

The one near us is as PHLBOS describes and I do the same. In addition to local materials, ours usually has Florida stuff in the machine, presumably due to it being a popular destination.

[rschen7754]

Some AAA offices have vending machines, that are activated by one's AAA Membership Card, which contain maps & tourbooks, usually for the surrounding area.  I try to do that first and then go to the counter & ask for ones the machines don't have.

That's interesting - I've never seen that, but then I've never been to an AAA outside Southern California.

[briantroutman]

I worked at three different AAA clubs in Pennsylvania through my high school and college years. And almost without exception, either I or any of my coworkers would have been happy to give you as many different maps and TourBooks as you wanted. I can think of only a few possible items that might try the AAA employees' patience.

- Asking for several copies of the same item
Auto travel counselors (i.e. the people who hand out maps) hate it when they have to disappoint a member because they can't find a copy of whatever map or book the member needs, so if you're asking the counselor to clean out his/her stock of a particular item (leaving none for the next customer), the counselor probably won't be very happy.

- Expecting the counselor to figure out what maps or books you need
Sometimes customers will say something like "I'm going to Nova Scotia the scenic way; give me all the maps and books I'll need" . I usually enjoyed getting requests like this, but many of my co-workers did not. You'll make the counselor's job a lot easier if you know what maps and books you need ahead of time.

- Asking for "everything"
I think in general, counselors would like to think that you're actually going to use all of the materials that you take. And if, say, the office has only one copy of the St. Louis city map, should they give it to you...even though you didn't even ask for it specifically?



Separately, is there any interest in having a general AAA-related thread?

[Roadgeekteen]

I used to LOVE reading those Triple a tour books when I was little.

[chays]

I actually currently work for AAA (as a cartographer nonetheless) and I often hear of members simply writing to their club every you to get the entire "library".  AAA bends over backwards to satisfy their membership, and I've never heard of any request being denied.

[sparker]

California's a bit unusual inasmuch as there are two separate AAA entities: ACSC (Auto Club of Southern California) and CSAA (California State Automobile Association), with the cross-state multi-county line (the one separating San Luis Obispo from Monterey or Kern from Tulare counties) delineating the dividing line (CSAA also incorporates Nevada).  Cartography is a bit different when it comes to regional multi-county maps; ACSC maps show major highways with very thick black lines, while CSAA maps are considerably more subtle in this respect; CSAA maps are somewhat more detailed insamuch as they show more rural roads and local arterials. 

Both divisions now feature the "automated" map-distribution system; insert your card and select a map from a display board near each office's entrance.  Not all available maps are available via the auto system; if you need something that isn't on display, you need to talk to the counter personnel; I've never found them to be anything but courteous.  Luckily, here in CA one can take care of any auto registration renewal at a AAA office (you just need to show them your renewal papers and your insurance card); all licensing issues still have to be resolved at a state DMV office (aka the 8th circle of hell!).  I've been an AAA member since 1973, owning pretty much every CA regional and local map they've published at one time or another!  Prior to the web's existence, their tour books were indispensable for planning cross-country road trips due to their extensive listing of overnight accommodations.   

As iterated in an earlier post, just treat them with common courtesy and don't ask them for 50 copies of any given map or book.  I'll admit to getting several U.S. maps from them per year just to draw my own Interstate additions; they don't seem to mind handing out multiple copies of that particular map!