Tag Archives: dr.hook winnipeg

Pothole Season Continues – Be On the Lookout!

A few months ago, a witty Winnipegger took advantage of the hype around a sinkhole in our city and created a Twitter account that at first was meant to entertain, but since has served a useful purpose.

The account is @Wpg_Sinkhole, and very quickly gained some traction. While it currently sits at 342 followers (certainly nothing to sneeze at), the account has become less about joking about the contents of a sinkhole in our fair city and moreso providing alerts.

Witness, for example, the following Vine that came from CBC reporter Jill Coubrough, that was later re-Tweeted by the Sinkhole:

There is reason why we talk about Twitter in this blog – part of staying safe on the road is being aware of issues you may face while driving. While the majority of potholes were filled earlier this year, there continue to be issues all across Winnipeg, some which you may not see until it’s too late.

The simplest way to prepare yourself for travels on Winnipeg streets and away from needing Roadside Assistance is, simply put, to stay informed. Consider adding social media accounts like the aforementioned Sinkhole Twitter profile to keep alert, and follow news and City of Winnipeg bulletins on any roadwork that has or soon will be commencing.

Stay safe Winnipeg!

Heading on the Highway this Weekend? Check Your Tires Before You Go!

Victoria Day weekend is almost here, which means that the first trip up to the cottage is also just hours away. You can almost smell the open road as you sit at your desk, reading this blog before you pack up your ride and head out to your summer escape.

Before you go though, we do want to advise you to do some tire maintenance before you head out on the road, lest you need to call for some roadside assistance this weekend (and yes, we will be available 24 hours a day in case the worst does happen).

First, be sure that your tires are at proper pressure. Under inflated tires can affect your fuel efficiency and affect the wear on your rubber, while overinflation can put unneeded pressure on the centre of your tire.

Next, do a thorough check for any nails or other objects that may be embedded in your tires. This happened to an associate of ours – as they were prepping to leave North Dakota to get back to Winnipeg, they discovered a large nail in their tire. Sure enough, it had made the trip to the States successfully, but deflated overnight in the hotel parking lot.

Finally, be aware of your tire’s tread. At worst, your tire tread should be 1.6mm in depth, but twice that amount if you’re going to encounter wet and slick road surfaces.

Ultimately, if you’re concerned about your tires’ state, take it to an auto shop for inspection before you hit the road. Otherwise, do be mindful of the weekend riders and the wildlife you may encounter along the way.

Have a great long weekend Winnipeg!

Happy May Winnipeg – Keep it Slow

For the first time in a long time, it appears that April’s showers will indeed bring May’s flowers.

We’re going to be optimistic when we say that the weather from here on in is going to be agreeable after the cold, wet 2014 we’ve had so far. Yes, there will be rain but it’s looking better than we’ve had in past years.

With roads clear, the natural tendency with Winnipeggers will be to amp up their speed on the road and, unfortunately, play a game of ‘chicken’ with red lights now that the risk of swerving or hydroplaning has waned. One of our associates witnessed a near collision earlier today in St. James when a truck sped through a suddenly-turned red light and nearly struck a bus. Fortunately, the busdriver was acutely aware of the other motorist and slammed on the breaks in time.

Needless to say, the result could have been unfavourable – a call for roadside assistance after an accident.

Let this be a word of wisdom for you – just because you think you can beat a red light doesn’t mean you should speed up to make it. Remember – getting to your destination 2 minutes later than expected is much better than the alternative.

Stay safe Winnipeg!

Have a New Driver? Make Sure They Are Protected

Ahh to be 16 again.

We can remember the excitement of finally being old enough to be behind the wheel of our parents’ car or truck. Sure, the ‘milkman van’ wasn’t the funkiest four-tire transportation we had to drive, but it served its purpose – it gave us freedom to go out on
Manitoba roads, riding high with our cronies.

Of course, we can all remember incidents that happened during those carefree days that all the sudden made them not-so-care-free. From running out of gas (and not having cash) to our first fender benders, we went through that all-important rite of passage and came out on the other end that much wiser for it.

That rite of passage continues today for teens in Winnipeg and across the province. Inevitably, something will happen  either to you new driver of one of their friends. It’s the unfortunate reality that new drivers face.

Of course, as parents, we want to do all we can to protect our kids, and short of giving them hockey helmets to wear in the car (which we all know they wouldn’t be caught dead wearing), the best we can do is to arm them in case there an emergency arises.

This is where Dr. Hook comes in. Our pre-paid, rechargeable gift cards will help your new driver out when they’re in a pinch without them having to resort to the credit card with a tight spending limit.

Shop online now for your rechargeable Dr. Hook gift cards and let your teen start driving with a little piece of mind.

Winnipeg Street Clearing, But….

If you saw a deluge of snowplows on the way to work this morning, there’s good reason – as of 7am today, Winnipeg has enacted a city-wide operation to clear residential streets.

As reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, clearing began with the plan to clear in anticipation of the spring melt. This plan will be moving forward over the next few weeks.

With this news comes questions by motorists, naturally, of whether their cars need to be moved from the street in advance of their zone being plowed. Some may have thrown up their arms in defeat to Mother Nature which blanketed Winnipeg once again Sunday night with a large sheet of snow and not shovelled off carpads or driveways, figuring the streets were just fine.

The good news is that an overnight parking ban is not in effect. Cars will not be ticketed or towed if they are found on residential streets while clearing operations are running.

That’s the good news. The bad news, however, is that by not removing your car you are hampering the city’s progress; so we still advise Winnipeg vehicle owners to move their ride, especially if you are parked in front of any drainage spots.

Pothole Season has Started! Beware!

Good news Winnipeg, the overnight parking ban has been lifted!

Bad news Winnipeg, pothole season has officially begun.

After a pre-season that already proved hazardous thanks to a couple days in and around 0, the Winnipeg road landscape now looks to be fully picked apart by the remnants of a soon-to-be-departed winter (once the snow stops falling of course, but more on this in a moment).

Potholes are unfortunately unavoidable as a phenomenon, and can be downright treacherous for drivers. Depending on the size of a pothole, the speed of the driver and the condition of tires, damage can occur with nary a moment’s notice and be as severe as busting tires, cracking bumpers and throwing off wheel alignment.

What makes potholes worse, now, is that with the snowfall we experienced over the last couple days, they’ve been unfortunately hidden from plain sight, and with slush developing from the melt we’ll have with above-0 temperatures on Sunday and Monday, pools will start to form in these spots, making them hard to differentiate from a paved road.

We strongly advise all drivers to stay calm on the streets and keep your speed levels down. While you may have the temptation to plow through streets at higher speeds after cutting your km/hr by 10 or 15 during the slippery snow-coated conditions of the past few months, we’re not in a safe zone yet.

Drive Safe Manitoba!

Pay Dr. Hook Online!

Dr. Hook Towing is committed to making your customer experience as easy and as smooth as possible.

As part of this pledge, we’re pleased to announce that you can now pay online for your service from Dr. Hook. Simply follow this link to head over to our online payment system, securely powered by TD Canada Trust, and you’re done.

The great part about using Dr. Hook Towing’s online payment is that you can pay not only for your own services, but for others as well! That’s right parents, if your teen has an unfortunate incident on a Manitoba highway and requires our roadside assistance, you can pay their bill right away. All you need is the payment amount and the call number.

So if you or a loved one has had an incident that needed Dr. Hook’s attention, click here now to pay online.

Dr. Hook Will Be Out in Winnipeg Tonight for New Years Service

While tonight’s festivities roll on, we do want to remind Winnipeg that New Year’s Eve comes with its challenges on the road, especially for 2013.

Most Winnipeggers, by now, know that there is an inherent caution that comes with travel on NYE 2013 – people for whatever reason will err in their judgement and unfortunately pull-overs by Winnipeg Police do occur due to intoxication.

We say this every year but it certainly bears repeating – if you have any, and we mean any trepidation of getting behind the wheel tonight, then we strongly encourage cabbing, using Operation Red Nose or finding a designated driver who has not consumed a single ounce of alcohol.

But the greater concern this year is the unseasonably cold temperatures. The unfortunate reality is that heading out to a party could mean not being able to plug in your car and coming out, at say 1:30am, to a car that won’t start.

If this situation does happen to you, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Hook Towing in Winnipeg. We will be on call for you tonight should you run into any problems and require our roadside assistance.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year celebration!

Winnipeg Residential Parking Ban Lifted, But…

The City of Winnipeg has lifted the residential parking ban.

To the delight of all Winnipeggers, plowing of streets down to concrete is all but done on side streets and we’re free once again to park overnight on front streets.

However, we’d still like to caution against this.

The unfortunate reality of parking in front of one’s residence, especially in the harsh winter conditions we’re currently in, is not the best choice to make. With regulations preventing one from extending a cable across sidewalks, plugging in from the front of your home is not an option.

As such, leaving your car on streets can mean a dead battery when you go out in the early morning.

Yes, we know the temptation – head in through the front door means less time scrambling through the garage, less noise to wake up everyone (if you have a creaky door like many of us do) and fewer things to possibly trip over, especially if you’re coming home in the wee hours (say like you will be doing in all likelihood on New Years’ Eve), but the reality is leaving your car without energy flowing in can mean a frozen four wheels in the morning, and no one wants to have to deal with that when we’re already late for work, the kids are howling or it’s just plain too damn cold out!

So with this in mind, Winnipeg, we highly encourage you to keep your car in your garages, on your car pads, or on your driveway where you can plug in.

If you do end up with a dead battery, Call Dr. Hook right away at 204 956-4665. We’ll help you get your car back in working order before you know it.

Stay warm, Winnipeg!

Remedies for Frozen Car Doors

If there’s anything worse than a back lane or street that hasn’t been plowed, making Winnipeg roads torturous, it’s not being able to get into your car in the first place.

We’re not talking about locking your keys in the car or forgetting them at the office after security locks up; instead we’re talking about that rather unfortunate where snow and ice have built up so much that you literally can’t open the door.

This is one of those cases where home remedies may be your best solution.

One of the tricks we always hear about  is using a hot air dryer to melt the ice buildup. It’s pretty practical if it can be achieved, but that can be hard to do if you’re parked away from a power outlet or, you know, have a hot air dryer.

So we crawled the web in search of some other handy tips for opening your car, and here are a few home remedies for your frozen four-wheel.

1. Praise Lifehacker for this gem – hand sanitizer, which seemingly everyone carries these days, can be used as a lock de-icer.

2. WikiHow offers up five suggestions (including our aforementioned hot air dryyer), the simplest? Push on your car door to break the frozen seal.

3. Catalogs.com, appropriately, has a variety of methods listed. Heating a key with a lighter, if available, isn’t a bad step.

Of course, lock de-icer is still the best solution, but if you don’t have this at the ready, then you now have some more solutions in your back pocket.

Stay warm Winnipeg!