What Do You Keep in Your Car?

It was a bit chilly this morning...enough to freeze my windshield in Central Florida. I came across a stranded motorist this morning, a young lady with a little toddler in the car. It wasn't a flat tire or something obvious, but she had called her husband to come get her. Here she was in her pajamas and a toddler in the car with no socks and nothing warm to wear for either of them. I immediately grabbed my wool blanket from the car. You see, many years ago actually, I was stranded on the road...and I never forgot it either. Before you happily get in your car tomorrow morning, keep these things in mind.

• Wear clean underwear. You know what I mean. You never know what can happen, so if you don't mind trudging down the road in your bathrobe and slippers, then by all means, wear what you want. But I at least try to look human and somewhat presentable when I go out...even if it is just up to the school, less than a mile away.

• Always take your cell phone. That way you can immediately call your husband or friend for help if you run into any kind of situation. I also have our non-emergency sheriff's number on speed dial. Sometimes you may see something and want to alert the sheriff but it may not be an emergency...yet. I don't want to clog up the 911 lines.

• Proof of insurance. Have it even if your state doesn't require it. You want to be able to trade this stuff should you get into a fender bender, and I know most police people will ask for it along with your car registration papers.

• An accident report form. USAA and AAA send these out to their drivers. Or use this one. I keep one in the glovebox. You can sometimes get disoriented or just flustered after even the most minor accident. This form will help you get the info you need from the other driver and tells you what else you should be doing at the scene. I used to carry a disposable camera. Now I use my camera phone instead.

• Warning devices and kit. I think they do sell these these in the States. I know in Germany, it is mandatory to have a warning triangle, flares, basic first aid kit and that kind of thing. You never know when you may need this stuff. It may keep you from getting rear ended too.

• Jumper cables. I have actually used these more helping other people than helping myself, but you just never know. Make sure you do know how to use them. I've even seen some you can plug into your cigarette lighter. I'm not sure how effective those are though.
  

• First aid kit. Along with the normal stuff that goes in there, I like to add motion sickness tablets, extra band-aids and kids' pain reliever. Also have something for sore tummies and throats...even a thermometer would be good to have.

• Flashlight and extra batteries. Even a little device can cast a big enough light to get whatever job done...should you need it.

• Water. I like to keep a bottle per person in the car. Have you heard of those motorists getting stranded? I've even been stuck in a traffic jam, where I longed for any kind of water...even if it was hot, and been able to crawl into the back seat to get some refreshments. Also have some energy or power bars. These things last for decades! I sometimes get hungry just running errands and these things do the trick to tide you over. I actually carry a few in my purse instead of my car.

• A roll of papertowels and a small bottle of window cleaning fluid. I can't tell you the number of times I've driven at night and realized then and only then, hey, the inside of my windows are so dirty...I can't see! By the time you get home and into the next day, you've already forgotten. If you have this stuff with you, you can get it done right there.

• Inflated spare tire. When was the last time you looked at the thing? Just check it out every few months...make sure it is still there and in working order. Also have a tire gauge and that Fix-a-Flat stuff you can inflate a tire with.
  

• Empty gas can. Just a little one...just in case. Never run into this problem by keeping your gas tank always half full.

• Small toolkit with screwdrivers, wrench, small hammer and pliers. I've used mine for more reasons than I count...it's that useful.

• A blanket. I have a thick wool blanket. I just don't use it for people, I cover my frozen groceries with it too.

• Container of wetwipes. Not only are these great for sticky fingers and the like, I use mine for cleaning the dashboard at a long stoplight or traffic jam. They also work great on stains and spills on your carpeting.
  

• Kleenex box. Someone always seems to want to blow their nose in the car. I've also used them as ersatz napkins and to wipe up spills.
  

• Pens and pencils and a notepad. You can never have enough things to write with. You also get some great ideas while driving or maybe something you need to get done. If there's a paperpad there, you don't have to hunt for paper.
  

• A stash of plastic grocery bags. I use these for trash bags, doggy doo bags, kid puke bags...you name it...you can always find a use for one of these!

• Basic map of the area. What if your NAV system goes down? What if you do get lost and you didn't have a NAV system to begin with?

• A small Yellow Pages. Our local phone company sends out this cute little book. It fits under the seat out of sight. It's great to be able to look things up while you are out and about.

• List of cards in your wallet. I keep a little card in my glovebox with a list of my credit cards and other things in my wallet. I don't list the account numbers, just the phone numbers I can contact should my wallet get lost. There are other ways for the credit card companies and banks to be able to identify you should you need to talk to them.

• Cell phone charger. Peace of mind in case you run out of juice.

• Compact umbrella. I put it in a compartment or under one of the seats. If you prepare for rain, it usually won't happen I've noticed.

• A list of emergency numbers to call. Have this in your glovebox in case you leave without your purse or even cell phone.

• Spare change, especially if you live in an area with tolls.

• Coupons. I keep my coupon organizer in my car and just take out what I need when I go in the store. I also keep my 10 and 20% off store coupons in there...you know, the ones you get for Bed, Bath & Beyond and stores like that.

• A small roll of duct tape. If something wants to fall off your car, duct tape it back on. That is just one of the many uses. The last time we camped, I think we used almost half a roll for one thing or another.

Since I'm down in Florida, I don't really think about all that cold weather stuff. Here are some things you should think about having in your vehicle if you tend to get less than perfect weather.