# I pit OnStar. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 29, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098 "2004-12-29T15:27:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/21 "2004-12-29T22:42:09Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Methinks the basic fee is lower than $17.00/month. I have Onstar with my truck, and I thought it worked out to like just under 10 bucks a month if I prepaid (Which I did for the term of the lease.) I have no idea; I’m just going based on the post earlier in the thread which said: _“I heard a commercial for OnStar the other day on the radio, and was VERY surprised to hear that their basic service, which is basically just emergency services, is $17/month.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/22 "2004-12-29T22:49:19Z")
If you pit up OnStar, makes no difference where you are They know your GPS and will come to you ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/23 "2004-12-30T00:36:13Z")
I believe that if you pay by the month it’s significantly higher than if you pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. I keep forgetting to renew mine - you’ll probably never need it, but if you _do_ need it - anybody remember that lady in Florida who ran off the road by a bridge and nobody found her for a week or so? She survived by drinking water caught in her steering wheel cover. OnStar would have known where she was. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/24 "2004-12-30T02:26:30Z")
John Wayne is crying in heaven. Where were the guts and coathanger when someone locked themselves out of their own vehicle? Where was the courage when someone had to use a cellphone to call for police and an ambulance, or even flag down another motorist for help? Where was the ingenuity in burning a spare tire to send a smoke signal when you broke down in the middle of the New Mexico desert? Where was the MacGuyver in us to dissassemble a headlight to flash it at the search planes when we got caught in the blizzard in the rockies of Colorado? Where? Where was that insatiable survival attitude? The Duke had it, rest his soul. Tripler OnStar is making pansies out of us all. ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/25 "2004-12-30T02:26:30Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I believe that if you pay by the month it’s significantly higher than if you pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. I keep forgetting to renew mine - you’ll probably never need it, but if you _do_ need it - anybody remember that lady in Florida who ran off the road by a bridge and nobody found her for a week or so? She survived by drinking water caught in her steering wheel cover. OnStar would have known where she was. Minor correction, she and her vehicle were pushed off by another driver (either she was pulled off or he hit her in the first place). They finally widened that offramp (from i-95 to i-595, south bound to west bound) to two lanes, fully, and cut off a lot of the undergrowth under there (and then turned the crotch of that area into luxury condos). ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/26 "2004-12-30T04:58:35Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > I was listening to the radio on my way to work this morning, and heard one of their commercials which I think was their worst yet. You hear the OnStar rep ask how he can help, and some semi-hysterical woman starts shrieking about her accident, and almost screams when she’s asked if she’s injured. I suppose the though behind using the clip was “oh, people will be impressed at how OnStar can help even if you’re that shaken up,” but my thought was “uh, I don’t want to hear this lady screaming - time to change the station.” That commercial grates on my last nerve, every time I hear it, I just want to start smashing things. I can think of _lots_ of problems with OnStar that haven’t been mentioned yet: [ul] [li]If you’re in an area where there’s no cell service, OnStar’s worthless.[/li][li]The onboard monitoring system can be used to give them an excuse to void your warranty because you did something silly like go ten miles beyond the recommended intervals for oil changes.[/li][li]If you’re in an accident the police can pull the data to use against you (if not them, then your insurance company will).[/li][li]If they’re computer mistakenly posts your payment to somebody else’s account, OnStar can shut your car off until you manage to get hold of someone at your finance company who can figure out what happened to your payment.[/li][/ul]I’m sure there’s _lots_ more things they can do that I haven’t thought of. (Note, I’m not claiming that it can do all of these things right now, but they certainly can be incorporated into the system at some point in the future.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/27 "2004-12-30T05:21:12Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > OnStar is making pansies out of us all. That is exactly what I was trying to say. When my husband took my truck home and left me with his car, I didn’t have my spare set of keys for his car. Only my truck. OnStar couldn’t help me get into my locked car. Hell, my cell phone was in there too. Did I panic like a little girl? No. I used my friends cell phone, called my husband. I went back inside the bowling alley with my friend and worked on my Dead Pool List. He roused the kids, stuffed them into the truck and drove back to the bowling alley (40 minutes) with my keys. All very civilized and panic free. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/28 "2004-12-30T05:25:31Z")
> [@](#): > > I can think of lots of problems with OnStar that haven’t been mentioned yet: > If you’re in an area where there’s no cell service, OnStar’s worthless. > The onboard monitoring system can be used to give them an excuse to void your warranty because you did something silly like go ten miles beyond the recommended intervals for oil changes. > If you’re in an accident the police can pull the data to use against you (if not them, then your insurance company will). > If they’re computer mistakenly posts your payment to somebody else’s account, OnStar can shut your car off until you manage to get hold of someone at your finance company who can figure out what happened to your payment. **Tuckerfan** I mean this sincerely, I adore you. Thank you for posting this information. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/29 "2004-12-30T13:28:45Z")
A novel way to unlock your car: [here](http://www.detnews.com/2004/commuting/0412/30/B08-40694.htm) ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/30 "2004-12-30T13:31:32Z")
Hell, I just walk around with a spare key around my neck as self-inflicted punishment for six months every time I lock my keys in the car. Works for me, even with these fancy shcmancy computer keys - I just get a lock smith to make one good enough to open the car bay door, Hal. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/31 "2004-12-30T14:18:28Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > A novel way to unlock your car: [here](http://www.detnews.com/2004/commuting/0412/30/B08-40694.htm) Not according to [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/32 "2004-12-30T21:53:18Z")
Interesting. Very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/33 "2004-12-30T23:10:57Z")
A novel way to unlock your car: [here](http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1858556) ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/34 "2004-12-30T23:25:52Z")
Bahahah! 😃 Thank Og for rubber keyboards. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/35 "2004-12-31T03:07:37Z")
> [@Mynn](#): > > Minor correction, she and her vehicle were pushed off by another driver (either she was pulled off or he hit her in the first place). They finally widened that offramp (from i-95 to i-595, south bound to west bound) to two lanes, fully, and cut off a lot of the undergrowth under there (and then turned the crotch of that area into luxury condos). Thanks, I was just vaugely remembering it from seeing it on TV much later. Anyway, the point is, people were _looking_ for her, they’d even looked around there, and they just didn’t find her. That’s one situation that carrying spare keys won’t get you out of that something like OnStar might. I mean, sure, it’s vanishingly rare, but if it were _my_ mom… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/36 "2004-12-31T03:16:58Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > If you pit up OnStar, makes no difference where you are > They know your GPS and will come to you Along with anything your heart desires? ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/37 "2004-12-31T03:35:20Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Thanks, I was just vaugely remembering it from seeing it on TV much later. Anyway, the point is, people were _looking_ for her, they’d even looked around there, and they just didn’t find her. That’s one situation that carrying spare keys won’t get you out of that something like OnStar might. I mean, sure, it’s vanishingly rare, but if it were _my_ mom… Well, if I use the spare key on a lanyard to delicately snag my cell phone from my purse … 😉 But yeah, that’s why I cell phoned in 99 - too many damn break downs w/o a phone and no “road rangers” to help out and a ‘new’ car no one expected would live longer than six months, especially with a daily 30 mile commute. Now adays, you can get emergency cell coverage rather cheaply. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/38 "2004-12-31T04:59:44Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Methinks the basic fee is lower than $17.00/month. I have Onstar with my truck, and I thought it worked out to like just under 10 bucks a month if I prepaid (Which I did for the term of the lease.) IIRC this is about what my sister and BIL pay. He can drive, but he is significantly disabled. Among other problems, he had a stroke and lost fine motor skills in his dominant hand, i.e. those needed for all those itty-bitty cell phone buttons. (Their landline phones have special larger buttons.) He’s also rather severely diabetic. A few times he had to pull to the side of the road when his insulin got out of whack. He was able to get it under control before he blacked out but it’s conceivable he might need a panic button of sorts. I’m not defending OnStar but it’s not the anti-Christ either. My BIL limits his driving just as much as possible but it’s still a measure of independence for him. Having that extra bit of precaution isn’t all that bad. YMMV. Veb ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/39 "2004-12-31T05:22:55Z")
Veb, not disagreeing. Big button phones were a bitch ta find 20 years ago - but things are improving. Ohh, and [http://www.insiderreports.com/storypage.asp\_Q\_ChanID\_E\_CW\_A\_StoryID\_E\_20001671](http://www.insiderreports.com/storypage.asp_Q_ChanID_E_CW_A_StoryID_E_20001671) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098/40 "2004-12-31T18:43:07Z")
> [@Mynn](#): > > Well, if I use the spare key on a lanyard to delicately snag my cell phone from my purse … 😉 > > But yeah, that’s why I cell phoned in 99 - too many damn break downs w/o a phone and no “road rangers” to help out and a ‘new’ car no one expected would live longer than six months, especially with a daily 30 mile commute. > > Now adays, you can get emergency cell coverage rather cheaply. Gotta be conscious to push the buttons, though. I mean, I know the circumstances where OnStar and nothing else could come to your rescue are vanishingly rare, but they _are_ pretty dire, if they were to happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-onstar/282098.md?page=3)