A broken serpentine belt will leave you just as stranded as a timing belt but it's a lot cheaper and easier to fix on the spot if you have a fresh one under the seat. A broken timing belt in the boondocks? Do tow trucks charge by the hour or the mile or both?

“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell

It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.