Anyone who has struggled to fix a chain in the dark on the roadside without entirely removing it, or attempted to close a broken chain in the dark on the roadside either with quick-links (don't drop one--it will be gone forever) or much worse, with a pin (I did this on Christmas Eve while my wife was waiting with guests to start Christmas dinner) will appreciate what four inches of coat hanger can do.

Anyone like myslef who didn't have one at the time can appreciate how much good it could have done.