Car Troubles
My stress levels reached a height they hadn't seen recently last weekend. It was a classic example of a weekend when absolutely nothing goes smoothly. I was meeting a friend Friday night for dinner. I parked next to the religious building that shares the parking lot with his apartment building. I met him at his apartment, and he suggested I move my car because there was a religious service scheduled that night and they might need all the spaces. When I go back down to the parking lot to move my car, it won't start. The battery will operate the lights, radio, windows, etc., but the engine makes no attempt to turn over. My friend seems pretty confident that the religious service started at 7:00pm. Since it's now 7:30pm and there are still empty spaces, I suggest we go ahead and get dinner and then deal with the car when we get back. Dinner was yummy, perhaps the only thing that went right this particular evening. We got back to my car a little after 9:00, and it still won't start. We try to jump it off in case the battery is low, but it's an unsuccessful attempt. I call my dad, source of all knowledge, but he's unable to help me over the phone, 400 miles away. I try to call My Mechanic, also hundreds of miles away, but I just get his voicemail. By 10:00pm, we've given up. I know nothing is open that time of night, so I decide to just deal with the car in the morning. My friend dropped off at my house and I collapsed into bed, unable to do anything to fix any of my problems.
Saturday morning rolls around, and I talk to my friend about 9:00am. I ask him to come pick me up and take me back to the parking lot where I can wait for a tow truck. He agrees to come as soon as he finishes responding to a couple emails. In the meantime, I call AAA to request towing. They should be there within an hour, I'm told. My friend picks me up at 9:45, asking me where I had my car taken. I look at him blankly, hoping he's kidding but at the same time thinking it's not funny at all. He tells me my car is not where we left it. At that moment, AAA calls back to say the tow truck will be there within 20 minutes. I tell the operator that I no longer know where my car is. She cancels my request and says to call back once I've located it if I still need assistance. We return to the parking lot at 10:00am and see that my car is, in fact, MIA. (Or maybe that should be "missing in inaction" since it wasn't working.) We try to call his landlord but get no response. I call the religious building. The secretary says it may have been towed and gives me the name of a tow company to call. Ironically, it's the same company that AAA had planned to send to my rescue. I call them, but they don't have it. They give me another company to try. I call them, and they do have my car. I can come to get it anytime before 4:00pm.
My friend always swims on Saturday mornings with a club, so I urge him to go ahead and go, and we'll get my car afterwards. I hate feeling like I'm interfering with his weekend. While he's gone, I call my dad, a friend, and AAA again. The AAA operator is very confused, so I have to explain what has happened. All she can say is, "Oh wow. Wow." I know the feeling.
When he returns from his swim, I've had time to collect myself and am in a much better mood. We eat a quick lunch at the apartment before going to the impound lot. First, though, I have to go by an ATM because the tow company only takes cash. We pull up to my bank, and a maintenance man is starting up a ladder in front of the ATM to work on one of the building's flood lights.
"Excuse me," I say. "Do you mind if I use the ATM really quick? It will just take me a second."
"No, I'm working. Come back in an hour," he tells me. Jerk.
So we go to another branch office where we're able, after what seems like forever, to finally get some cash. Then it's on to the impound lot. On the way, AAA calls again to say the tow truck is in route. The tow truck sent by AAA calls to ask if I'm going to owe the impound lot anything to release the car. I tell them I'm on my way to pay for that and will see them shortly.
We get to the impound lot a little after 1:00pm. The tow truck driver from the AAA company is waiting for me and talking with the driver from the impound lot who had originally moved my car. It costs me $85 to release my car from car jail ($60 for the tow, $10 for the labor, and $15 for the storage, according to my receipt). The AAA driver goes to get my car while the impound driver asks why we didn't just use them. I explain the situation and find out from this driver that they picked up my car at 9:30am. I missed them by half an hour. Stink.
The AAA driver takes my car to my regular service center because everything in town is closed by 1:00pm. We leave a note for the service manager, and this second driver now wants to know what had happened. I tell him, and he just shakes his head. Once again, I know the feeling. My AAA coverage only gives me 3 miles of free towing, so I owe him $7.50. I tell him he's a bargain compared to the first towing bill of my day. He wishes me a better weekend, and goes back to his home base.
My friend takes me home again, as he has plans for mucho studying that afternoon and evening. I'm bored out of my mind at the house and going stir crazy. What can a girl do, though? I talk on the phone to several friends, retelling my sad story and getting lots of sympathy. By the end of the night, all the stress has added up, and I have a huge headache. I go to bed by 10:00pm to try to rest.
On Sunday morning, I feel like my day is going to go better. For the most part, it does. I had hoped to go to another church that night to hear a friend preach, but since I didn't have my car, I didn't have a way to get there. I finally talked to My Mechanic that afternoon. He tells me about all the things he could have done to help me out had he been there. I guess it's the thought that counts. One of my friends from church picked me up later in the afternoon to take me to its evening service.
Monday morning rolled around, and one of my coworkers picked me up to bring me to the office. I called the service center a couple times and eventually learned that an anti-theft computer code in my car had shut down the ignition. They had reset the code and the car was ready to go. Finally some good news! I had prepared myself to pay to have the starter replaced, but now I was only going to owe $70 in diagnostic fees rather than hundreds of dollars in parts and labor. Suddenly, I felt rich.
My car has been running fine ever since. The work week has been a piece of cake compared to the weekend. I am thankful for legs I can walk on, bicycles I can ride (and gracefully crash on), and friends who will pick me up and transport me places.
Saturday morning rolls around, and I talk to my friend about 9:00am. I ask him to come pick me up and take me back to the parking lot where I can wait for a tow truck. He agrees to come as soon as he finishes responding to a couple emails. In the meantime, I call AAA to request towing. They should be there within an hour, I'm told. My friend picks me up at 9:45, asking me where I had my car taken. I look at him blankly, hoping he's kidding but at the same time thinking it's not funny at all. He tells me my car is not where we left it. At that moment, AAA calls back to say the tow truck will be there within 20 minutes. I tell the operator that I no longer know where my car is. She cancels my request and says to call back once I've located it if I still need assistance. We return to the parking lot at 10:00am and see that my car is, in fact, MIA. (Or maybe that should be "missing in inaction" since it wasn't working.) We try to call his landlord but get no response. I call the religious building. The secretary says it may have been towed and gives me the name of a tow company to call. Ironically, it's the same company that AAA had planned to send to my rescue. I call them, but they don't have it. They give me another company to try. I call them, and they do have my car. I can come to get it anytime before 4:00pm.
My friend always swims on Saturday mornings with a club, so I urge him to go ahead and go, and we'll get my car afterwards. I hate feeling like I'm interfering with his weekend. While he's gone, I call my dad, a friend, and AAA again. The AAA operator is very confused, so I have to explain what has happened. All she can say is, "Oh wow. Wow." I know the feeling.
When he returns from his swim, I've had time to collect myself and am in a much better mood. We eat a quick lunch at the apartment before going to the impound lot. First, though, I have to go by an ATM because the tow company only takes cash. We pull up to my bank, and a maintenance man is starting up a ladder in front of the ATM to work on one of the building's flood lights.
"Excuse me," I say. "Do you mind if I use the ATM really quick? It will just take me a second."
"No, I'm working. Come back in an hour," he tells me. Jerk.
So we go to another branch office where we're able, after what seems like forever, to finally get some cash. Then it's on to the impound lot. On the way, AAA calls again to say the tow truck is in route. The tow truck sent by AAA calls to ask if I'm going to owe the impound lot anything to release the car. I tell them I'm on my way to pay for that and will see them shortly.
We get to the impound lot a little after 1:00pm. The tow truck driver from the AAA company is waiting for me and talking with the driver from the impound lot who had originally moved my car. It costs me $85 to release my car from car jail ($60 for the tow, $10 for the labor, and $15 for the storage, according to my receipt). The AAA driver goes to get my car while the impound driver asks why we didn't just use them. I explain the situation and find out from this driver that they picked up my car at 9:30am. I missed them by half an hour. Stink.
The AAA driver takes my car to my regular service center because everything in town is closed by 1:00pm. We leave a note for the service manager, and this second driver now wants to know what had happened. I tell him, and he just shakes his head. Once again, I know the feeling. My AAA coverage only gives me 3 miles of free towing, so I owe him $7.50. I tell him he's a bargain compared to the first towing bill of my day. He wishes me a better weekend, and goes back to his home base.
My friend takes me home again, as he has plans for mucho studying that afternoon and evening. I'm bored out of my mind at the house and going stir crazy. What can a girl do, though? I talk on the phone to several friends, retelling my sad story and getting lots of sympathy. By the end of the night, all the stress has added up, and I have a huge headache. I go to bed by 10:00pm to try to rest.
On Sunday morning, I feel like my day is going to go better. For the most part, it does. I had hoped to go to another church that night to hear a friend preach, but since I didn't have my car, I didn't have a way to get there. I finally talked to My Mechanic that afternoon. He tells me about all the things he could have done to help me out had he been there. I guess it's the thought that counts. One of my friends from church picked me up later in the afternoon to take me to its evening service.
Monday morning rolled around, and one of my coworkers picked me up to bring me to the office. I called the service center a couple times and eventually learned that an anti-theft computer code in my car had shut down the ignition. They had reset the code and the car was ready to go. Finally some good news! I had prepared myself to pay to have the starter replaced, but now I was only going to owe $70 in diagnostic fees rather than hundreds of dollars in parts and labor. Suddenly, I felt rich.
My car has been running fine ever since. The work week has been a piece of cake compared to the weekend. I am thankful for legs I can walk on, bicycles I can ride (and gracefully crash on), and friends who will pick me up and transport me places.
posted by The Trojan Woman | 9:39 AM
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