Friday, October 7, 2011

I went to my local auto repair shop because an oil change and tire rotation are long overdue. Normally these guys are good, and being within walking distance makes them a treasure I do not take for granted.

But this time was different. There was only one person I recognized there. The girl who was helping me made some comment about, "I don't respond to headbobs," like I was condescending to her when I came in. And while I was having lunch across the street (it was going to take about an hour, and so I rescheduled my appointment for noon time to take advantage of lunch), I saw that they didn't even touch my car. It was over an hour, once I got done eating lunch and working on a few things and coming back, before they finally pulled my car into a bay. I had a job interview at 1:30 (which was pretty much a disaster, more on that later), and I had to push it back half an hour because they were late.

The kicker was when I got the bill. I asked the checkout guy if they take AAA. They said they do, but he couldn't do anything about it. There was a mechanic (I think) hanging out next to him saying that the next time I come, I tell him about it. I specifically remember telling the girl who helped me the same thing. She said that they no longer take AAA, but I have to talk to the guys about it. When in the hell can I talk to the guys about it? They're busy fixing my car and all the other fucking cars that made me late for my interview!

So this mechanic calls over the only face I recognize, who may be the owner. They still do take AAA, but for some goddamn reason he couldn't fix the invoice to give me a discount. Instead, he gave me a free car wash -- one of those shitty automatic car washes that don't completely clean your car. And his tone told me he wanted me out of there as soon as possible. I had to oblige him -- I was still running late, and I wound up a few minutes later than my new interview time of 2 o'clock -- but he was acting like I got a deal. I got a shitty car wash that I need to use in two fucking weeks.

I don't like this. I may have to change car shops.

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