A really substantial part of my day today seemed to be dealing with idiots. Now, often, when this happens, I usually admit after a time that it's me, probably, but today, no. I dealt with a whole bunch of morons today. And then with some people who were nice, above and beyond the call. All in its time.No work, today; school's closed for Yom Kippur. Still a rainy day, but not yesterday's deluge. I started at the supermarket, the Pathmark, because I only needed a few items and they have those self-scanning aisles. But the scanner didn't like me today, and whatever I scanned, it would freeze and call for assistance. Two times and the cashier really wasn't interested in me anymore. Bummer.
Then on to the car dealership, the one where they inspected K's car last month but forgot to put on the inspection sticker. Surprise! Turns out they forgot to do the inspection, which was the only thing I'd brought the car in for, and for which, of course, I'd paid. They'd have to do the inspection now, they said. Can I have a loaner car? I asked, because I really didn't feel like sitting there. Oh, sorry, no loaners available. So I sat. Twenty minutes later, they tell me that they can't do one of the inspection tests because everything's so wet, so here's a loaner car (where did that come from?) and they'll call me when it's done. And I'm off.
To Linens'and'Things, where the low-talker of a cashier tells me the amount, I repeat it back to her and give her a twenty and the exact change, and she proceeds to hand me my bills and about 97 cents. Now I ask you, if someone says "I'll give you the exact change" and hands you the wrong amount, don't you say "Oh, that was ... " whatever it was. I said to her "My point here was to not get a pocket full of change." She smiled. I left the 97 cents on the counter and pretty much stormed out.
I came home, did some washes, ate my Jenny lunch, and got the call to pick up the car, so back I went. They had to call back to get it brought around three times. I got in, and noticed that the low battery light was on. Uh, dude. It wasn't on when I left the car there. So I pulled it back into the repair bay, the guy came and checked it out, and Hey! The car needs a new alternator!
I swear to you, in no way do I give the appearance of having been born yesterday. At this point, I told the guy that in all my years of bringing cars there (and I have, because I must be an idiot) I've never not had to bring the car back within the week to have the same thing or something else fixed. (As in, why didn't they just do the inspection when I brought it there for inspection?) I told him I would decide whether or not to get it fixed, but I wasn't getting it fixed there. He was very nice and apologetic, and assured me that the car would certainly get me home. You know what's coming now, don't you?
I got about a quarter of the way home when the radio went off. Then all the idiot lights starting blinking on and off. Then the windshied wiper died. And then, about twenty yards from an intersection, so did the car.
Now the fun starts. I called AAA, who said they would be there in 90 minutes. Yah. Then, as I watched in my rearview mirror, an SUV that wasn't bothering to notice that my car was standing still -- the hazard lights being also unavailable to me -- roared up behind me and came to a dead stop about a foot from my bumper. I was sitting casually in the car, no seatbelt on since I wasn't moving, and let me tell you, I screamed like I was on a roller coaster, because I was sure that I was about to be turned into hamburger by this guy. I was shaking and palpitating, at which point I stumbled out of the car and moved over to the sidewalk.
Now it's a new story. The car had stopped in front of the driveway of a lovely home that is also a dentist's office; that is, the dentist has his or her office in the home as well as living there. The woman of the house (who could be the dentist, for all I know) came out, asked if I was okay, what had happened, etc. I explained that the electrical system had died, and asked her if she would call the police -- I was not in Bizarro Town -- so they could direct traffic around me. She went back into the house, but her teenage son came out and this boy was super. Turns out he's a volunteer fireman in that town, so he knows what to do in a situation. He had a gigantic flashlight, and stood with me waving cars around my dead car until the police got there, maybe fifteen minutes. What a great kid. But I can't tell you how many people just didn't notice the two of us standing there waving our arms and came right up to the back of my dead car. Most of them, not surprisingly, were on the phone.
The police car parked behind me with his strobes on, and the best part, he called AAA and expedited their coming. All told, I guess I was stuck there for under an hour, including the time it took for the tow-guy to put the car on his flatbed. He was nice too, and towed the car to my garage. Where, it turns out, the mechanic had big signs up that said he on vacation -- I have no idea what this means to him -- but he was there, and came out and I told him what had happened and he offered to drive me home, but I needed the walk (just about a mile) so I walked. In fact, I called R while I was walking and told her what happened and all.
As Roseanne Roseannadanna said: "It's always something."
