A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way Home...
Tuesday night was a close call for me. I was almost “that girl”. You know the one; helpless, trying to wave people down on the freeway, standing next to her dead car. Yes, I was almost “that girl”. But some quick thinking and luck allowed me to remain anonymous Tuesday night during rush hour.
First some background: During my black period (horrible unemployment during 10/01 to 6/03) I needed to seriously trim my budget, leaving gaping holes in any type of preventative measures that normal, middle-class people generally take for granted. During this time, I canceled AAA (roadside assistance), my car insurance was basic bare bones coverage and I’ve never owned a cell phone. More recently, there was a terrible squeaking when I turned on my car that a friend suggested was the alternator belt. I was planning on taking my car in on Saturday morning when my car decided it needed attention a few days earlier than I had planned. Also, in my quest (obsession) to pay off all of my credit card debt, I closed all my credit cards.
It started right after work. I was leaving later than usual at 6:30P. I figured traffic may have cleared up by then so I hopped onto the freeway instead of taking my usual route. However, traffic was still moving very slowly. Oh well.
And then I noticed that the lights on my dash seemed really dim. And then my radio went in and out. I turned off my radio immediately, but it was too dark outside to turn off my headlights. And then the battery light went on. Wow, this could definitely be the alternator! OK. Don’t panic.
Get off the freeway.
Because I was merging onto the main freeway (I5) I was going very slowly. The lane next to me was the Incredibly Entitled Person lane. You know, the lane that’s actually an exit but some people use it to bypass the lane filled with drivers waiting (im)patiently to merge onto another freeway. The Incredibly Entitled Person lane was to the right of me and had the occasional car whizzing past. I moved into it right away and was lucky enough not to be rear-ended in my desperation to get off the freeway. At the exit, I turned right in First Hill (not the safest neighborhood in Seattle) and was lucky enough to force my car into a parking lot as the power steering lost power and therefore, I lost steering.
OK. Remain calm.
I need to fix my car. I can not live my life without my car. I have two jobs and need them to pay off my credit card debt, an obsession that wholly describes who I am right now. I need to tow my car to my mechanic ASAP.
It was pretty easy to find the towing company responsible for the lot. Now, I just needed to call them. Since everyone has a cell phone these days, it’s impossible to find a pay phone. (Note to self: Rethink the cell phone decision). I was able to use a phone at a Chinese restaurant a block away. Unfortunately, the hostess dialed for me, so I didn’t have the freedom to do a bunch of phone calls looking for a friend to pick me up. I called the towing company first and admittedly was a little rude to the customer service representative who took my call. I’m just going to have to forgive myself for that. She let me know that it was an hour-long wait. I then called my roommate who was not home. And then I waited an hour. However, while I waited, I brilliantly took down the phone number on one of the passing taxicabs. It cost me almost $105 to get towed less than 10 miles. (Note to self: Rethink the AAA decision).
After dropping off my sick car and my keys in the night slot, I went next door to Baskin and Robbins. Unbelievably, there was a pay phone right outside. I called my roommate first, then my buddy Kim. I didn’t remember anyone else’s numbers off the top of my head, so then I called the taxi company. (Again, cell phone). The taxi came in less than 5 minutes. It cost me $10 + $2/tip. It was the best $12 I ever spent.
When I got home, I had to come up with some kind of plan. My heavy work schedule does not allow for this kind of inflexibility. So I called a rental car company (one of the big ones). I was able to make a reservation for a pickup via their 24-hr service, but I was told to call the office an hour before my pickup time.
So then I researched the bus schedule in order to get to work by 6:30 to 7:00A. I did this for about 5 minutes when I just said, ‘Fuck it’. I decided to take another taxi.
Cut to: next morning.
After getting ready for work, I call the same taxi company and they tell me it could be up to a 15 minute wait (the night before, it was up to a 30 minute wait). I call work and leave a message that I may be late and tell them why. And then literally, the taxi arrives in less than 5 minutes. I’m loving taxis! I must say though, that the $26 (including tip) that I spent getting to work, was NOT the best $26 I ever spent. If I had been more disciplined, I could have gotten to work for about $2 by taking the bus.
My mechanic called me in the morning. He let me know that my serpentine belt had broke. He also let me know that I had an oil leak that was leaking into my gasket-something-or-other and I should get that fixed too. I asked him the total for both repairs: about $680. I think not.
So I had him repair my serpentine belt for a grand total of $316 and some odd cents. But because I had to work about 18 hours that day between my two jobs, I could not see being able to pick up my car (which is why I rented for the day right away).
At 10A, I call the rental car company. They ask me a few questions, including do I have a major credit card to put a deposit on my rental. I say, ‘yes’, which could be construed as a lie. But I do have a debit card with a VISA logo. It has a whole $25 left on it.
The rental car rep picks me up and takes me to there office that is close by. He’s very friendly and chatty. But when we get to the office, he would have probably gladly strangled me. “So do you have a credit card to use for a deposit?” “Ummm…no, I have a debit card.” “No problem. But we only put $100 deposit on credit cards and on debit cards it’s $150. Is that OK?” “Well, why don’t you swipe the card and see?”
Silence.
“How much money do you have on your debit card?” “About $25”.
More silence.
“I have $100 in cash on me.”
Luckily for me, cash still spends. My total for 24 hours of a rental car and about 30 miles of driving? $50.45. (Note to self: rethink insurance coverage). And yes, I bought the extra coverage. The way my luck was going I thought this would be $18 dollars well spent.
Luckily, on Thursday, I was able to get a hold of my roommate and she drove me to pick up my car. Otherwise, I probably would have spent another $35 on a taxi.
In synopsis:
Cost of tow: $104.99
Cost of taxi home: $12
Cost of fixing serpentine belt: $319.19
Cost of taxi to work: $26
Cost of rental car: $50.55
Knowledge that I can take of myself: Priceless.
- Susan in Seattle
First some background: During my black period (horrible unemployment during 10/01 to 6/03) I needed to seriously trim my budget, leaving gaping holes in any type of preventative measures that normal, middle-class people generally take for granted. During this time, I canceled AAA (roadside assistance), my car insurance was basic bare bones coverage and I’ve never owned a cell phone. More recently, there was a terrible squeaking when I turned on my car that a friend suggested was the alternator belt. I was planning on taking my car in on Saturday morning when my car decided it needed attention a few days earlier than I had planned. Also, in my quest (obsession) to pay off all of my credit card debt, I closed all my credit cards.
It started right after work. I was leaving later than usual at 6:30P. I figured traffic may have cleared up by then so I hopped onto the freeway instead of taking my usual route. However, traffic was still moving very slowly. Oh well.
And then I noticed that the lights on my dash seemed really dim. And then my radio went in and out. I turned off my radio immediately, but it was too dark outside to turn off my headlights. And then the battery light went on. Wow, this could definitely be the alternator! OK. Don’t panic.
Get off the freeway.
Because I was merging onto the main freeway (I5) I was going very slowly. The lane next to me was the Incredibly Entitled Person lane. You know, the lane that’s actually an exit but some people use it to bypass the lane filled with drivers waiting (im)patiently to merge onto another freeway. The Incredibly Entitled Person lane was to the right of me and had the occasional car whizzing past. I moved into it right away and was lucky enough not to be rear-ended in my desperation to get off the freeway. At the exit, I turned right in First Hill (not the safest neighborhood in Seattle) and was lucky enough to force my car into a parking lot as the power steering lost power and therefore, I lost steering.
OK. Remain calm.
I need to fix my car. I can not live my life without my car. I have two jobs and need them to pay off my credit card debt, an obsession that wholly describes who I am right now. I need to tow my car to my mechanic ASAP.
It was pretty easy to find the towing company responsible for the lot. Now, I just needed to call them. Since everyone has a cell phone these days, it’s impossible to find a pay phone. (Note to self: Rethink the cell phone decision). I was able to use a phone at a Chinese restaurant a block away. Unfortunately, the hostess dialed for me, so I didn’t have the freedom to do a bunch of phone calls looking for a friend to pick me up. I called the towing company first and admittedly was a little rude to the customer service representative who took my call. I’m just going to have to forgive myself for that. She let me know that it was an hour-long wait. I then called my roommate who was not home. And then I waited an hour. However, while I waited, I brilliantly took down the phone number on one of the passing taxicabs. It cost me almost $105 to get towed less than 10 miles. (Note to self: Rethink the AAA decision).
After dropping off my sick car and my keys in the night slot, I went next door to Baskin and Robbins. Unbelievably, there was a pay phone right outside. I called my roommate first, then my buddy Kim. I didn’t remember anyone else’s numbers off the top of my head, so then I called the taxi company. (Again, cell phone). The taxi came in less than 5 minutes. It cost me $10 + $2/tip. It was the best $12 I ever spent.
When I got home, I had to come up with some kind of plan. My heavy work schedule does not allow for this kind of inflexibility. So I called a rental car company (one of the big ones). I was able to make a reservation for a pickup via their 24-hr service, but I was told to call the office an hour before my pickup time.
So then I researched the bus schedule in order to get to work by 6:30 to 7:00A. I did this for about 5 minutes when I just said, ‘Fuck it’. I decided to take another taxi.
Cut to: next morning.
After getting ready for work, I call the same taxi company and they tell me it could be up to a 15 minute wait (the night before, it was up to a 30 minute wait). I call work and leave a message that I may be late and tell them why. And then literally, the taxi arrives in less than 5 minutes. I’m loving taxis! I must say though, that the $26 (including tip) that I spent getting to work, was NOT the best $26 I ever spent. If I had been more disciplined, I could have gotten to work for about $2 by taking the bus.
My mechanic called me in the morning. He let me know that my serpentine belt had broke. He also let me know that I had an oil leak that was leaking into my gasket-something-or-other and I should get that fixed too. I asked him the total for both repairs: about $680. I think not.
So I had him repair my serpentine belt for a grand total of $316 and some odd cents. But because I had to work about 18 hours that day between my two jobs, I could not see being able to pick up my car (which is why I rented for the day right away).
At 10A, I call the rental car company. They ask me a few questions, including do I have a major credit card to put a deposit on my rental. I say, ‘yes’, which could be construed as a lie. But I do have a debit card with a VISA logo. It has a whole $25 left on it.
The rental car rep picks me up and takes me to there office that is close by. He’s very friendly and chatty. But when we get to the office, he would have probably gladly strangled me. “So do you have a credit card to use for a deposit?” “Ummm…no, I have a debit card.” “No problem. But we only put $100 deposit on credit cards and on debit cards it’s $150. Is that OK?” “Well, why don’t you swipe the card and see?”
Silence.
“How much money do you have on your debit card?” “About $25”.
More silence.
“I have $100 in cash on me.”
Luckily for me, cash still spends. My total for 24 hours of a rental car and about 30 miles of driving? $50.45. (Note to self: rethink insurance coverage). And yes, I bought the extra coverage. The way my luck was going I thought this would be $18 dollars well spent.
Luckily, on Thursday, I was able to get a hold of my roommate and she drove me to pick up my car. Otherwise, I probably would have spent another $35 on a taxi.
In synopsis:
Cost of tow: $104.99
Cost of taxi home: $12
Cost of fixing serpentine belt: $319.19
Cost of taxi to work: $26
Cost of rental car: $50.55
Knowledge that I can take of myself: Priceless.
- Susan in Seattle
posted by Susan at 2:53 PM
1 Comments:
Note to Susan - write my number down in your purse. I have my phone with me always and will be there for you, just as you have been there for me :)
I'm glad you can take care of yourself, but it's good to have friends to fall back on too.
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