its technically day 1 of vacation(first “work day” of me not working)
but im a puddle of anxiety. bc on saturday morning, aka first real day of vacation, i said “let me be responsible and get my oil changed bc the sticker says i was supposed to do it roughly ~100 miles ago”. and i lowkey expected that albert and i would be driving my car for a michigan trip on sunday.
i go to the take 5 oil change. its overpriced but ypu pay for the convenience of not leaving the car and i was eager to get it done with. i drive to one that semi on the way to alberts. got my trunk loaded with stuff for the weekend, including some food.
the line is a little long at the take 5. it’s a saturday and approximately 11:30am so im not surprised. takes another 15-20 minutes before i finally get waved in. the last i went to a take 5, also on a saturday, i was the only car there and the workers were kinda mean in pressuring me to buy the upcharged stuff. here, they felt moderately friendly. when i announced my phone number i got a “let’s go cleveland!” and the attendant called me boss. i took him up on the slightly more expensive high mileage oil bc whatever. passed on the wiper blade replacement and the gas tank cleaner bc those feel like gimmicks.
literally on the last steps, they are telling me to start up my car, and rather than the engine chugging/clicking as i turn the keys forward, smokes comes up from the hood and the person down below is saying “there’s sparks”
they try tapping the starter with a wrench a bunch of times while telling me to keep trying to rev it. but nothing. the more senior shop mechanic insists on swapping and jumping down in the pit. more metal clinking on the starter, but nothing. i comment that its hella suspicious that my car started up fine minutes earlier(i turned off the car while waiting in line) and now, after their crew touches shit under the hood it won’t start. immediately they are all defensive that they wouldn’t even have touched the problem area…and they have cameras to prove its not their fault. its just a strange incident. the tell me to put my car in neutral and push me into the parking lot while i wait for AAA
which takes another 90+ minutes for the tower to arrive. he asks where i want it towed, and repeat the name of the place the unhelpful phone operator told me. the tower says that’s where AAA sends everyone and they take a long time. he recommends his place to get it done quicker. he confirms my phone number and tells me i will get a call once the mechanic takes a look. and albert, who has come to pick me up, and i depart.
its monday, 11am now. i have no idea where my car is. im at alberts place still. he took today off work, too. but im so anxious about this car i don’t feel up for anything. i just want someone to call so i can ask “whats the address” and figure it out.
i saw no less than 40 other vehicles go through that take 5 oil change on saturday. why is my car the only one to have its under-the-hood stuff get shorted out. why did it happen on my vacation week. i was so so so burned out from work already. i needed this week to be recuperating and calm and resetting. not even one day in and my mind is consumed by stressful shit and ive lost the freedom of having a car to take me where i want. i should relaxing in my porch hammock or rearranging my apartment or eating bagels and watching the hbo mushroom tv show. but instead im in bed, not in my home, anxiously waiting for phone to ring. nervous about how when i dont hear anything back today, i’ll have to spend tomorrow calling AAA to find out who towed my car and where he towed it, and hunting down that number to finally get to hear my car is fucked and i will need to pay thousands to fix something that i think the idiots at take 5 probably broke.
