Hard to Pay

[kevin_standlee]

This morning I drove my van to the body shop and dropped it off to have them replace the handle. "Do you need a ride?" they asked.

"No, that's okay, I'll just walk home."

They looked at me incredulously, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's only about a mile and a half," I said. They looked pretty dubiously at me as I walked away.

Later than morning, they called me to tell me the van was ready. "Do you need us to come get you?" they asked.

"No, that's okay, I'll just walk down there after lunch." Again, their tone was incredulous that someone would walk such a vast distance. "I need the exercise," I told them, which they sort of understood, but I get the feeling that to them, if you need exercise, you drive to a gym and work out there, then drive home. Car culture.

Mid-afternoon, I walked the approximately 2500 steps to the body shop. I expect that the person behind the desk was a "placeholder" who didn't really know how to work the place, because she had a real difficulty understanding that (a) I was here to pay for and pick up my van, (b) there was no insurance involved, and (c) All I wanted to do was pay, get my receipt, and my keys. I think it's possible that my having walked up rather than being brought to their shop by their courtesy van confused her, too. After much longer than you'd expect, I paid the $160, got my keys, and drove home, with a driver's-side door whose outer handle actually works.

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I was staying at a hotel outside of Heathrow, and needed to pick up my car from the rental agency at another hotel also outside of Heathrow, in a tangentially different direction. I could take the shuttle to the airport and wait for another shuttle to take me to the other hotel, which would cost £££, or I could walk the two miles directly between the hotels and not go anywhere near the airport. I had the time, and a London A-Z street atlas. So I walked. The folks at the counter were kind of puzzled when I showed up without a shuttle, and without any luggage either (it was back at my hotel).

[travelswithkuma.livejournal.com]

Bears likes tos goes ons walks withs Kevins & Lisas.
Ofs courses Is is as verys specials bears ands rides.

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

I've long believed that having a mechanic within walking distance of one's home is very convenient. After all, it's just when you need a mechanic that you can't drive.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Well, yes -- but the car has to be at the mechanic's for them to do much good, so if it's completely immobile, having a mechanic near doesn't help much (short enough distances one can push, and I suppose the tow charge is distance-related).

Of course, lots of times you have limited driveability, and being able to walk home, and walk to pick it up, makes things simpler.

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

Yes, this. (Exactly once have I pushed a non-running car to a mechanic, having both a helpful friend and a mechanic downhill from my house.) The ability to conveniently walk between the house and garage is the point.