Some of you know that it recently seemed all the technology planets were aligned against me: I lost the use of my car, cell phone, computer and alphasmart all in one blow.
Well, the mechanic to whom I had been taking my car for a while, and to whom I had already given tons of money, told me it was going to cost around $1200 to make the car safe to drive again. Told me lots of scary stories of why it wasn't safe to keep driving. Since $1200 is what I pay for rent each month, there was no way I could afford that, so I just had to let the car sit in the driveway and walk to the train station to go to work.
Now, my daughter just came home from school last week, and bless her lazy little heart, she just couldn't go without a car, and wouldn't/couldn't possibly drive it with someone following her to the shop, so she called another shop and had them come pick it for her while I was at work.
They had it for a day and half and came back with the following verdict: the noise it was making was from carbon on the pistons which they cleaned off; the front brakes were a little rusty, but still ok for now, and other than that, they said, nothing was wrong with the car. Total cost of repair: $45.00. They didn't even charge me for picking it up.
Obviously, my trust had been misplaced in an opportunistic and unscrupulous shop ower who saw a single woman walk in and went, "Ca-ching!" Unlike Frank Pasquesi, who didn't try to take advantage of the situation.
But there was more to come in my tech-challenged days. Not only did Pasquesi Auto prove themselves to be angels in a time of need, so did Evan Marshall and Edie Ramer.
When I lost my computer, I lost downloaded software, one of which was the Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software. I sent Evan Marshall an email, and he quickly responded, freely replacing the software for me, and was very supportive and kind.
When Edie heard that I'd lost my Alphasmart, she immediately mailed me hers since she was no longer using it. It was (is!) a huge help, and I'm very grateful.
So, thank you again Edie Ramer, Evan Marshall, and Frank Pasquesi!
Has anyone recently proved themselves to be trustworthy, kind, and worth their weight in gold in your life?
I learned a bit about cars from some friends of mine, so I'm no dummy (although having tits seems to make some people think I am.) When we first moved to our town, I brought my car in to have the brakes & tires checked. I gave them virtual carte blanche to replace what they would to see if they passed the test. I picked the car up in the afternoon with 2 tires replaced (with used tires,) & a clean bill of health for the rest. Total bill; $75. They passed the test & now I take my car there for EVERYTHING & a spread the word far & wide.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a moment to post my comment. I'm tearing up. I'm happy that I could help you. And how great to have your car back! You have a very smart daughter.
ReplyDeletePretty much anyone who came to my rescue those first six months after I had the little one. Too many friends to count had floored me with their kindness. I've learned to be so dependant upon myself that it's extremely hard for me to ask for help. So, for them to do the things they did, was definitely a blessing. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I consider Edie to be a blessing, too. She's such a cool chick. ;-)
And I have to say, girlfriend. When you have a bad technical week, you have a *BAD* technical week. This isn't the first time the planets have been aligned against you, so I'm glad some folks shot some sunshine onto your path.
*BIG hugs*
Wow, so cool! Yeah, I've had a few of those mechanics. I found an honest one, and I swear I want to kiss him every time I see him! They can be hard to come by.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the car issue turned out much smaller than you'd thought. what assholes to try and rip you off that way.
ReplyDeleteIt's good news about the car, but be careful with rusty breaks. I had a little squeal in my breaks that was caused by rust, which was caused by leaking calipers. I opted to replace the calipers and pads for safety sake.
ReplyDeleteSo listen for the squeal and be cautious.
LANA - I'm glad you found an honest mechanic - they're hard to come by! Also glad you and Charles had a good trip. :)
ReplyDeleteEDIE - Aw, thanks. :)
MARCIA - I'm glad you have friends and family to help you with Little Bit. Thanks for the hugs - I need all I can get! :)
NATASHA - I don't blame you - I wanted to hug mine, too. :)
CHARLES - Thanks. You named them correctly.
TRAVIS - Thans for the heads up! I appreciate it.
I'm so glad you didn't get taken by that mechanic. Gosh, the world we live in!
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