There are those of us that are made to tinker. Those of us that can open the hood of a car and know exactly where everything is, and know for the most part what everything does.
And there are those that open the hood of a car and can't tell the difference between the battery and the jug where the windshield wiper fluid goes.
I fall into the latter category. I have no freaking clue how my car works. I just know that it works. If it stops working, I open the hood, make a thoughtful face, pretend to be thinking about what's wrong, say "Yep", to myself and promptly close the hood.
To be honest, this at times can be more than a little embarrassing. I remember my first foray into not having any idea what do to in situations involving a car. We were driving home from Michigan in my Mom's minivan. All of a sudden, the tire blew out. My mom calmly and carefully navigated her way to the side of the road. Once stopped, her calm visibly evaporated. "FUCK!" She screamed, slamming her hands on the wheel. "FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!".
Yikes.
I would've loved to have been able to comfort her. To have been able to get out of the car and change the tire. But alas, it was not to be. Thankfully, my friend Brian happened to be traveling with us. Brian is not moving parts stupid. He knows things about things. He got out of the car and began to change the tire. Tom-O was there too, and he got out of the car and pretended to help, although I suspect he probably has just as little idea about things as I do.
There was also several young women in the car. Instead of trying to help in a situation in which I knew I could be no help, I took it upon myself to stay in the car and entertain these young women.
Such is the way of life.
What could I do in this situation, or any situation, if Brian wasn't available?
The answer? Triple A.
For 56 dollars a year, I have unlimited access to free roadside assistance. Yep, just one call to a toll free number and within the hour I have a fully trained professional out to take care of whatever might be wrong. Locked your keys in the car? No problem, these guys are great with clothes hangers. Can't get your flat tire off? They have a really sweet tire-getter-offer-machine. Battery dead? Out of gas? Triple A is there.
In addition, you also can have them print you out reliable and up to date travel itineraries, they have free maps of every state in the union, and they are usually very friendly to boot.
Triple A, on behalf of the car stupid here, and everywhere, I thank you for a job well done.
VERDICT:
UNDERRATED
UNDERRATED
Seven years ago my car broke down on Dupont Circle on Friday afternoon in the hottest summer DC has had in a long time. AAA saved the day... especially since I really did not want to leave my car parked outside the sketchy SE DC transmission place, and I had been warned that cars left as such usually didn't have tires or other important parts left by morning. Totally underrated.
ReplyDeleteThis just as well could've been about AAA baseball...which also is underrated.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record Rizzo - of course I knew nothing about cars when I went out to help Brian. I just wanted to look like I did to impress the same girls you chilled in the backseat with eating brownies.
In retrospect you totally made the right choice.
And Taylor,
ReplyDeleteFrom everything i've heard Washington DC has no ghetto's at all...its one big giant family.
I mean, that's what my brother told me and he's never lied to me. Not once...totally a truth teller to me.
You see, Tom, DC is more of a European city like Paris or Milan.....
ReplyDeleteKICKBALL AND POLITICS! THAT'S WHAT DC DOES!
ReplyDelete