CNPS numbers spotted 2 (883).
I had dragged myself out of a clammy bed yesterday morning to take my car in to get checked over. I was feeling pretty terrible.
"There's a leak then," said the man, reading the notes from my phone conversation.
"No, probably not," I replied, "I think that's just the air conditioning, but it would be good if you could check. But a big bit has broken off so I need that replaced."
He came outside to check the car for damage (ie so I couldn't claim any scratches had happened whilst the car was in their care) and I pointed out where the lining of the underside of the wheel arch had broken off. "That's the problem," I said. He didn't seem to be paying attention.
"We'll ring you later," he told me.
By the time I was home there was a message on my answerphone and when I rang back I spoke to a different man than before who told me there were no leaks. I said "I know. I realise that was just the air conditioning now."
"Yes, it probably was. It's been hot. So you can pick up the car. There's nothing wrong with it." ]
"Aside from the bit that's broken off?" I asked.
There was a slight pause.
"Sorry?"
"I showed the other fella. There's a bit broken off on the left hand side front wheel arch. Have they done anything with that,? Because I'm not well and I don't want to come all the way out there only to have to come back again." (The garage is quite some way from my house)
"I haven't seen the car myself sir. I'll check with the garage."
He didn't ring back yesterday, so I rang him again today, still feeling ill.
"The car's ready for collection, sir," he said slightly wearily as if that is where we left it yesterday.
"What about the damage?"
"It would take a lot of work to get it right, sir, it would cost over £100. The mechanic has just stuck it back up for you. It'll be fine."
My brain was a bit addled and I accepted this. Even though had I been thinking straight I would have known this didn't make sense. There was a big flap of broken plastic flapping against the tyre and a gap where there had once been more plastic. How could they have stuck this out of the way? And surely there was a reason for that plastic to be there in the first place. Didn't I need it replaced. Because I know nothing about cars I trusted his judgement. After all I'd told them where the problem was and they'd checked it, so it must be OK.
Still feeling sweaty and light-headed I got the bus over to pick up the car. Stupidly my trust of the garage went so far as to not even look at the thing that had been wrong and I paid them £50 (within my winnings) and drove home to go back to bed. There was no clacking or flapping so I guessed they'd sorted something out. Presumably that bit wasn't important after all. It was just there for show. Even though you can't see it unless you lie on the floor. Some people do lie on the floor and it is as important to impress them as anyone else.
When I got home I thought I'd better have a look. They hadn't done a thing to the wheel arch problem. It was just the same as when I'd taken it in. They had possible partially fixed another slight problem further forward than that where there was a gap between the place where the two halves of the car are held together (sorry too technical for me to explain) - this one had been Simon Streeting's fault. He'd done it whilst parking on tour somewhere. It looked like maybe they'd made some attempt to stick that together.
Had I not been ill and way behind on my work this would have been annoying. But I was as angry with myself as anyone for not having had the gumption to just check the work. My English politeness and embarrassment, as well as my assumption that everyone knows more about cars than me, had prevented me from doing so. I got back in the car to drive back to the garage, but was feeling ill and angry and defeated and I just turned round and came home again. I just don't have the time for this right now. Even though this is their fault and even though I explained the problem quite well (certainly much better than I could ever have explained the thing that they actually fixed as you've noticed) and even shown it to one of the men there.
Now part of me is tempted just to forget it and hope that a loose bit of plastic near the tyre is not going to cause any problems and part of me is angry that I have been charged £50 to have my problem left as it was. But I'm also conscious of how much time taking my car in again and then going home again and then going to pick it up again is going to take. It's time that I increasingly don't have, unless I can think of some way to turn this into a challenge.
Of course I should ring them and of course they should sort all this out, but I just don't think I can be bothered. I have been pathetic on so many levels and I just don't know whether I want to prolong the agony.
I had to cancel my gig tonight. Please gods, make me better by tomorrow. Everything is just happening at once. I've got my fillings in the morning as well. Like my car I am falling apart.
