Picture this: Late afternoon, end of the work day. Car in shop. Friend takes me to pick up car. When we arrive at Garage of Favorite Mechanic, Mechanic is not around. Another guy--a slow talker and man of few words--says he's gone to look for a part for a customer. I also don't see my car. Friend has already left. I ask Slow Talker where my car is and he says it's at the other location, not far away. I wait, soaking in the scenery of the busy street. Cab pulls up. Guy with a briefcase gets out, too cheerful for the time of day and the fact that we are both about to be out $400 apiece. Discovering he has to wait on Favorite Mechanic as well, he starts gabbing on his cell phone. Loudly. Then he strikes up a conversation with Slow Talker: "Nice day, isn't it? How's business?" Etc. He tells some jokes at which only he laughs. I quickly nickname him Annoying Man. Reminds me of the John Candy character in "Stripes."
Mechanic from the other place pulls up in my car, and we discuss the damage.
Another customer and his wife/significant other drive in. She waits in the car. Favorite Mechanic finally arrives and we all pile into the phone-booth sized office, lining up to pay. Smoke fills the air. Annoying Man comes in and proceeds to tell some jokes (all of which are stupid) and drops some things out of his briefcase. Favorite Mechanic takes his money first and initially I am agitated because I'd been there about 10 minutes longer than Annoying Man, but then I realize Favorite Mechanic is a genius; he wants him out of there first.
Man whose wife/significant other is waiting outside glances out the shop window and says, "Great, she's on the phone. Give a woman a phone and she's going to start yakking." I look around the room, packed with about five other people, all males except me. I say, "I don't like to talk on the phone." Sexist Man says: "Yeah, well THAT one does."
I study my bill in the dirt-packed lot. $75 an hour for labor. Realize I'm in the wrong line of work. Do you, Internet, know the feeling?
2 comments:
Maybe you all are -- sometimes-- in the wrong line of work. But, that's assuming you don't find compensation other than money. We know you have to make money to buy snacky-treats for us, but we're betting you like what you do or you wouldn't keep doing it.
You're right, four-leggers. ... as usual you have some keen insight into us humans. :)
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