It's December 24th, and I've made a reservation for a rental car the day before. Wow, lucky me they still had lots available.
So Enterprise car rental picked me up today at 11:30 a.m. as promised. -After I reminded them to come get me.
It's a brand new Nissan Versa NOTE. Hey it's gotta be better than the Ford Focus I rented last week. And it was; sort of.
The Focus had really aggressive steering and brakes. The transmission was awful, and I understand they're unreliable. I'm not surprised. It was gutless and then suddenly powerful and very noisy. The noise was worse than a CVT equipped car.
So I was happy to get something else. The floormats were not clean when I got the car. But I didn't care. As I'm driving away the brake pedal feels slightly spongy. I decide I'll check the fluid levels. Better safe than sorry.
The gas tank was not full when I picked up the car. The guy at the rental said "It's at 3/4 full, just bring it back with at least 5/8 and there won't be any fuel surcharge.
So I stopped at the gas station and filled it up. I'm only driving 35 miles to my brother's place for Xmas and back again. So that should be lots of gas for only 70 miles. I tried to pop the hood, but could not find the lever underneath to unhook it so I could check the fluid levels.
So I came home and went online to YouTube to find out how to do it. The release is hidden in a small hole in the centre of the cross beam that holds the rad and fan. It's not on the hood like they used to be.
I came upstairs from the computer room, but got distracted by Doc Martin on PBS. It's the wedding episode from season six. So I watched it. It's hilarious. I didn't even mind that they tied pledging to the episode and it dragged on for almost two hours.
Then I realized that I'd better check the fluid levels on the car because it's late December, and it will be dark very soon. So I tried again to open the hood, and it fought me but I finally won. I check the windshield washer fluid. Way down. I put in almost half a gallon (2 liters). The rad fluid is ok. The brake fluid reservoir looks empty. That can't be right, the car is brand new and only has 2200 km on it. So I got a flash light and shone it back there to be sure. Oh gee, it's completely empty. There's the minimum level, and yes, the reservoir is bone dry.
So I called the 800 number and was told that roadside assistance would go and get a new car at the nearest airport. I had to tell them which one to go to. It's 5 o'clock by the time I'm off the phone with them. I'm promised the tow truck will be at my place to drop off a replacement and take away the defective vehicle by 7:30. And that they would phone 15 minutes before they got there.
At 8 o'clock I get a robo call asking if the job is done. I press 3 for NO. I'm kicked over to a guy who sounds like he's in Jamaica. I can barely understand him. He calls the tow company. Another half hour he says. This happens twice more.
The tow company calls to say he's on the way. It has started to rain outside. A hard rain. The guy doesn't show up. More robo calls where I press 3 for NO. More talking. He's on the way, 30 minutes more. I press 3 again later on. I talk a lot more. He's 5 minutes away, they finally announce. So that's 15 in real time I then reply. No, 5 more she says. Another robo call and while I'm talking to a different Jamaican this time, the truck goes past my house. He stops 4 doors down. I go out into the rain and chase him. He's driving away. He stops. Somehow he hears me calling to him. I jump into the truck and we go around the block. The driver explains the delay. The rental company messed up and the first driver got tired of waiting and went home to his wife and kids to open presents. Thank God for driver #2. At least he's willing to work late on Xmas Eve.
It's raining really hard by now. There's thunder and lightening. He tells me to wait in the house. I watch from the shelter of my garden room. Eventually he unhooks the new car. He backs it up past my driveway, gets out and jumps into the Nissan. I go outside into the rain and thunder and lightening and put the new Kia Rio replacement car into my driveway. He tells me the new paperwork is on the seat. I put the car keys in my pocket and offer to hold a powerful flashlight for him while he works. He declines. I shake his hand wish him a Merry Xmas and go inside. Eventually he's in his truck and pulling away. I wave good bye. I don't know if he saw me wave. I close the curtains and look at the clock. Not quite 5 hours since I first called in the problem. I get two more calls and tell them I have the replacement.
I hope like heck it's ok. But I'm going to make sure in the morning. If it's not, I'm going to have to take public transit to my brother's town, and call a taxi to take me across town to his place. That should only take about ..... forever...... to happen. *sigh* I am tempted to just drive the new car and take my chances. But I won't. Dear Santa: Please let the new car be okay.
My brother calls me while I'm typing this little story. The storm has knocked the power out in his part of town. They've been working on it for 2 hours. Come on out anyhow tomorrow he says. We'll barbecue something and boil water on the barbie if we have to.
I'd better go finish packing my suitcase. I'm staying until Saturday.
Remember, think of these things as an adventure!
Merry Christmas everybody.
