07/02/21 – Humble Garage Owner

Spacetrawler, audio version For the blind or visually impaired, July 2, 2021.

|

2021-07-02-spacetrawler3

|

Where’s a good mechanic when you need one?

I’ve been trying to find a mechanic in the town I moved to, just to get  tune-up before traveling to Montanna. Not a single mechanic has returned my call, and the only one I DID reach, said he was booked weeks out. Wild times.

Anyhow, I know it’s partially that I was looking for a two-week window, so I have no bad feelings, and so I’ve found a garage in another town. Next time I need something, I’ll try again locally.

25 Comments

  1. Rikard

    If it works they it does here regarding mechanics, craftsmen etc it takes a while. You are new, unknown and if you lack familiar ties to the village/area you’re even more of an unknown. Persevere is my advice. Neighbours that can that you are doing work on the house/yard/land will spread the word. Acceptance comes slowly, as it should – trust but verify so to speak.

    Don’t be surprised if you fix something on your own, that you offered to pay for someone to do, and later gets told:

    “Oh, you should have mentioned, my brother-in-laws second cousin could of helped you with that.”

    That means you are getting to be accepted, the phrase is an invite to hire/offer help in the future.

    Since in the countryside, no-one is anonymous.

  2. Knicholas

    If your mechanic has a big sloppy grin on his face when your car, belching huge amounts of smoke-screen like clouds of exhaust rolls in. . . you done messed up.

    Why no, not a personal experience. Why do you ask?

  3. Owen Smith

    I’ve been going to my garage for 20 years. They service anything from a Fiat 500 to a Ferrari. Doesn’t matter how busy they are, they always fit me in since I’ve been going so long. They told me I’m their longest standing customer.

  4. Pete Rogan

    Choan. Of all unexpected prizes to arrive out of the black, we get Choan. There may be justice to the universe after all. And she seems familiar with Strib shenanigans. This is comforting, really.

    Actually I’ve been fortunate finding good mechanics. The couple who kept my Dodge running for 26 years retired, but I found not one but two very competent shops eager for new customers and very good with ancient machinery. Unfortunately I calculate they’re both about 2000 km from you, Christopher, so while I can recommend them, they do not make house calls. Sorry.

    I have to admit I had a warning buzzer go off in the back of my brain when I heard your local shops are backed up and not returning calls. That can mean a) Repairs ‘recur’ more often than they should, guaranteeing business; b) Roads are rough and drivers are rougher, which might mean your insurance is a mite high for being out in the boonies; c) just as likely, Few shops in the area, and the ones they have are up to their little red eyeballs in backorders. Which means a business opportunity for a new mechanic in town, cha-CHING!

    Pity modern cars tend to require specialized tools and handling. No more “Zen” manuals for your VW or Honda or the like. We shall miss them dreadfully.

          1. Efogoto

            With extreme blowup, I believe it is one head over another, each with ears. One dislikes to be in error, but I accept that may be the case for me here.

    1. Pete Rogan

      So close. CHOAM, or the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles, the near-secret combine of advanced companies and ruling families that form the basis for Galactic wealth in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. (Duneiverse? Naaah) Supposedly based on OPEC, though its control is far greater. Ranked by Forbes as the largest fictional corporation in history.

  5. Dean Surkin

    Wait – “Stribs aren’t the first ones to try.” Try what, exactly? Disabling the Spacetrawler? And it seems like Choan is one of the few characters to know something about the Stribs and their technology.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *