Car troubles - or otherwise known as Viv's day from Heck
So the story starts a few days ago when my car was showing signs of buggering up. When I went over seventy, this little orange thingy started flashing. I had no idea what it was supposed to be. To me it looked like a deranged tap. So when I got home I called our mechanic straight away, who came over to take a look. He said there's a part in there that's faulty and it needs to be replaced. He also said that it shouldn't be too bad to drive over the next couple of days. I still didn't want to take the chance, though.
Fast forward to today, where I decide to take a risk and drive my car to the gym. On the way there it's absolutely perfect. On the way back, the little engine sign starts flashing again, and I decide that's it, I'm not driving this thing til the new part gets put in. Then I go to finish the last few panels of this week's Mary Sue Academy strip (which was going to be a little late) and then realised I had lost the script I printed out. So I went on the computer to find it. Nothing would load properly. Internet explorer kept shutting down, everything was stuffing up and it was freezing constantly. I turned it on-and-off about four times and tried to run a virus check, which ended up freezing right in the middle. I realised the computer probably has a virus, which I must have accidentally downloaded while trying to find this week's newest episode of South Park. So I had to take the computer to the computer place down Anzac Highway. I didn't want to take my car but dad insisted that I was being stupid and nothing would happen to my car. I (stupidly) listened.
It struggled all the way there, and the engine sign flashed every two minutes. I managed to get to the computer place fine and dropped it off, noting that I had to call them later with some sort of product key. Then I got back to my car. As soon as I tried to take it out of the parking space, it died on me. I turned it on and it worked for two seconds, and then died again. It did this for about two minutes, and I called up dad and yelled at him out of frustration. Then I called the RAA who said they'd be there within the hour. I happened to be parked in front of an Indian deli, so I went inside to see if I could get some ice-cream. I mentioned to the guy behind the counter that I was waiting for the RAA to show up and he was really really nice. He went and got me a chair, and offered me some home-made rice and dahl that he had been cooking. I talked to him for a little while about his home and such.
Then the RAA showed up and helped me switch my car back on. The engine sign wasn't flashing anymore, and the guy told me it should be able to get me back home and up the hill. So I got in the car and everything was fine. Then before I knew it I was on Marion Road waiting at an intersection for the traffic lights to come on. Then my car died. In the middle of the road. With loads of people behind me. I tried over and over to start it but it wouldn't start. I put my hazard lights on and called the RAA. Keeping in mind today was pretty hot, and I was in a broken-down car with no hint of air-conditioning. I literally had sweat dripping on my phone. I was crying to the lady on the line that I was in the middle of the road and everyone was going to start beeping at me and shouting abuse, and she was really nice and told me not to stress. She said an RAA van was coming right away and they had put me on an emergency job. By this point the cars were starting to get the point and they were driving in other lanes, trying to avoid mine. Then this guy, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, showed up next to my window and said "Do you need any help there?"
I explained that the RAA were on their way, and he offered to push my car forwards to the side of the road, so as to let more of the traffic through. I was over the moon as I hadn't even thought of this. He told me to put it in Neutral and he got behind the car and started pushing. We got to the front of the traffic light and waited for it to go green. When it went green he started pushing til he was red in the face, and then out of no-where, two other guys (who looked to be in their twenties too) came up and started pushing as well. I steered it to the side and parked the car. Then I got out and hugged all of them. I must have been going "THANK YOU SO MUCH" over and over and over. They were so nice.
By this time I had called my mum who was on her way to the area to come meet me. I even bumped into Ali, who happened to be driving home and saw me by my car in the street. The RAA guy came about five minutes later and helped start up my car again. Together we drove it to a near-by side street so he could have a closer look. He managed to get it working again, and said that if it stuffs up on the hill we should call a tow-truck. I decided I didn't want to take that risk again (because the last RAA guy said they might bring a tow-truck) and asked if we could have a tow-truck then, so he called one. He then went away and I waited with mum in the shade for about 45 minutes. Then she went back to her car because her butt was hurting on the pavement. About five or ten minutes after that the tow-truck guy came, who was really really nice. I drove my car up on the thingy (which I was terrified of doing but apparently I did a good job), got in mum's car and we all drove home.
AND NOW I have about 45 minutes to get ready for work tonight.
The whole ordeal took a couple of hours and I feel totally buggered. I feel happy though, when I think about how nice everyone was. The Indian guy who offered me free food and a chair, the guys who pushed my car, the RAA lady who consoled me over the phone, the tow-truck guy who was really jokey and friendly.
Man I'm going to sleep tonight.
Fast forward to today, where I decide to take a risk and drive my car to the gym. On the way there it's absolutely perfect. On the way back, the little engine sign starts flashing again, and I decide that's it, I'm not driving this thing til the new part gets put in. Then I go to finish the last few panels of this week's Mary Sue Academy strip (which was going to be a little late) and then realised I had lost the script I printed out. So I went on the computer to find it. Nothing would load properly. Internet explorer kept shutting down, everything was stuffing up and it was freezing constantly. I turned it on-and-off about four times and tried to run a virus check, which ended up freezing right in the middle. I realised the computer probably has a virus, which I must have accidentally downloaded while trying to find this week's newest episode of South Park. So I had to take the computer to the computer place down Anzac Highway. I didn't want to take my car but dad insisted that I was being stupid and nothing would happen to my car. I (stupidly) listened.
It struggled all the way there, and the engine sign flashed every two minutes. I managed to get to the computer place fine and dropped it off, noting that I had to call them later with some sort of product key. Then I got back to my car. As soon as I tried to take it out of the parking space, it died on me. I turned it on and it worked for two seconds, and then died again. It did this for about two minutes, and I called up dad and yelled at him out of frustration. Then I called the RAA who said they'd be there within the hour. I happened to be parked in front of an Indian deli, so I went inside to see if I could get some ice-cream. I mentioned to the guy behind the counter that I was waiting for the RAA to show up and he was really really nice. He went and got me a chair, and offered me some home-made rice and dahl that he had been cooking. I talked to him for a little while about his home and such.
Then the RAA showed up and helped me switch my car back on. The engine sign wasn't flashing anymore, and the guy told me it should be able to get me back home and up the hill. So I got in the car and everything was fine. Then before I knew it I was on Marion Road waiting at an intersection for the traffic lights to come on. Then my car died. In the middle of the road. With loads of people behind me. I tried over and over to start it but it wouldn't start. I put my hazard lights on and called the RAA. Keeping in mind today was pretty hot, and I was in a broken-down car with no hint of air-conditioning. I literally had sweat dripping on my phone. I was crying to the lady on the line that I was in the middle of the road and everyone was going to start beeping at me and shouting abuse, and she was really nice and told me not to stress. She said an RAA van was coming right away and they had put me on an emergency job. By this point the cars were starting to get the point and they were driving in other lanes, trying to avoid mine. Then this guy, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, showed up next to my window and said "Do you need any help there?"
I explained that the RAA were on their way, and he offered to push my car forwards to the side of the road, so as to let more of the traffic through. I was over the moon as I hadn't even thought of this. He told me to put it in Neutral and he got behind the car and started pushing. We got to the front of the traffic light and waited for it to go green. When it went green he started pushing til he was red in the face, and then out of no-where, two other guys (who looked to be in their twenties too) came up and started pushing as well. I steered it to the side and parked the car. Then I got out and hugged all of them. I must have been going "THANK YOU SO MUCH" over and over and over. They were so nice.
By this time I had called my mum who was on her way to the area to come meet me. I even bumped into Ali, who happened to be driving home and saw me by my car in the street. The RAA guy came about five minutes later and helped start up my car again. Together we drove it to a near-by side street so he could have a closer look. He managed to get it working again, and said that if it stuffs up on the hill we should call a tow-truck. I decided I didn't want to take that risk again (because the last RAA guy said they might bring a tow-truck) and asked if we could have a tow-truck then, so he called one. He then went away and I waited with mum in the shade for about 45 minutes. Then she went back to her car because her butt was hurting on the pavement. About five or ten minutes after that the tow-truck guy came, who was really really nice. I drove my car up on the thingy (which I was terrified of doing but apparently I did a good job), got in mum's car and we all drove home.
AND NOW I have about 45 minutes to get ready for work tonight.
The whole ordeal took a couple of hours and I feel totally buggered. I feel happy though, when I think about how nice everyone was. The Indian guy who offered me free food and a chair, the guys who pushed my car, the RAA lady who consoled me over the phone, the tow-truck guy who was really jokey and friendly.
Man I'm going to sleep tonight.