All ur wireless are... still belong to somebody else actually
So I'm able to post this thanks to the owner of the wireless network known only as "linksys" (the other option, the one owned by "filipinalien", being a much more exclusive club apparently). It cuts in and out, but at least I won't be completely cut off before we can get our own thing installed.
Just wanted to let y'all know that we got in okay, thanks to the help of numerous and completely wonderful friends who went far, far beyond what anyone could have asked for, incl. in some cases helping out for more than 12 hours, coming back for a second round, and taking numerous physical hits for the team. You guys are all, like, my heroes.
Beyond that, we moved; we are coping with the inevitable "omg did I make the right decision" angst; we are five minutes' drive from Target; we are unpacking; we are exhausted; and the less dwelt-on the painful events of Friday, perhaps the better: and yet I do feel obliged to offer one story for the two reasons that many of you weren't there to see it (esp. not the end) and that it serves as an excuse for why I was so completely incoherently tired yesterday.
Those who remained after the victory pizza were 8 in number, and we decided to take them back to the city with 5 in my car (leading), and 3 in the truck. Due to a series of misunderstandings on my part about what route we intended to take, we got lost on the way back to NY trying to find the Lincoln tunnel and wound up driving ALL OVER Jersey City in some very not-truck-approved streets, including through a DWI checkpoint and into the Holland Tunnel, where trucks apparently are not allowed to venture late at night. The misery of the truck group during this time cannot be overstated.
Finally we arrived at the lot where we were to night-drop the truck, only to find that a massive tow truck (with car loaded on its bed) had been parked blocking access. I spent the next 20 minutes on hold with the ONLY Budget representatives available after 6 pm: the emergency roadside assistance line, which actually goes to an outside company anyway. The woman there was nice enough to recommend a couple other Budget locations where I might be able to drop the truck.
I walked over to meet up with the truck group, which was where the already-in-pain truck driver had his foot run over by a terminally careless passing driver (who did not understand that WHEN YOU STOP ON SOMEONE'S FOOT, YOU NEED TO BACK UP TO GET OFF OF IT). moonlightalice and I gave the rest of the truck group and my one remaining passenger all of our money to get home via cab, then fueled the truck, established that there was nowhere whatsoever to park the truck near the drop-off point, then drove downtown to 200 E. 117th (from 142nd and Lenox) to drop the truck off there. Only after circling around a few times and parking in front of a school, we learned that THERE IS NO NIGHT DROP BOX AT THIS LOCATION. It was by this point probably 2:30 AM. So we had no real choice but to park the truck in the Bronx near our old place, about 8 blocks from the rental location, then for me to go get the car and drive us home (but not without a double-parked stop at the ATM near where I lived three, four years ago). We got home around 4, and spent 30-45 minutes setting up the bed, finding contact-lens supplies etc. as the minimum decencies of being able to go to bed, where I slept for about 3 hours before getting up to drive back in and turn in the truck.
I got the truck in at 8:15, and they didn't attempt to charge me a late fee, but they also made no effort to compensate me for the additional mileage charges and for the awful experience. I argued with the guy for ten minutes, he told me I'd have to call the national customer service (and since that was my intended threat, well... doh). He also told me "why didn't you just park on the sidewalk? We own the whole block, the cops won't ticket you." Apparently I am to know this because I can tap into the hive mind or something.)
So I spend twenty minutes on hold to customer service, got a manager, and fought with her for an hour before I convinced her that I was not just making the whole thing up and was only doing what Budget sources said to do. So after that, they... comped me the 12 extra miles over the estimate. Whoop de doo. Doesn't do anything for the additional cab fare and bridge tolls we had to pay because of their negligence, nor the misery I and my friends went through. But at the end of it, I got back at like 10 AM, completely wiped, and slept for the next four hours before getting to the unpacking.
I intend to write these people a nasty letter about the carelessness of the center, the callousness of their customer service, and the idiocy of not having any support for after-hours drop off, and if they don't offer a substantial refund for all this I cannot in good conscience recommend them to any of you. Try Penske (since U-Haul sucks) or something; don't go with Budget.
Just wanted to let y'all know that we got in okay, thanks to the help of numerous and completely wonderful friends who went far, far beyond what anyone could have asked for, incl. in some cases helping out for more than 12 hours, coming back for a second round, and taking numerous physical hits for the team. You guys are all, like, my heroes.
Beyond that, we moved; we are coping with the inevitable "omg did I make the right decision" angst; we are five minutes' drive from Target; we are unpacking; we are exhausted; and the less dwelt-on the painful events of Friday, perhaps the better: and yet I do feel obliged to offer one story for the two reasons that many of you weren't there to see it (esp. not the end) and that it serves as an excuse for why I was so completely incoherently tired yesterday.
Those who remained after the victory pizza were 8 in number, and we decided to take them back to the city with 5 in my car (leading), and 3 in the truck. Due to a series of misunderstandings on my part about what route we intended to take, we got lost on the way back to NY trying to find the Lincoln tunnel and wound up driving ALL OVER Jersey City in some very not-truck-approved streets, including through a DWI checkpoint and into the Holland Tunnel, where trucks apparently are not allowed to venture late at night. The misery of the truck group during this time cannot be overstated.
Finally we arrived at the lot where we were to night-drop the truck, only to find that a massive tow truck (with car loaded on its bed) had been parked blocking access. I spent the next 20 minutes on hold with the ONLY Budget representatives available after 6 pm: the emergency roadside assistance line, which actually goes to an outside company anyway. The woman there was nice enough to recommend a couple other Budget locations where I might be able to drop the truck.
I walked over to meet up with the truck group, which was where the already-in-pain truck driver had his foot run over by a terminally careless passing driver (who did not understand that WHEN YOU STOP ON SOMEONE'S FOOT, YOU NEED TO BACK UP TO GET OFF OF IT). moonlightalice and I gave the rest of the truck group and my one remaining passenger all of our money to get home via cab, then fueled the truck, established that there was nowhere whatsoever to park the truck near the drop-off point, then drove downtown to 200 E. 117th (from 142nd and Lenox) to drop the truck off there. Only after circling around a few times and parking in front of a school, we learned that THERE IS NO NIGHT DROP BOX AT THIS LOCATION. It was by this point probably 2:30 AM. So we had no real choice but to park the truck in the Bronx near our old place, about 8 blocks from the rental location, then for me to go get the car and drive us home (but not without a double-parked stop at the ATM near where I lived three, four years ago). We got home around 4, and spent 30-45 minutes setting up the bed, finding contact-lens supplies etc. as the minimum decencies of being able to go to bed, where I slept for about 3 hours before getting up to drive back in and turn in the truck.
I got the truck in at 8:15, and they didn't attempt to charge me a late fee, but they also made no effort to compensate me for the additional mileage charges and for the awful experience. I argued with the guy for ten minutes, he told me I'd have to call the national customer service (and since that was my intended threat, well... doh). He also told me "why didn't you just park on the sidewalk? We own the whole block, the cops won't ticket you." Apparently I am to know this because I can tap into the hive mind or something.)
So I spend twenty minutes on hold to customer service, got a manager, and fought with her for an hour before I convinced her that I was not just making the whole thing up and was only doing what Budget sources said to do. So after that, they... comped me the 12 extra miles over the estimate. Whoop de doo. Doesn't do anything for the additional cab fare and bridge tolls we had to pay because of their negligence, nor the misery I and my friends went through. But at the end of it, I got back at like 10 AM, completely wiped, and slept for the next four hours before getting to the unpacking.
I intend to write these people a nasty letter about the carelessness of the center, the callousness of their customer service, and the idiocy of not having any support for after-hours drop off, and if they don't offer a substantial refund for all this I cannot in good conscience recommend them to any of you. Try Penske (since U-Haul sucks) or something; don't go with Budget.