All The Small Things

So I bought a new car not so long ago. A month ago, to be exact.

Last weekend, my dear car's battery died in my driveway, at approximately 6.30pm.

I was home alone, and was about to head out to a function at our local footy club. We'd won a double premiership (reserves and the firsts) and we were out to have a party... most of the town was there.

So I'm in the driveway and my battery is dead. There was no reason for this - there weren't any lights on or anything, the doors were all shut, I hadn't killed it, it had just died of natural causes. I needed a jump start.

Then I remembered that I had been given 24 hour roadside assistance with my car!

Yay!

So I rang up.

And the lady made the following points to me:

1) I live a long way from the city.

2) It would be a very long wait to get someone out to me.

3) I would be better off waiting till Monday if I could.

4) If there was someone else who could help me I'd be better off calling them instead.

When I explained that actually, no, I did need my car now, and I was prepared to wait, and that I lived alone and didn't have anyone here to help me, she said that she'd ring the company who organised it, and get back to me.

This conversation left me so perplexed that I called Ellvis - who then asked me why I hadn't rang a friend of ours who lived around the corner.

In the animated, and therefore immortal words of Homer Simpson: D'oh.

So I rang my friend, who wasn't home. But then I rang another friend, who rushed over to help me. While he was rushing over, I called the Roadside Assistance company back, telling them I didn't need them. I got the ladies answering machine, and left a message.

Immediately after I hung up, I recieved a phonecall from a gentleman from the Roadside Assistance.

I explained that I was right - I'd organised a friend to come and help me. That was fine, he said, but he wanted me to know the following:

1) Battery care. During a lecture that lasted for 5 minutes, I learned that I should check my battery, that batteries don't last forever, and that I should watch out for the warning signs of a dying battery to avoid this situation. Also, I shouldn't leave lights on or doors open.

(I did explain that I do all of the battery care as outlined, and that there had been no warning, and that the car was BRAND NEW but this only made him a bit crankier. In the end, I just said, well, I'll keep that in mind...)

2) Roadside Assistance doesn't exist to help people who breakdown in their driveways, its only for people ON THE ROAD.

3) They aren't going to run around all night after me jumping my battery. They would only come out once in a night, they weren't there at my beck and call.

4) Roadside Assistance is obligated to help me, because they signed a contract to say that they would, but really, where I live, it would be better if I could call them between 9 and 5 Monday to Friday.

 

So really, essentially, what I have is FREE Roadside Assistance, if I break down on the side of the road in the city between 9 and 5  Monday to Friday.

After all, WHERE I LIVE, how dare I expect the same service as someone who lives in suburban Melbourne! What was I thinking!!!!