billb
04-27-2007, 11:57 AM
...but I had to share this one.
Took the wife's car, Ginger, to get inspected yesterday afternoon. Drove up to the local inspection station with my 8 month-old son in the back seat. Wife had my Explorer for the day, and the E30 was snug at home. Oldest son was at grandma and grandpa's.
Station attendant comes out to greet me, asks what I need. I explain I need an inspection, and that this is my wife's car, so please pardon the mess inside the car. I get my son out, in his infant carrier, and we sit on a bench at the back of the building, so I can keep an eye on these guys inspecting the car.
Attendant gets in the car. I had left it running, in Park, with the brake set. He switches it off, then can't figure out how to restart it for 15-20 seconds. He finally gets it figured out, then he goes to put it in gear. I can see, from the movement of the car up at the rear, that he has selected reverse, when he means forward. Fortunately, he figures that out (it's an automatic). My confidence plummets...
He gets it pulled in to the shop, then pops the hood, which scares the crap out of the other attendant due to it lurching forward (new hood shocks). I hear one ask the other "Is this a V8? What is this thing?" He actually walks around to the back of the car, looks at the trunk, and says "It's a BMW". Um. Duh. Didya miss the badge on the hood too?
However, this is where they redeemed themselves somewhat. They assumed I could not hear them. They stand there, with the hood open, checking that there are no parts missing that shouldn't be (car's old enough to not require emissions inspection here in NC). One says to the other "Man, look how clean that engine is". My head swells. The other gets in the car to check the mileage for the sticker info, and yells "Wow, it's got 142 thousand miles on it!"
Of course, then he tried to move it from one lift to the next one without lowering the first one all the way, and then was yelling out the window to his buddy "Hey man, what am I stuck on, it won't go forward!" Fortunately, it was just the tires hanging on the back ramp, and he didn't try but once to move over it.
I told my wife someone gave me a huge compliment that day, and she had fun guessing what it was about. She understood completely when I told her what these guys said.
Time to give that car some more love. It needs detailing on the outside now...
Took the wife's car, Ginger, to get inspected yesterday afternoon. Drove up to the local inspection station with my 8 month-old son in the back seat. Wife had my Explorer for the day, and the E30 was snug at home. Oldest son was at grandma and grandpa's.
Station attendant comes out to greet me, asks what I need. I explain I need an inspection, and that this is my wife's car, so please pardon the mess inside the car. I get my son out, in his infant carrier, and we sit on a bench at the back of the building, so I can keep an eye on these guys inspecting the car.
Attendant gets in the car. I had left it running, in Park, with the brake set. He switches it off, then can't figure out how to restart it for 15-20 seconds. He finally gets it figured out, then he goes to put it in gear. I can see, from the movement of the car up at the rear, that he has selected reverse, when he means forward. Fortunately, he figures that out (it's an automatic). My confidence plummets...
He gets it pulled in to the shop, then pops the hood, which scares the crap out of the other attendant due to it lurching forward (new hood shocks). I hear one ask the other "Is this a V8? What is this thing?" He actually walks around to the back of the car, looks at the trunk, and says "It's a BMW". Um. Duh. Didya miss the badge on the hood too?
However, this is where they redeemed themselves somewhat. They assumed I could not hear them. They stand there, with the hood open, checking that there are no parts missing that shouldn't be (car's old enough to not require emissions inspection here in NC). One says to the other "Man, look how clean that engine is". My head swells. The other gets in the car to check the mileage for the sticker info, and yells "Wow, it's got 142 thousand miles on it!"
Of course, then he tried to move it from one lift to the next one without lowering the first one all the way, and then was yelling out the window to his buddy "Hey man, what am I stuck on, it won't go forward!" Fortunately, it was just the tires hanging on the back ramp, and he didn't try but once to move over it.
I told my wife someone gave me a huge compliment that day, and she had fun guessing what it was about. She understood completely when I told her what these guys said.
Time to give that car some more love. It needs detailing on the outside now...