Cars suck…especially mine this week.

It took me over 2 1/2 hours to get home from work. It usually takes about 40 minutes.

My car wouldn’t start in the Monster parking lot, so I called AAA. An hour later, some guy from Jack’s Towing in Maynard (which is only about 5 minutes away) shows up. He forgot his jumpstart kit. 10 minutes later, he returns with it, gives me a quick jump, and I’m on my way.

I stop at Wendy’s on the way home (since there’s nothing worthy of dinner in the house) and park in the lot. Order my usual 15 chicken nuggets to go and head out. The battery’s dead again. I call AAAagain.

“Did you call earlier?”
“Yeah. I need a jumpstart again. I’m in a different place now.”

Right after I get off the phone, some guy in the car next to mine has his friend try to jumpstart his car with one of those jumpstart kits. (I should get one.) His car doesn’t start. He’s got plenty of battery power, but his problem is with his starter. I mention that I just called AAA to get a jumpstart and the guy offers to help me out. Two seconds and the car’s running again. In return, I help the other guy out by pushing his car back while he tries to start it. Success again.

So I head for home and back into my driveway (in case I need a jumpstart later). Ugh.

I’m no mechanic, but I think Saturn messed up something with the alternator when it was there Tuesday. I had noticed the car took a little longer to start and it sounded a bit weaker…but I assumed it was cold weather or something. Since I hadn’t been sitting in the car with the engine off and lights on for any particularly long periods of time, the battery probably had enough charge to get it through until tonight.

So the plan for tomorrow? I’ll call Saturn in the morning and bitch. If it starts, I’ll drive out there and make them fix it…for free. If it doesn’t, AAA to the rescue again.

I wish I knew auto mechanics. If I did, I could probably fix the damn thing myself.

March 14, 2003

Tags: , ,