I get my BVR back today!

BVR ("Beaver") is my car. 

Yesterday, I’d decided that I’d had enough, and rang up the mechanic to demand my car back.  66 days it had been since i took it there on December 1st.  The receptionist answered and went to get the mechanic, but then came back and said he was busy with a customer and asked me if he could call me back.  I said, ‘No thanks, I’ll hold’ and she put me on hold. 

I wasn’t waiting around forever with the phone attached to my ear, so I put it on loudspeaker and went about my household domestics, mainly washing my paint-covered clothes from Dayglow.  Eventually she finally came back on and said that he was still with the customer and said she’d get him to call.  I snapped, "Do you have my number?" and she said she swore it was there somewhere but took it down anyway when I read it out to her.  Wouldn’t surprise me.  It’s not like they’ve rang me even ONCE the whole time it’s been there.

So, of course, as expected, I wait… and wait.  Half an hour later, I throw on my shirt, pants, thongs and I march on down there.  Fuck this shit.  I’d had enough.  i walked all the way in the heat of the day.  It was 32 degrees in Brisbane yesterday, but I didn’t care.  I had on my singlet and thongs and boardies.  I stopped off at a servo to get money out of the ATM – I know all about their "Card-charges" that they shove on top of the payment.

I get there, and I see my car in one of the bays outside.  It looks like the bonnet is slightly open and there’s something over the driver’s seat (maybe a protector to prevent grease from the mechanics).  I go inside and sit down, as granted they are somewhat busy for a Monday afternoon.

I notice a list of all the cars written in whiteboard marker on the wall and the date they came in.  Mine was clearly the oldest-time listed there, until I noticed one other guy’s said November.  Holy shit.  But other cars that were taken in later than mine also said they were ready to be picked up.

I spoke to the reception lady and said who I was (the person who had called earlier) and I wanted to speak to a mechanic about taking my car home.

After what seemed like forever, he eventually came out and I said to him, ‘Is my car drivable?’

He said that it was and proceeded to tell me what they told me about a month ago over the phone when I rang THEM for about the 5th time.  He said it was a timing issue, that they’d taken them all out and tested them, but there was still the timing thing.  I told him I knew about that and I didn’t really care, and that they’d had it for a while now.  He apologised and I said, "I wanna take it off your hands and take it elsewhere."
I was prepared for him to protest it, but he didn’t.  I think he could tell I was pissed off.  The whole time he was explaining to me the issue with the car I just stood there, arms folded, nodding with what I thought woulda been a ‘What the fuck is your excuse!?’ look on my face 😛  I think my body language said it all and he was waiting for me to blow up at him.  I didn’t though.  I was angry for sure, and if he’d tried to keep it I would have probably gone off my nut.  Who the fuck keeps a car for 66 days with not one phone call to me after telling me they’d call me? 
I asked for a quote and he quoted me $355.  That seemed fair to me.  Labour costs they had actually done.  A lot of friends havve been saying they shouldn’t charge me at all, but I don’t think it works like that.  I wanted to take the car then and there, but he said he had to put a few things back on the vehicle and that I would be able to pick it up tomorrow afternoon (now being today as I write this). 

So I figure I’ll go get it around 3pm.  The guy from a few streets over is coming over after he catches up with some family, so I’ll go after we hang out.