....we get a phone call from DS1 in the States....
HIS alternator belt went. We hadn't even told him that his brother's had gone so we can't even accuse him of being a copy cat.
His belt was completely gone. As in shredded. While he was driving in his little city, which resembles San Francisco, only the hills are glare ice. He managed to get things to stop and turned into a gas station at the base of the hill just before it gets to the freeway (and the river). By this time it's late.
Oh goodie. broken down vehicle. In a different country. In the dark. In 30 below weather.
Fantastic.
So I call CAA to find out how to access AAA where he is. They give me the right number to call down there so we text that to DS so he can get towed. DS would call the number. They would take his Canadian CAA number. Hang up. Call some center to verify his CAA is his and an active account, then call back to make arrangements to come get him.
Problem is the child never took his CAA card with him. Without it being on his person they can't verify squat.
Super.
So we agree that at this time of night in these temps we have to suck up the cost. So he calls the tow truck. While he waits for them to arrive, we have to decide where to take it. Taking it to his dorm is silly because he will have to get it towed again when we need to take it to garage.
I tell him to call the handful of his teammates who are local to the city and find out what garage is good. That's all we need is some unscrupulous business taking advantage of the car clueless Canadian. Turns out that was a good idea I had. His Captain's gf's dad runs a garage in the city. Quick calls were made and the owner said 'yes bring it there right away"
He will drive down to open the big doors and they can put the car inside for the night. The team takes care of their own, he says.
Whew.
At least the car is safe, the kid is safe, and we will get the best deal we can.
So now all we had to do was wait for Monday, and the news from the US garage, and the Canadian one.
And, yes, it was $
Tuesday, Nice weekend!
1 day ago
4 comments:
Good thing that the team is there for him.
I was one of ten foreign nationals at a project in the US many years ago before cell phones and I was the only female who was just 22 by then. Guess whose brand new company issued car battery died due to a manufacturing problem in the middle of the night after bar hopping in Manhattan? Too bad I could not call home because my folks would flip out 5,000 miles accross the ocean:) Had to handle it all by myself... Exciting and fun times and I do miss them:)
Your branch of CAA in SK could be different but I used to work for CAA in ON and I would attempt to file for reimbursement of the tow - if your son's membership is up to date they should reimburse you the money for the tow.
Thankfully, he found a good garage. You've had bad luck lately.
T'Pol - you certainly do learn through experiencing things. No amount of someone 'telling' you of what to do when things happen will replace the actual learning during the moment.
Joanne - I should check and see. Thanks
ND - If it weren't for bad luck... lol . It really does feel that way though, but I am trying not to get mired down in the paralytic fear of how am I going to pay for this on my own.
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