the email came
guess-timating
how many miles
i had on my car
they were spot on
within 200 miles
inviting me in
for an oil change
a winterizing
a check up
asking
would you like coffee
will you need wi-fi
a ride home
a loaner
or
spend time here with us
while we
pamper your car
and you
and
i was half expecting
a massage
a mani/pedi
i took
the earliest appointment
on my day off
with plans
to head off
to do all the things
i’d been wanting to do
i drove up
and
the door opened for my car
welcoming me in
to the dealership
with a warm embrace
and they asked what they could do
took me to the comforting area to wait
gave me coffee
and
wi-fi
and
cable
and
magazines
and
cushiony chairs
and
the company of just one other
pampered customer
a man of about my age
and we each
went about our morning
waiting in comfort
until
they realized
his car
was going to take too long
so he took a rental
and
headed out
half an hour
later
the service advisor
came
knelt down by my chair
i felt
there was possibly
a bit of bad news coming
she
whispered
i don’t know how this happened
i looked at her
as she said
that man
who was sitting here with you
has just left with your keys
we don’t know why
this has never happened
ever
in the history
of our dealership
and
we can’t
get ahold of him
i’m so sorry
we’re not sure
why he’d take your keys
since he was taking a rental
even if
he thought those were his keys
we’d need them to work on his car
that he left behind
we just can’t understand it
we apologize
we can drive you
all of the places you need to go
or
give you a loaner
and
when we get your keys back
we will
we’ll deliver your car
with your keys
to your house
or
you can wait a bit
and
see what happens
with more coffee
i chose
the waiting option
and
i do enjoy my subaru family
but really didn’t want to
spend the whole day with them
doing errands
having lunch
and
i wanted to see
what would happen
why
he was not answering
his phone
his email
the texts
i wanted
to know
his story
i imagined him
working out with at my gym
using the id on my keys
then at my house
dancing with nacho the cat and his cat friends
and
drinking a glass of my pinot noir
reading my magazines
listening to my music
while taking a bubble bath
in my tub
and
they came in again
said they still
couldn’t reach him
do you want to wait
with
more coffee
more comfort
a while later
he called
said he had no idea
why he took the keys
and
he didn’t
want to see me
but
apologized profusely
and
came back
and
they pulled up my car at last
washed
all free service
apologies
thank you’s
for
being understanding
no explanation
and
the wish for a good day
and i was off
once again
wondering
would the tub be drained
when i finally got home?
—
one cannot plan for the unexpected.
– aaron klug
—
images courtesy of: google images
oh, that would have made me SO crazy!!! you definitely handled it better than I would have!
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i was curious about the whole situation and saw it as a bit of a crazy adventure, so i just went with it –
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Well played!
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Whoa, you are very laid back Beth. I wouldn’t have been so understanding.Of course, if i had been the dealer, i wouldn’t have told you either. I’d’ve explained it would take longer than expected (which is true) and give you a loaner with free delivery on yours when ready.
You’re a good customer Beth..
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well, it all worked out in the end, and they seemed just as surprised as i was –
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I think you deserve to get his keys for a day, Beth. No questions asked. What’s fair is fair! I wonder if he has a nice tub and a cat named Frito?
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that seems very fair, mark. and i’ll bet he does!
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You handled it beautifully! What were you to do, scream and yell? Stuff happens and how we react to it is what matters. I say this because I’m pretty sure I could walk away at any moment with somebody else’s keys. LOL! Loved this post.
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thanks, and in the scheme of things, anything is possible )
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And then you went home, cleaned the tub and changed all the locks on your doors, right? Admitted, when I go to places I just give them my car key because I hate washing the tub and getting the locks changed.
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hah! great reasoning )
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Really? You must be a saint. A cool, calm and collected saint. Some are not.
Still, when you look at the funny side, this is sure hilarious. 😀 😀 😀
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i found it odd, but funny too, tess )
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❤ ❤
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Great story, Beth!
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thanks, teresa )
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How strange that your keys were even available withing the other gent’s reach.
I once had a gent change my car tire… he found out my number and called me at home.
kind of creepy. But since I was moving soon, I didn’t worry too much. At least he didn’t have my keys.
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really a lot of unanswered questions here, but all okay in the end. a curious event to say the least –
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How odd Beth. Why he took your keys or didn’t stop to think of it is beyond me. Good on you for waiting it out.
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both good questions, and i can only wonder –
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What a fabulous little tale of an everyday mishap, complete with imagined happenings using your id and house keys–loved it! Thanks for the smile, Beth. 🙂
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no choice really but to make the best of it – too bad i didn’t have your book with me, would have been perfect had i known i would be there for so long )
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Kudos to you for going with the flow and being so understanding. I don’t think I would have been so accommodating!
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sometimes wait and see is the best approach )
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OMG, that’s hilarious! I mean, it really sucks, but it is funny, ya know? I’m glad he wasn’t a creeper!
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i agree with all of that, rachel )
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I’m thinking that you played along, knowing what a delightful blog post would result from this tale of key-crossed strangers!
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hah! makes it all worthwhile, elyse )
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I’m just amazed at the service! Must be an excellent dealership. We get water, coffee and yes a couch, mags, but no interaction. I’m not nearly as patient as you. 😀
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they are really good at comfort, i have to say. and as for the patience, not a lot of options and i was kind of curious…)
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And you Shinto, met expectations.
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)
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Loved this take. I think I would have spent the first few flabbergasted second ranting about the inconvenience. It is much better to have a sense of humor about it.
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yeah, that seems to work best for me )
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I have a saying, “Life is a joke, laugh at it.” Well anyway, I can’t laugh at the fact that you always seem to tell me you like my latest excerpt post I and I want to thank you profusely and with no joking about it, that I can’t thank you enough. – Thank you, THANK YOU etc. and Aloha – pjs.
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aloha )
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This made me smile. Your calmness is amazing and it writes beautifully.
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thank you )
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An amazing story and you kept me on the edge of my chair until the very last word. I don’t mind if you made it all up!! 🙂
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oh, it’s all real, except for the part where i tried to imagine what he was doing while holding onto my keys )
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Hahahahahaha I wonder what on earth possesed him to take your keys? That is so bizarre!! Hope the bath the drained and that he didn’t polish off all of your Pinot noir lol
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Thanks and i still wonder…)
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Pingback: Waiting for the Nor’easter and my Chevy Cruze | Mark Bialczak
Brilliant post!
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Thanks!
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Beth, I am not sure why I didn’t comment the first time. I must have read this and was ready to push, “post comment” and alas, time had run out…?
Anyway, Mark B. sent us over here to re-read your car waiting post, with the mix-up with keys. I wish I had been there at the return of my car, no answers given to what had happened to the guy!
I would have been nosy, asking, “Why did the keys just come back, how did the connection get reconnected or how did you finally reach the man who took my keys?” or some such ‘nonsense!’ I laughed at your situation, (sorry) and I also felt bad for you, sometimes things tend to be ‘go with the flow’ with you. I admire this trait of yours! You are definitely a very nice woman, Beth! You didn’t even ask for any kind of ‘comps’ or …?
Your imagination gone wild with the man using your keys to go to your gym, home and funny ways he used your ‘stuff’ and dancing with Nacho: you made me laugh and laugh at this stranger in your house. Definitely this should have been Freshly Pressed!
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I just saw it as another crazy adventure, robin. And the dealership definitely took care of me )
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it seems like something Steven Wright would have said 🙂
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it sure does – right up his alley
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Until I read the comments, I thought you had the greatest imagination to come up with such a story. This should be a car commercial. It really happened?!
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thanks for the compliment, but it really happened. truth is stranger than fiction…..
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If we really did slip into slightly different parallel universes, it would explain a lot. Books I could swear had things I remember but can’t find again. One time in college I was certain my class was on the third floor but everyone swore had always been on the second. The election of Trump meaning we’ve always been living in the universe with a bearded Spock.
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Exactly
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well done!
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😺
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