Chapter 5: The Victim

Overview

My wife, Joan, just came in from picking up her car at the dealership where she had taken it for repairs. She was angry . ˜ ˜They were pathetically late again, she told me. Joan always gets frustrated when she has repairs performed there because the car is never ready at the time promised . This was a busy time for her and somebody else s tardiness had thrown a wrench into her day.

They had promised her she could pick up the car at noon. Having been burned before, she waited until 12:20 P.M. and then phoned to check in. The service adviser said, ˜ ˜Sure. They re just finishing up. Come right in.

When she arrived at 12:30, the service adviser again said, ˜ ˜They re just finishing up. Please take a seat in the waiting room.

Every ten minutes or so she peeked at the service bay to see if the car was still there. At 1:00 she saw the car drive out of the lot. She went to the service adviser, who told her, ˜ ˜Yup, all done; looks like he s just taking it out for a test drive. When Joan expressed some frustration, the adviser said, ˜ ˜Sorry about the wait, ma am, but we like to test drive the cars to make sure everything is running properly. So she went back to the waiting room.

Now, here s the kicker . She hadn t noticed the car return, and it was now 1:30. She went back to the service reception area and was surprised to see that the car was being washed. ˜ ˜I want my car! she said to the man. ˜ ˜You told me yourself it would be ready by noon and now it s 1:30. I ve been waiting here an hour !

˜ ˜We wash the cars when we re done with them, ma am. It s a regular service.

˜ ˜That s nice, but it s late, she said. ˜ ˜I really don t have time for a car wash. I have to go. And I resent your not getting me out of here faster.

˜ ˜I ve been one mechanic short all morning, ma am, the service adviser said, getting a little defensive. ˜ ˜And people without appointments showed up and . . .

Joan must have looked at him as though he were crazy. He obviously saw in her expression that it would not be smart to continue. He put his hands up to show he understood and said, ˜ ˜I know, I know, you don t want to hear it.