To date, Franchesca Fiesta has done me good service. She's faithfully shuttled me around hither, thither and yon. Speedily ('cause red cars go fast) gotten me from point A to point B. Until yesterday that is.
A little excited about meeting the new graduate nurse transition coordinator at the Gold Coast Hospital, if not some potential research in collaboration with this group and with a colleague at Griffith University, I set off down the M1 singing happily to myself. What would this meeting unfold? Was I capable of guiding this conversation around to it being a win-win for both parties? Was this the beginning of a beautiful professional friendship? A little after 1/2 and hour into the journey, I noticed smoke in the rear vision mirror. "Someone really should have their car serviced!" I thought judgementally. Until I realised that the smoke was coming from my car. Franny "the beast" Franchesca was spewing thick, black emmission like I have never seen before.
Doing a fairly impressive triple lane change, I pulled over to the shoulder to investigate the problem. Turning off the car and taking the keys out of the ignition, I was impressed to hear and feel the car still going and to see the temperature gauge pushing hard up against the 120 degree mark. Holy leaping catfish, Batman. What is happening here? I called the NRMA who diverted me through to the RACQ (now I'm just showing off 'cause Queenslanders love abbreviations!) and assured me that because I was in a high priority towing area - i.e. on the freeway - that a tow truck would be there as soon as was physically possible. Uh huh. That took an hour and two follow up phonecalls.
When the towie arrived he blessedly had a) air conditioning (I break down only in the finest 32 degree, 98% humidity days thank you very much!), b) a tiny bottle of water and c) a fair amount of empathy for my situation. He took me to a very large service station where I could feed and water myself further (warning bells should have been going off at this stage) and assured me that the RACQ service guy would be there very soon. Cue another hour of investigating the service centre and all its functions, checking my email, calling various people to let them know of my "situation" and generally being bored. When the mobile mechanic arrived he took one look at the engine, muttered something about the "cams" not turning over and that it could possibly be the radiator. He wasn't going to be able to fix it then and there ... I'd need to be towed. "Where are you going?" he asked ... Brisbane ... "Hmmm. That's outside of the 10km towing zone from here. It's going to cost ya". Fine. I need to get back to Brisbane, to get my car serviced and repaired and think about getting to work tomorrow. The quote came back at $285 just to get me where I needed to go. I'd have to pay for it now and be reimbursed by NRMA when I called them, because as the mechanic said "they may work together, but they don't work together if you get my drift". I took this to mean that NRMA and RACQ sort of talk to each other but that I'd have to do a fair amount of work to make it happen. "I'll call in another towie and we'll get you home" the mechanic said. Cue another hour and a savage ant bite to my behind to find the towie who was going up to Brisbane and willing to take me to mechanic on Sandgate Road, Clayfield.
I'd spoken with the mechanic already and he was fine with doing the service when he got to it tomorrow (today by the time you'll be reading this). "Leave the keys with the guys in the petrol station and see if you can get a cab home". Done. Except do you think that I could find a cab at 1830hrs on a busy road like Sandgate Road? No. I walked about 2km down to where I knew there was a taxi rank, to find tumbleweeds kicking around the place. I called the cab company who told me that they were busy tonight and that it'd be about an hour (seeing a common time theme here?) before someone could get to me. The bus schedule had changed because of an issue with some of the buses in the fleet and I'd just missed the one that I needed. And a storm was a'comin. Uh huh. Great day huh?
I finally got home at about 2030hrs, wet, tired and with the sense that it might be worth buying a new car. I really shouldn't listen to various tow truck drivers who have variously predicted the end of the world of Franchesca Fiesta interspersed with "maybe all it needs is just a good going over". I'll speak with the appropriate people today. The NRMA to see if I can be reimbursed for the towing costs as well as the potential of a hire car, the mechanic to know the fate of FF and try to be cheerful as I speak with various new facilitators about the details of how to manage students misbehaving already.
Is it the weekend yet?
ADDIT: Much discussion with mechanics, the NRMA, my collegues and my family today. The FF case as it stands:
1. It'll cost me $4500 to have the engine replaced. The radiator is stuffed, as are the "heads" on the engine. This will buy me a reconditioned engine with only 35000km on the clock (apparently a good low number). There is the possibility that the radiator is OK, but they won't know that until they take the motor out and investigate it in some detail. Not a job to be taken lightly apparently. If this is the case, the cost will come down.
2. I can't afford to buy a new car
3. I can't afford to buy a second hand car
4. I need a car to get me around the place - the tyranny of living further out.
5. My mechanic up here and the one that I had in Sydney have both confirmed that this isn't a fault of the car itself. Any number of factors could have caused it. I've just been unlucky here including something flying up from off the road and causing it. Again the tyranny of driving.
6. Use is not a factor here. This could have happened to anyone and it's not because I've driven FF to and from Sydney in the last few months. This could be a reason that I'd consider buying a new car ... small engine, long distances etc.
The NRMA have been pretty good I have to say. They'll cop to the cost of the towing and have found me a replacement car while FF is being repaired. The help desk lady was indeed that - very helpful - and patiently answered all of my questions. I think her demeanour had something to do with the fact that I wasn't trying to screw the company, honestly just trying to figure out the best thing to do.
Cars. Why can't they be more like they are in movies?
All my virtual love to you.
Nx xxx ooo