I live in Boston and own a car. So I move my car for one of two reasons - To go to Ikea, or for street cleaning. When I am working from home I usually wait until the beginning of the street cleaning time (in my case the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays from Noon to 5pm), then go wait in the car. When I see the tow trucks coming to clear the street for the sweepers I drive around until the sweepers have passed. I always get the primo spot on our nice clean street if I time it right, and get to run a few errands as well.
Last street sweeping day, however, things were much more exciting. As I started to move, my car died. There are never any spots on street cleaning day. Cars are either in the legal spots on the other side of the streets, or they are driving around like me. My car died right in the middle of a street cleaning street. I could see the tow trucks at the beginning of the street headed toward me. I started to panic. I'd let my AAA membership lapse.
I suddenly remembered that my Amex Gold Card had some kind of roadside assistance feature, so I called them. I said, "My car died. It is street cleaning day, and the tow trucks are headed toward me. I can see them coming. Help!"
She proceeded to explain the rules and whatnot for the service. I stopped her, saying, "You don't understand. They are coming now! Can you just skip the explanation and send a truck?" She said she would try to speed things up, but it usually took about 45 minutes. I was panicking big time.
The city tow truck reached me. I begged. "Please don't tow me. I have a tow truck coming to rescue me. It is on its way."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we don't have a choice in this." Whenever they call you ma'am, you know you are in trouble.
I stalled them, saying, "Look, see what happens when I try to start it? Nothing. See?" They backed the tow truck up to my car anyway. The operator got out and started messing with the chains. I got out, defeated.
Then the driver said, "Oh. We just got a call that we are the truck to help you out." He smiled. I applauded.
I still had to have a tow, but it was on Amex, not on my dime. And they towed me to my favorite auto shop, not to some unknown tow lot somewhere in the far reaches of the state. I even got to ride in the tow truck with the driver rather than paying cab fare down to said strange faraway lot.
Yay! Then I wondered, what are the chances that the same tow truck that was first instructed to tow me for street cleaning was also the one they called to help me out?
Maybe I'm not cursed after all.
Have you ever had your car towed? Was it fun? Do you ever have good luck?
The art is American painter Edward Hopper's Morning in a City, 1944. This painting is at the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamburg, MA, where it was recently restored.
10 comments:
Yay!
I am right there with you (or was) with all the AMEX b.s. I had a card once and of course it was the one that does it all (including taking $300 a year in membership) and EVERYTIME I tried to take advantage of some of the offered goodies (buyer protection for example) they would come up with a loophole to squirm through.
Meh.
I cancelled after being a cardholder for 8 years-and seem to have survived the loss
Glad you lucked out with the tow truck. So what was wrong with your chariot?
My car has been towed many times, more so in Boston. The most embarrassing time was a bachelor's party in the combat zone. I parked in an alley thinking it safe, no signs said you couldn't park there. After 2am, the car was missing. PANIC was the emotion, and here we were stuck in an area of Boston that wasn't too safe after midnight. When the police arrived, they took us to the towing outfit. But we still had to explain what we were doing and why. Alcohol was very noticeable on out breathes, and it didn't help the situation. Anyway, we left the tow outfit at somewhere around 4:30am.
Oh wow ... what luck!! That would have sucked having to have it towed to one of the storage lots instead of to your mechanic.
I think I used up all my luck for my lifetime as a kid lol.
Paulie,
Sorry you had trouble with the Amex folks. And I really didn't expect them to come through for me, but somehow they did. Go figure.
The car needed a new alternator. Ick. I was hoping it was just the battery. Oh well.
kw,
I had mine towed too, only once, and it was for street cleaning. On the same street as this last time, from almost the same spot as last time! So my panic was um. enhanced!
And I can't imagine the combat zone after hours with alcohol on your breath - yeah, that one would suck!
Frank,
Yes, they towed it once before to a lot and I had to take a cab to the lot. There was no public transportation there, which I thought was totally off.
Sorry you used up your luck! Maybe you will get a refill sometime soon.
What a great story! I'm trying to cast it in my mind as a sitcom. It's the kind of thing that would have happened to Lucille Ball, but I think I would want to cast someone more attractive as you (actually, Lucy was attractive, but never played herself that way). My own experiences with the towing guys in Cambridge have never been so happy. But at least they go around with loudspeakers announcing that it's streetcleaning day.
Rolfe,
Loudspeakers? Geez. I think that might be a good thing. On the other hand, it is loud enough here with Yappy the Dog across the street and Josie and Her Schoolchums screaming up a storm on their way home from school.
If this isn't a quintessential Bostonian story, then I don't know what is. After being towed several times, and my friend Kate being towed, we could add another good chapter or two to your saga. Glad it all worked out!
Megs,
I remember those events. I'd love to add them to the blog here. Got a second to write them up? Just the facts. I can embellish. :)
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