Car Stranded behind Chase bank, “Christmas Eve”
The day before Christmas, 2022, I already did my Christmas shopping a week before the Christmas week that followed. Doing my Instacart job dropping off deliveries to all customer orders. Realizing every time I went into Ralphs, Vons, Stater Bros, or Farmers Market there’d be crowds of people jamming up the checkout or self-checkout stands and a good 10–20 minute wait to buy all your groceries or gifts for the holiday season.
I woke up, got dressed, left around 8 am, got into my car, and started the engine. Check the coolant as I give the engine time to warm up the car before I leave for work. Noticing I need to put a little more gas in the tank as well as go to the bank to get some to put in my wallet just in case. As I turned the key in the ignition, I noticed that my 2005 Chevy cobalt didn’t start up properly. The day before driving in my car dropping off deliveries continuously turning on the engine in my car it wouldn’t start up properly every time. On the job, I decided to call it a day and continue my job tomorrow.
A few moments later I drive toward that bank pulling into the parking complex parking right behind the chase bank. I withdraw $500 and head back to my car. Turn the key in the ignition, my car won’t start.
Disappointed and can’t do my job and make my money. I call my brother up, he’s busy making Christmas cheer. My next contact would be my best friend but he lives 30 minutes from where I’m stranded. Without other options, I call mom thinking she’ll give me hell for asking her to help jump-start my car because the “battery” was dead. To no avail.
She takes me back home and I feel melancholy. Go into my room knowing I can’t leave my car in the parking garage because it could get towed regardless of the Christmas holiday. Then I thought about it, Triple AAA, my whole family had been bugging me to get it for years. So I go online and become a member. Mom was grateful I finally did it and I make a plan. I’ll skateboard back to my car and give mom a call to come to pick me up when I’m ready.
Head out on my skateboard because the parking garage was 2 minutes away. Downloaded the Triple-A app on my phone, and contacted AAA with my coordinates. I’m told a tow truck will be there in 10 minutes, I waited for 30. They contact me and meet the tow trucker outside the parking garage entrance. I show him to my car and he jumpstarts my car to no avail. He tells me it’s not the battery but the car starter that’s preventing my car to start. Okay, I thought to myself, I got to get that replaced. Due to the tow truck being too big to enter the parking garage we both push my car toward the exit and the tow trucker gets my car onto the tower.
A change of plan happens as he was able to contact a repair shop that was still open as many other shops were closing around 2 pm due to Christmas right around the corner. The repair shop was about 3 minutes away and drop it off. I give the tow trucker $60 as a thank-you Christmas gift. The owner of the repair shop, Ghadi, gives me a lift home as well as an estimate for the new starter he’s putting in my car, roughly around $400 but hey some expensive items desire a worthy purchase. Hopefully, I’ll have my ride before the end of the new year.
A bit of a rollercoaster ride of a day but no matter what happens I’m grateful I was able to handle the situation. Because if I couldn’t figure things out say 10 years ago I’d be freaking the fuck out and tripping. Pardon the language. Sometimes though that no matter how much I could depend on other people, family or not, there will be times when I’d only have myself to depend on. Going forward, anything could happen and things change, they always due. We just have to deal with our situations as best we can because it’s our livelihood.
If anyone reads this, Happy New Year, 2023, and all the years to look forward to.
