Monday, December 29, 2008

Can You DIg It?


On Saturday afternoon, my willfulness and stubborness reached its choking point, and I decided that I would dig my car out of the snow.

It was parked about two blocks away from my house.

"Enoough," I grumbled in my best Type A voice, as I set out with two shovels and steely determination.

O.K.

It only took half an hour and some nifty raised-on-the-prairies-nothing's-gonna-stop-me driving, but I did it.

Of course. Always knew I would, so there. Ha!

Swung onto the ruts of the street, promptly turned right up the next street so that I could then turn back down to the main road and go about my terribly important business. (I had to return three videos to a store many K. away.)

In less than a third of the way up the second street, I stalled and stuck.

My '93 Mazda, trusty as it is, has a low undercarriage and I was basically riding the snow tracks.

More shovelling, help from a stranger who lived on the street and half an hour later, nothing.

O.K.

So I walked back towards my house, knowing that I had now effectively blocked a residential street entirely and that if I phoned BCAA and if I ever got through, the wait would be about five hours.

BUT...

What do I find in the alleyway just a moment later?

But an entire family digging our their van.

O.K.

So I'll help you dig if you'll help me push.

Done and done.

But just as we start to push my car back, another five or six people come along and join in the fun.

Missions accomplished.

After I returned the videos and got some groceries, I headed back to the hood.

My car is now parked on a busy thoroughfare. I am hoping that it isn't snowplowed in this morning.

It was lovely to see people helping each other in these maddening conditions.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My snow story is different. After enjoying two days of cocooning at home by the fire and visiting my hood around Granville and Broadway,I HAD to get my car down to Aircare by Saturday. Just before the holidays, I did make an attempt to "mow" my car through the snow in my back alley, but just outside my underground parking (I won't gloat!), I got stuck. I managed to spin the wheels hard enough in reverse to back Betsy into the garage and leave her for some rest and relaxation after SUCH trauma.
But by Saturday, the snow was softer. I felt I stood a better chance. Betsy rickoshayed down the back alley with just enough ease and flow, shaking and shimmying her carriage up and down like a jalopy with no suspension. Her wheels got a grip, perhaps inspired by the current radio's tune, Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel, which I cranked up. (My usual CBC FM with Tom Allen just wasn't cuttin'it). She maneuvered her way onto the street... praying all the while that no one was coming the other way as stopping would've been deadly. The stand off would not have been pretty.
Driving was OK until I got to Aircare on Kent. I had to maneuver steering and 4 wheels to get Betsy strategically through the slushy snow laden entrance. I was the only car in sight - with eight Aircare guys standing around with nothing to do (show shoveling is not part of their job description)... tag, I was it!
After all that... failed the test!
I had made previous arrangements with Dale at Midas on 4th and Arbutus to look after me if I failed, so sure enough, I arrived at his busy shop that morning in the middle of their muddle...cars everywhere needing attention, phones ringing, and Dale outside shoveling snow.Dale handled my predicament professionally - with phones ringing, customers and mechanics needing his attention at every minute - there he was, shoveling snow off the sidewalk so people could get by. Hmmm... I thought back to the 8 guys at Aircare making big bucks with nothin' to do but talk amongst themselves about where they are going to go on their next vacation.. who wouldn't THINK of clearing that driveway.
Four hours later, Dale called to say I just needed a tune up... something about spark plugs and new wire. So Aircare had failed me because my diagnostics were not working - nothing to do with carbon emission! Grumble...grumble.
For just under $250,I was on my way... HA...to the OTHER Aircare Centre on Charles, thinking the road would be better to traverse. WRONG! It was worse. To begin, after a very long snow laden roadway with deep ruts to drive on(one false move and you're stuck!) to get to the building, I entered the exit... you'd have to be there to understand that that would've made sense. I was directed to the other side of the building, but when I whipped around, I ended up in a parking lot filled with snow and no tracks to follow! I saw that look on the face of one of the ICBC guys and knew what he was thinking... OH God... I will NOT shovel snow...for anyone! Well, Betsy backed up gracefully as I maneuvered the wheel to the entrance, driving past a big sign that says DO NOT ENTER.
Ya know, they could've told me to go through this way when they advised me to drive to the back earlier.
THIS TIME, they couldn't read my diagnostics. Apparently, it takes some time for the diagnostics to kick in when you've been to a shop. A great guy at ICBC advised me to come back in a few days and try again. I didn't HAVE a few days... ya think I'd be driving in THIS if I had? So back through the long snow-ridden roadway to take a drive. Where?
I booted it over the Second Narrows bridge, up and down the cut and came back to Aircare. Betsy, my reliable 1998 Saturn, passed with flying colours. She purred along beautifully all the way to my Autoplan dealer. When I entered the shop, I was the only one there. I sat at the counter and exhaled deeply. She looked at me and said, Are you OK? to which I replied.. Boy, have I got a story for you.

MurdocK said...

Great story of how everyone can really 'pitch in' even when they derive no more benefit than helping another on his way.

Here is another take on 'global warming' that I thought you might find funny David.

Cartoon.

Anonymous said...

Great story by "Anonymous"!
David what you experienced, and returned in kind, is what I call Random Acts Of Kindness. They sure go a long way in this goofy world that we live in.
I believe that gang members tend to frown on such aberrant behavior though.
Cheers