OK…so 1st things 1st. I have to preface this post by saying that I was tired, cranky and just wanted to go play in the city. That said, here’s the deal…
We had to put Billie in a garage while in NYC. When pulling into the garage, Billie caught a nail in her tire and went flat. The garage attendants were less then helpful, demanding that we take the car and leave the garage since we had a flat. However, we got the flat going into that garage AND I wasn’t about to drive on my brand new rims with a flat! So I asked that they assist us in changing the tire but they refused claiming they could only help us for a fee of $25. Forget that!
As Amy and I frantically searched the trunk for a jack, the attendants began to snicker in Spanish about “the stupid, little American girls that couldn’t help themselves.” Little did they know that I understood every word that they were saying. When we couldn’t find the jack and couldn’t get a hold of Chris, I asked if they would lend me the jack they were planning on using to assist us. Here’s how that conversation went.
“We don’t have a jack,” Attendant 1 responded.
“Then how were you going to help us?!?,” I snapped back.
“We were just going to borrow a jack out of one of the other cars,” Attendant 2 exclaimed as he ran to help the next customer.
As Attendant 2 parked the next car, he screamed across the garage to Attendant 1 about our stupidity. I had had enough. Fed up with their sense of superiority and obliviousness to my being bilingual, I just yelled in Spanish at Attendant 2 across the garage, asking “If he was speaking to me?” Looking utterly confused, I screamed once again to Attendant 2. All the while Attendant 1’s jaw had hit the floor. Dumbfounded, Attendant 1 assured me that Attendant 2 was speaking to him.
“That’s what I thought, so please shut up!” I said bitingly as I continued the search for the jack.
A few minutes later, Chris arrived and was able to locate the jack utilizing the Owner’s Manual. Like I said before, I was tired and cranky. Smart and logical doesn’t really mix well with those attributes. Fast-forward 20 minutes and countless under-my-breath Spanish profanities, Billie was affixed with the spare and was able to be driven. Without so much as an apology, Attendant 1 handed me the retrieval ticket and Attendant 2 speed Billie away. Prepared for a tongue lashing, I restrained myself remembering that I needed the car returned to me with all of its contents and without harm. Needless to say, when we picked up the car I was tempted to deliver the lashing, but at that point it seemed unnecessary. I think they learned lesson.
