Back in 2003 when my dad died I inherited his 2000 Chevy Impala which was better than the car I had. All kinds of things wrong with the Chevy such as a gas gauge that would not tell me how much gas was left but was nice enough to wink at me when I was almost out. This and other problems I could live with without getting them fixed. But two years ago the horn went out and that's serious with the way people cut you off on the road and back out of parking spaces without looking.
So I took the car to my Shell mechanic, the only station where I can leave the car and walk home while it's being fixed. OK, nice job, so thanks. Well, a few weeks or so later no horn again. Back to the station and now the bill is over $200 for the horn because they figured out what the problem really was, and while they had the car, please fix the window on the driver's side. It is electric and won't go up or down anymore at all. I really need for the window to go up and down because there are toll booths where I live and I don't have a Sun Pass so I use coins. OK, that's $200 some for the horn because they took the panel off or something and $240 for the window, both all nice and fixed. Now I can honk my horn at the attendant while flippin' quarters at the toll booth. Heavens, I was riding high. Couple of months later, no horn again.
I should say that this process was so long and drawn out towards getting the horn fixed because my work provides a company car that I take home because I work in the field most of the time. Therefore, I don't use my personal car that often--usually only once a week. Lucky me. Sometimes I drove my personal car without knowing the horn was broken. I just assumed this when I'd find it broken again.
OK, of course, back to the station to get the horn fixed. I did not want to change stations because I would have to "shell" out a lot of money again. When I got there I learned that the establishment had changed hands. Oh, no. I have to pay all of that money again? No, we'll fix it at no charge because you were intelligent enough to save the receipt. Well, I took the car in once more after that because it stopped working again but this second time was the charm. Oops, not quite. As I drove out of the station I pressed the buttons to put the windows up but now, oh no, NONE of the windows worked. Pulled right back into the station that very second. Left the car again. Car got soaked from rain because the windows were down.
All right, they kept the car inside overnight. When I picked it up you will not believe what happened! The owner was voluntarily straight with me. He said that the windows would not go up or down because a mechanic must have accidentally leaned on the button that purposely keeps the windows from being manipulated. Maybe a safety thing for kids or something. I didn't know I had that button, never used it. The owner also said that they called Chevy who told them how to fix the horn. Six months later I'm still alive because my horn is really fixed this time! she said while crossing her fingers.
