07-16-2016, 05:18 PM
I am rocketing through the southwest. The miles are flying by. But I wasn't going fast enough to outrun my own cleverness.
It was the first fill up of the day when I noticed the engine needs maintenance light on the dashboard information center. It replaced the constant estimate of my gas mileage which I found incredibly amusing,especially when said gas mileage clicked to 99 miles to the gallon.
So, this was worrisome, since I was in either bum fuck New Mexico or shit out of luck, Texas. Actually, it was Los Cruces when I pulled over to check. I initially thought it was a loose gas cap and I pulled into the rest stop with the giant road runner sculpture made of garbage. I tightened the gas cap and the light remained stubbornly on.
It remained stubbornly on for the next four hundred miles or so. It was on in El Paso when the tire on the semi-truck in front of me exploded, showering my lane with a huge strip of rubber and myriad pellets. It was on in Serra Blanco were I stopped for gas. It was on in Van Horn, Texas where I stopped at Chuy's, part of the John Madden Hall of Fame, for lunch. It was on for the countless miles of featureless Texas landscape. But the speed limit was 80 so it all passed very quickly.
I resolved to find a Hertz dealer in Midlands where I was staying for the night. Fortunately there was one at the airport not too far from my Hotel for the night. I pulled into the Hertz before stopping.
I'm thinking they might go ahead and swap out my car for me. And then my cleverness kicked me in the nuts. I had removed the seat from the rental car because I wanted as much room in the car for the gear. So, my car was missing it's seat. I couldn't think of a scenario where they would take the car without it's seat. Well, I could.
And the guys at the counter at Hertz agreed with me that they couldn't take back the car. Actually one of them was looking for a way to do it, but the smart one called their manager who shot the idea down. No seat. No car return. Take your damaged car with missing seat away from us. As I was driving away, I was thinking I could probably have gotten the swap if I hadn't had mentioned the missing seat. But honesty reared it's ugly head.
I went to find a Toyota dealer to see if they could read the trouble codes for my car. But it was now 4pm on a Saturday. The mechanics at the Toyota dealership went home at 3pm. I couldn't find another mechanic open in Midlands, either.
Tomorrow, I'm putting another 450 miles on the car as I drive to Shreveport. I'm hoping that the loose fuel cap is what kicked off the sensor and it is nothing serious. Otherwise, expect an emergency call from the side of the road.
I do have plans to find the Shreveport Toyota dealership on Monday. After the Shaw interview.
See? My incompetence is always there to help.
It was the first fill up of the day when I noticed the engine needs maintenance light on the dashboard information center. It replaced the constant estimate of my gas mileage which I found incredibly amusing,especially when said gas mileage clicked to 99 miles to the gallon.
So, this was worrisome, since I was in either bum fuck New Mexico or shit out of luck, Texas. Actually, it was Los Cruces when I pulled over to check. I initially thought it was a loose gas cap and I pulled into the rest stop with the giant road runner sculpture made of garbage. I tightened the gas cap and the light remained stubbornly on.
It remained stubbornly on for the next four hundred miles or so. It was on in El Paso when the tire on the semi-truck in front of me exploded, showering my lane with a huge strip of rubber and myriad pellets. It was on in Serra Blanco were I stopped for gas. It was on in Van Horn, Texas where I stopped at Chuy's, part of the John Madden Hall of Fame, for lunch. It was on for the countless miles of featureless Texas landscape. But the speed limit was 80 so it all passed very quickly.
I resolved to find a Hertz dealer in Midlands where I was staying for the night. Fortunately there was one at the airport not too far from my Hotel for the night. I pulled into the Hertz before stopping.
I'm thinking they might go ahead and swap out my car for me. And then my cleverness kicked me in the nuts. I had removed the seat from the rental car because I wanted as much room in the car for the gear. So, my car was missing it's seat. I couldn't think of a scenario where they would take the car without it's seat. Well, I could.
And the guys at the counter at Hertz agreed with me that they couldn't take back the car. Actually one of them was looking for a way to do it, but the smart one called their manager who shot the idea down. No seat. No car return. Take your damaged car with missing seat away from us. As I was driving away, I was thinking I could probably have gotten the swap if I hadn't had mentioned the missing seat. But honesty reared it's ugly head.
I went to find a Toyota dealer to see if they could read the trouble codes for my car. But it was now 4pm on a Saturday. The mechanics at the Toyota dealership went home at 3pm. I couldn't find another mechanic open in Midlands, either.
Tomorrow, I'm putting another 450 miles on the car as I drive to Shreveport. I'm hoping that the loose fuel cap is what kicked off the sensor and it is nothing serious. Otherwise, expect an emergency call from the side of the road.
I do have plans to find the Shreveport Toyota dealership on Monday. After the Shaw interview.
See? My incompetence is always there to help.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm