“It’s just one of those days, where you don’t want to wake up, everything is….”
Thanks Limp Bizkit, that’s just how my morning started! Being young (according to the 50+ crowd), independent (according to me) and broke (according to my bank balance) makes getting up in the morning quite a mission.
Today just isn’t my day! As I’m driving my four wheels and struggling engine to work, I realise I’ve got my top on backwards, there’s some form of gum on my jeans, traffic’s bad, it’s raining cats and dogs and of course there’s road-works!
Sipping on a WildBean coffee I figure that this day can only get better! Unfortunately, reality shakes me awake as I feel my car start shaking.
Shake, shake, hazards, 1, 2, 3, dead.
Car horns hum a tune of annoyance while lights wink at me from behind. Peak traffic and there I sit. It’s 7 in the morning and I need help- lots of it!
As tears draw patterns on my face I realise another smoke won’t help me out. I phone the work, I phone my dad and eventually I phone the mechanic. I hear a tinge of irritation and get a “get out of your car and open the hood” reply. “It’s raining” I say, “Do you want help or not?”.
Soaked to the core, I look at the thingy where you put water in and frankly, don’t recognise anything else under the hood. Mechanic’s conclusion is to call a wrecker and get myself out of the peak traffic before someone drives over me.
Mr. Wrecker drives the yellow tow truck and looks like he recently escaped from prison- blood shot eyes, beer belly and a mallet. Just the perfect companion when you’re wet, irritated and about to have a breakdown!
So, it seems that my engine seized. It will cost roundabout R20 000 to fix and I need a car desperately! The Internet and I become best friends as I look around for an affordable car rental. But, not just any car- I need a cheap car rental WITH a radio, extra tire and of course a model that does not originate from 1920!
The net overflows with car rental agencies and apparent cheap car rentals, but with further research there’s always something that puts me off. Eventually I found a website that ‘shops around’ for me. They work with South African car rental companies and find any car that you select at the cheapest possible price!
Not only does this car rental company offer lower rates than the rest, they also have funky new vehicles AND daily free kilometers! Perfect for my pocket as I’m more broke now than a few days ago!
It’s been a week of driving in a rattling orange bus and I’ve finally decided which car rental I’d prefer. Speedy, friendly service, no nasty surprises and I’m steering ‘my new’ car around.
Must say I’m looking quite cute in this model, pity it’s only a car rental! Luckily, the longer you rent the car, the less you pay (the mechanic likes taking his own sweet time).
Luckily, I’m mobile now and enjoying every last minute! Seems a bad week swung around- nothing like good service and a reliable car to put that smile back on my face!
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