So, I will freely admit I know way less about cars than I should. However, I'm a spoiled girl. My Mazda came with 24/7 roadside assistance and my boyfriend is pretty handy. He might not be willing to do an oil change himself, but he'll make sure I don't get screwed when the time comes. It's well known if a female goes into a mechanic shop for auto work, she's gonna get ripped off one way or the other. And my sweetie don't play that game.
In fact, I know so little about my car, I didn't even know how to pop the hood until yesterday. Is it this button? That lever? No, oops, that was my trunk. How sad is that? I'm a little ashamed and embarrassed. This is something I ought to know! I also ought to know where my battery is, but I didn't until yesterday, either.
See, I was working the front desk at the hotel where I'm employed and an Indian-looking fellow comes up and asks if we have a company van. Uh, sure we do. Why do you need it...? And then he explains when he arrived the night before it was raining and he was really tired, and left his headlights on. His battery was dead! So all he needed was a vehicle to hook up to just to jump himself. He had the cables, he knew how to do it, he just needed another vehicle. So, I grabbed my car keys, got the OK from my manager, and said I'd see him outside in five, and described my vehicle for him. Black, small, Mazda 3, four door.
That's when I learned how to pop my hood, and where my battery is. Interestingly, it's under a plastic cover on the drivers side. We made small talk about Fargo winters and what I can expect while we let the vehicles run. My Mazda had his pick up running much faster than he expected. "For a tiny package, the 3 sure packs a punch! She's got some power! Reminds me of my old Protege..." he remarked.
When his car had some life back to it, he undid the cables and I looked in his vehicle for the first time. (after all, the hood of his car was up and blocking the windshield!) In the back seat I could see a little girl, maybe 7 years of age. A teenager, too young to drive, was in the front. She was maybe 13 or 14. And then it kinda hit me... If I had told this random hotel guest "No sir, I can't leave the front desk. Let me see if someone else can help you." his girls would have sat outside, in a cold car, for that much longer.
I'm glad I stood outside, in the rain, and the 35 degree weather, to help this father charge his battery, so he and his daughters could get to wherever they needed. Sure, I had to stand in front of the space heater and nurse the feeling back into my hands afterward, but hey, it was worth it. Where ever they are, I hope they got there safe.
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