My television has now been in the shop for over six weeks. It broke down last August 27th, when Andrea, Nick and I were watching Nick's "Family Guy" DVD. The next week, I called a reputable-sounding company in the Yellow Pages who advertised that they had "Techs To Go," and on the next Wednesday Gil came over and told me that since my set did not have a removable chassis, he would have to take it back to the shop for repairs. "One week, maybe less," he promised.I've never seen the set again.
I call Gil from time to time to check on his progress, and attempt to encourage him to get a move on. "The technician's working on it right now, " is his standard lie, told to me at least four times. "It should be finished tomorrow or the next day - I will call you the day after tomorrow," Gil promises, but he never calls back. I let a week or so slip by, and call him again, and get the same lie. It would be humorous if it weren't so pathetic.
I haven't seen a single play of football this year - pro or college. I never saw the conclusion of HBO's "Entourage" - did Ari get his job back? I saw the first episode of "Rome," but no more. Movies, series, reruns and shlock have all come and gone. I am seriously impaired in my ability to make fun of popular culture.
Sometimes I get myself worked up over it, but generally not during business hours when I can get Gil on the telephone. During the day, my hours have been busy, testifying in Washington and what not, and I only think about it when I come home to this big empty, quiet house.
My stereo appreciates the attention it's been getting in the t.v.'s absence.
So what should I do? Continue to be patient, maintain my equanimity, and allow the work to be done when it gets done? Get aggressive, "no more Mr. Nice Guy," rip Gil a new one, and then still wait for him to get around to it, but now while stewing in my own agita?
1 comment:
I used to get annoyed when electronics began carrying a label saying "No user servicable parts"...this dates me as having lived through the tube-->transistor shift. I now view that warning as a gift, an excuse not to bother at all and just replace, whole cloth, whatever seems broken. Of course this demeans my image of selfreliance and my prowess with tools and technology but it probably does my bloodpressure some good. And now that my town dump only takes electronics on special days and sees that the junk is disposed of or recycled in ways that keep the toxics out of the environment, I can start to feel better about being the willing drone consumer that our economic system fosters and desires. Disposable income really does mean money you take to the dump.
Your greatest advantage Shokai, is that unlike most people who would be fuming at least as much, you have added a thoughtful wrapper of selfobservation to your package of troubles. You would be one of the minority who turned life this way and that and found that it indeed does have some user serviceable parts.
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