A series of unfortunate events.

What an unfortunately eventful day today!

For a couple weeks now, my car has been sputtering whenever I turn the ignition. I figured it's time to get the battery changed, and I arranged to have it done yesterday morning. However, I was too busy and couldn't make it.

So this morning, I woke up with a kind of nervous feeling. I had a meeting to go to at 2pm nearby at Mid Valley. I dunno why I felt nervous this morning, like I KNEW that today would be the day that my car decides not to start.

I get a phone call from Regs to say that she will be in Mid Valley shopping and I can join her if I like. So I tell her that I have a meeting there and will meet her after. Later, she calls and says that her car won't start! So if I would be so kind as to pick her up on my way to my meeting, that'd be great. So I said, sure.

I get ready for my meeting and walk to my car, channelling good vibes and energy towards it.

Didn't work. It sputtered and sputtered and this time, it never started. Panic!

Although it was already 1.30pm, the workshop guys were apparently still at lunch and besides, apparently, they couldn't come and get me as they were sooooo busy. So I hailed a taxi from in front of my place and paid RM5.20 to get to Mid Valley for my meeting. Which lasted only 10 minutes. Then I had to find a taxi back. What a bloody waste of time, really.

Thank goodness there were loads of taxis waiting. So I took one directly to the workshop, which cost me RM6.40. This is already costing me way more than driving myself and parking in Mid Valley.

I tell the guy there that I need this done asap and then he was like, oh they are sooooo busy today, maybe they can only come to your car at 3pm (it was 2.15pm). So I said, well, do whatever you want and do it quick, I'm parking myself here, right in front of you.

Five minutes later, he walks over to me and says, oh we have someone free to send you to your car and fix it. And if it's the battery, it costs RM220. And the labour is RM35.

Dagneggit, the battery is RM220??? Why do I remember only just over a year ago paying slightly over RM100 for the exact same battery? At a different place, sure, but are they excessively overcharging me here? Well, I really need my car to be fixed or I'll be in a fretful mood all day, so I said okay.

So the guy brings me back and fixes up little Bruno (yes, I rarely call my car by his name, but there ya go). Then I drive back to the workshop to pay RM260 for everything. So expensive! I was gonna send my car for servicing tomorrow, but after paying that amount, I think I might skip it for the moment. The guy did scare me a little by saying that I should send my car in for the major service soon as my timing belt will need to be replaced at 60,000 km (I'm at 52,000km).

Since my car is working again, I headed to the bank where I had to pick up a bank statement for my company account. I decided to park inside the compound because there is a 15-minute grace period when you don't have to pay for parking. Since I was just picking up the statement, I figured it wouldn't take me long.

Well, it didn't take too long, but it certainly took me about 10 minutes or so. I waited a minute at the ATM machine, wanting to withdraw some cash, but they were taking too long and I really didn't wanna pay for parking, so I went back to my car.

Lo and behold, what's new? There are 5 motorcycles parked behind my car, almost certainly all heading to the gambling shop I'm parked in front of. There were two motorcycles blocking my path, and one of them rode away while I was entering my car. So now I had one problem on hand. And no one in sight. A dude comes down from the gambling shop and goes to the cycle next to the problem one. I try angling my car to squeeze out, but to no avail, the damn cycle was just right in my way!

Now, why can't these stupid cyclists park the cycles at least in places where we cars can squeeze out? Why do they all have to park in a cluster behind my ONE car? Can't they just take an extra 10 steps and park in a more convenient spot for EVERYBODY? Damn them!

I had to get out of my car and ask the dude to help me move the idiot's cycle next to his. He could only budge it about a foot away (30cm for you Europeans), which was barely enough for me to squeeze out with about 10 cm between my car door and the bike handle. So pissing off!!

Then of course, by the time I reach the exit, which is only 10 seconds away, the guy tells me that I have to pay because I'm a damn ONE MINUTE past the grace period!

Everyone hands up who has NOT been a victim of the stupidity of a motorcyclist!

No hands? Not surprising.