InsaneJournal

Who: Tom and Sam
What: Car problems
When: 16th April
Where: Garage
Rating: Low
Status: Complete



Sam was getting increasingly worried about the ticking noise her car was making and while she may have physics degrees coming out her ears she didn’t have a clue where to start when she looked under the bonnet of the car. It had just never been something she was interested in learning about.

So she had finally decided to head to a garage after receiving a recommendation from a colleague. Pulling up she got out of the car and headed into the garage looking for the reception area.

With nothing currently on the go, Tom was lingering by the main desk. Their receptionist was out on a quick lunch, so he was more than happy to take on helping the woman who was walking up.

"Hi there," he said, offering a smile. "I'd shake your hand but it's a slight bit greasy."

"Hi" Sam replied with a smile, "Thank you for saving me from grease" she joked, "So umm can I book my car in with you or is there a receptionist?" she asked, assuming from his hands and clothes he was a mechanic and not the phone lackey.

"Yeah, I can take care of it, sure. Do you mind if we go take a look? It's slow in here today, so maybe I can have it ready without needing to go through most of the fuss."

Tom laughed a bit.

“That’d be great” Sam nodded smiling, “It’s making a sort of ticking noise whenever I accelerate” she told him as she led him over to her car. It was a small black practical car but she took care of it very well.

“It’s probably not too much to worry about, especially if you’ve caught it early on. No real rhyme or reason for it, you know?” When they got to the car, he lifted the hood and took a look inside.

“Usually it’s an oil problem, but judging the upkeep your car seems to be in, it could not be. But that’s always the best place to start looking.” Tom always tried to inform people as much as he could. While he realized it could, maybe, minimize the flow of clients, he found that the honesty of it made up for the fact by all the recommendations they’d get. And besides, if it’s an easy fix, then there’s no reason people should be paying for it.

Sam appreciated being told as much as possible, she was an intelligent woman and even if she may not understand everything she could learn. It was refreshing in a garage not to be treated as some kind of bimbo and be led to believe whatever had gone wrong would cost a fortune to fix.

“I try to keep her running well” Sam admitted, “She’s been good to me so I need to look after her”

“That’s good to hear.” Tom flashed her a smile and took out the oil’s dipstick, going through the motions as he checked the level. “Well, that checks out all right then. You said it’s a tapping sound, right? Not a knocking or anything?”

“Is there much difference?” she asked thinking about it, “Knocking and tapping are pretty much the same aren’t they?”

“Afraid not,” he laughed. “Tapping is a bit more of an easier issue. Knocking might mean a part is dislodged somewhere, which is considerably a bit more hassle. Tapping is likely just the valve train being loose, though. You wouldn’t happen to have your car’s manual with you, would you? Then I can walk you through how to fix it on your own, if you’d like.”

“Oh wow, sorry I’m not much more help. Tapping just seemed like the best description but I guess it could have been knocking” she told him before nodding, “Oh yes I do” she retrieved the manual from the glove compartment and handed it to him.

“Well, if your first instinct is tapping, it’s like the best instinct.” Tom didn’t mind. He enjoyed helping people, really, and she seemed like she genuinely wanted to be informed. He took the manual and flipped through the pages.

“All right then. So, first thing you’ve got to do is check to see if there’s a gap in there.” He pulled a feeler gauge from his pocket and showed her where to use it, then nodded a bit triumphantly. “See, first instinct is always good. It’s just a matter of adjusting it back into place, which is explained in your manual. But I’ll do it for you quick while I’m here.”

Sam watched, listened and responded when needed. She couldn't believe how, relatively, simple it all was. Not as difficult as she had thought. "Thank you so much" she said heartfelt, "you wouldn't believe the trouble I've had at garages before"

Tom nodded a bit as he worked on the adjustment for her. “Some places are like that, you know? It’s too bad.” He wiped his hands on his overalls and put the hood back down. “Why don’t you start it up and see how it sounds now.”

“It is” Sam agreed, “At least I know where to come now though” she smiled before nodding and getting into the car to start it. Checking the accelerator she grinned when she realised the tapping sound had stopped. Switching off the car she got out, “Perfect” she told him, “Thank you so much”

He looked pleased at the sound, then shrugged with a smile. “That’s what I like to hear. Honestly, the fee for a quick fix like that isn’t much, so I don’t mind waving it for you. So long as you keep your promise to keep coming back.” His smile turned into a bit of a grin. “Just ask for Tom.”

“Oh are you sure?” Sam replied, “I’ll definitely keep coming back, and I’ll be sure my roommate knows about you too. Thank you Tom. I’m Sam and I am very pleased to have met you” she smiled.

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” he said, earnestly. “It wasn’t that much of a trouble to fix. Save your money for something more important. It was good to meet you, too, Sam. Enjoy your tapping-free vehicle.” Tom gave her a wave before heading back into the garage.