A Stitch In Time Saves Nine.

Yesterday I had got up early and seen to the cats and the dogs, did the dish washer, swept and mopped the floors,  changed all the cat litters, wrote my diary, had my Quite Time, had a bath and then went to work. There is always far too much to do before I go to work. I have tried to cut corners or miss something out, I have even tried completly ignoring the cats and dogs and leaving them all to my husband who is still in bed, but I can't the routine has been set and must be followed each and every single day.  There is no days off in the cats and dogs eyes.

I had a good day at work I worked hard and job satisfaction is important to me, that was that was achieved again yesterday. An hour before work ended, I was catching up on all the notes that I now had to write before I finished at 5pm, so with my small cup I had two cups of sweet milky tea. Time sped on, for I write in depth and ended up finishing at 545pm instead. I went to the loo before I went, as I knew I was going to Morrisons to hunt for reduced bargains, and then to hand the key over to another person at the other site as he would be at this site today.

My car was parked outside on the main road, and when I got in it, something awful happened. Suddenly my car was wobbling, it was like my car was drunk! It was really embarrassing, and I felt like all the other cars were looking at me, I thought maybe my wheele was coming off, I quickly turned into the side street and parked the car. I came out and looked at the tyre, it was flat! In the 30 years I have driven, I have never had a flat tyre.

I got back into my car, and rang my car insurance, as my full UK breakdown cover is in that. I rang the number,  there were lots to listen to and to press, then I came to the tyre section I pressed that. The man said, "This is the RAC you are ringing about your tyre?" I replied, "Yes, it is flat." He asked for my details, then asked, "Are you in a safe place?" I said, "Yes." He said, "The engineer with be with you at 7.30pm." I said, "OK." The time was 5.50pm. The man said, "If you want a tyre Company to come to you instead, they will be quicker," I said, "Will I have to pay them?" He said, "Yes," I said, "No thank you, I pay enough for my car insurance and break down cover." Was thankful that I had worn warm clothes, as this site can be chilly. Paul asked, "Do you want me to come to you?" I said, "No, I am OK." The colleague that I had worked with, said, "Lock you car doors." I didn't, but would if someone came up to my car.  

Seven thirty came and went, I now wanted the loo, the tea that I had had just before I finished work, I didn't think that by now I would not be at home. The RAC rang me at 7.45pm the man said, "Are you in a safe place?" I said, "Yes," He said, "The engineer, will now be with you at 10.50pm," I shouted, "YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME, I WAS TOLD 7.30PM!" I had remembered the robot saying, when I was waiting to be connected to the right service, "We will not put up with any hassles or rudness, if you are rude and show no respect to our staff you could be cut off." The man said, "That was an estimite time," I said, "It is dark, I am cold, and need the loo!" I had lowered my voice, but I couldn't disguide my disappointment. He said, "I will see what I can do, and get back to you," I said, "OK." Along with the person I was going to give the key to I texted him and told him and sent him pictures and another person from work who was with him at the other site, she heard and I chat with her and the person I had worked with that day, all via text. I then put it on Facebook, from Facebook they were communication with me too. The RAC man rang back and said, "The engineer will be with you at 9.10pm." I replied, "OK, this is also a rough area." I decided to risk it and walk back to work so that I could use the loo. In all the years that I have worked at this site, I had never ever walked in the dark. Years ago, when we finished late, it was scary just going next door to the car park! So I kept my wits about me and made it back to work. I then walked back to the car. I had decided IF the RAC had arrived to me at 10.50pm I would give the a rubbish feedback!!!

Then a lovely happy voice rang me, and said, "Hi I am Peter, I am on my way to you and will be with you In 30 minutes,"  I said, "Thank you Peter."  I was busy texing people and them me, and people watching, then the Fabolous RAC van arrived with bright lights flashing and parked in front of me, I informed Paul, "He has arrived." The time was 8.40pm. It felt Good.

He introduced himself, "Hi I am Peter, I said, "I am Maxine, it is good to see you, here is my flat tyre, I have never had one in 30 years of driving." I said, "The RAC had given me a time of 10.50pm," He said, "We have been very busy." He got his touch and pump, he pumped it up, and then lifted the car up too. The wheel was perfect! He said, "That is strange, the wheel is perfect." I said, "A colleague, said to ask you if it was delibrate? He looked at the perfect wheel and said, "It looks like it" I showed it what was by my windows, and he said, "I hope it wasn't because of that," I said, "Me too."  He then went and got what I thought was water in a spray bottle and he turned the wheel and sprayed it all over.  He said, "I am puzzled at to why you had a flat tyre," Then suddenly he said, "There it is!" He showed me the bubbles that was coming from the side of the tyre, and the metal bit.

Peter said, "Tomorrow, you will need to take it to the garage, so that they can put your spare on." I said, "OK."  Peter then said, "Do you mind telling me what you do for a living?" I told him, then he said, "So you are a good person!" I said, "Yes." He then said, "I will change your tyre and put your spare on." I said, "Oh, thank you Peter." 

It was difficult to remove the spare tyre, he said, "This spare tyre has never been used, since the car was made." I said, "This is a good car, it has never broken down." He went on to tell me good things about the model of my car.

He put the spare on and said, "Tomorrow, you will need to go to a tyre garage and get the spare tyre, off and have the original tyre put back on so the wheeles will be the same. The spare didn't even need air.

I said to Peter, "Before you arrived I was going to give RAC a very bad feedback, IF they had arrived 10.50pm but You have saved the day, I am going to give you the Best Feedback Ever, You have been Fantastic!" Peter said, "Thank you for that." Peter said, "Now turn on you engine, while I am still here." I did, it worked beautifully, then he said, "Now drive off so I know that all is well," I drove off and waved to him and he waved back. I was one very happy customer.

I drove to the other site to give him the key to the site that I had been to all day, then with the food that was in my car for our dinner, I drove home. It was Good to be home.

Meghan had a good point, "There are more people on the motorways or in isolated places, who need the RAC more than you, so you can see why it could have been a a five hour wait." I agreed with her, and added, "I was glad that work was just round the corner, so that I was able to use the loo."

Any day can start out just normal, and in an instant it can change, and be out of our control. It had been a very long day yesterday, I remembered to thank all those who asked about my welfare, and gave me advice and kept be company all by text and Facebook, so that I wasn't alone.

Was grateful, that I had taken out full breakdown UK cover, on my very expensive car insurance, it paid dividends yesterday, as this car had never broken down. A stitch in  times saves nine.