I'm waiting for a washing machine repairman to come fix what I couldn't. Sears gave me one of those "we'll be at your house sometime between 8 am and 5 pm to fix it. Make sure you're home the entire time." The cost of the hours I'm missing from work is likely more than this repair is going to cost me, but I tried and failed to fix it so this is my next best option.
So I'm sitting on the couch reading my mail. My car insurance company sent me a lovely letter. It says I can have greater "control" over the cost of my insurance. People tend to like that word - Control - so when I hear it from someone wanting my money I instantly get a tad suspicious. My brother-in-law is the most anti-government paranoid person I know and this letter would send him over the moon. The insurance companies have built one of the biggest and most powerful political lobby machines in the country over the past few years so naturally people are increasingly distrustful of them. My insurance company says that I can have more control over the cost of my car insurance. All I have to do is give them permission to link into my automobile's onboard computer. Have you read about the "little black boxes" politicians are trying to mandate be installed in all new cars? The insurance lobby is the money behind that, so you know it's going to happen no matter what The People say. So they want my permission to link into my new car's computer and monitor my every move. They're ASKING ... for now. Of course I'm going to say "no." But soon they won't ask. Soon they'll just do it. The politicians who have accepted their money are going to make it the law of the land, and then they'll just spy on you through your car as much as they want.
I shouldn't have sold my dad's old stationwagon. No computers on that old thing.
Think it'll stop there? Oh no, my wonderful bloggie friends, it won't. How much do you love all those traffic cameras installed all over the place, recording your every move, especially in larger cities? Do they make you uncomfortable? Well here's the thing, they cost a lot of money. Governments don't like having to spend that money. They like taking your money, but they hate spending it on things that cost them a significant portion of their budget. They'd rather make you buy the cameras and install them and then they just monitor them and ticket you with them. Soon that's exactly what they'll do. Once they make it the law of the land that insurance companies can spy on you through your onboard computer, guess who else can? That's right, your local police. They'll be ticketing you for ever single minuscule error you make. You'll be getting tickets in the mail for things like going 1/2 mile per hour over the posted limit on a given road for 2 seconds on one particular day. Your license will rack up points so fast you won't even be allowed to drive before the year is out. But don't worry. The government will offer solutions for that. If you pay enough money they'll "forgive" you your trespasses and ignore the points on your license. It'll be like the good old Roman Empire, where those with enough money could buy immunity and the rest of the people suffered. Or like Washington DC, where donating enough millions to a Democrat's campaign means you don't have to pay any taxes.
So it's 3 pm and the fucking repairman from Sears still isn't here. I try to reach them, but every single point of contact with Sears is a computer. Call them on the phone and a computer tells me that my repairman may arrive anywhere between 8 and 5. So helpful. Go to their website and open a 'chat' window and another computer says "hello Steven. What can I help you with?"
No matter how I respond it gives me the same answers. It's like playing one of those old computer games where you hunt for clues to a mystery by typing in questions and reading answers.
"Where is my mother fucking washer repairman?"
"Our repair person may arrive at your residence anywhere between 8 am and 5 pm today. What else may I help you with?"
"So, this is costing me a fortune wasting my whole day like this. Do you know where the fuck he is?"
"Our repair person may arrive at your residence anywhere between 8 am and 5 pm today. What else may I help you with?"
"I just would like to know where he is and about what time he expects to be here? I want to know if he's coming at all. How are you not getting this? Are you fucking stupid?"
"Our repair person may arrive at your residence anywhere between 8 am and 5 pm today. What else may I help you with?"
"Apparently nothing."
So I called every number, clicked on every chat link, tried every means of communicating with Sears. It wasn't until 3:30 that I finally got a person, someone in Mexico who barely speaks English. He told me the repairman would call me and would be here between 4 and 5 pm. 4 and 5?? Seriously? I could have worked almost an entire day instead of wasting it sitting around waiting on you jerkoffs!!!
So, I won't be doing business with Sears again in the future.
Right now I'm watching a DVD of "Jonah Hex", a DC comic turned movie starring some guys and Megan Fox. I'm pretty sure the only reason anyone ever went to see this movie was for Megan Fox. I can't say I've paid any attention to it much. Mostly I've been defragging my POS laptop and trying to reach someone at Sears about my washer repair.
So, The Crisis, what's that all about? Well here it is:
Oh, and since I ranted about the repairman at the beginning of this, I guess I should mention that while I was writing it he actually showed up, figured out what was wrong, and fixed it. It only cost me $100. Most importantly, though, is the fact that what the problem turned out to be is something that I never in a million years would have figured out. So it's a good thing I called someone and wasted an entire day waiting for them.
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I don't have IE. Never have. No can use with macs.
ReplyDeleteI use Firefox for pretty much everything. Never had any problems.
I also use Chrome, but just recently I have had problems with it, but only on FB for another account... whenever there is a friend request, it wont let me go to it. It just freezes. And I know it's a Chrome problem, 'cos I can use Safari or Firefox and it works just fine.
I don't really use Safari, I am not keen on it. Seems really slow and continually seems to be loading.
Glad you got the washer fixed. I hate how service people leave you hanging like that. Shits me to tears.
Ute, I seem to have the best luck with Chrome on Windows XP. I tried Safari for awhile, but like you I find it to be slow. It started off well enough, but steadily slowed to an unusable crawl as he "learned" my surfing habits. I finally gave up on it.
DeleteI use IE & Chrome.....lots of sites wont work on IE any more; some aren't functional yet in Chrome........puters.
ReplyDeleteGlad your washing machine man found & fixed the problem. Timing is very hard to manage let me tell you!!! We never make people stay home all day though!!!!! I usually arrange to TELEPHONE the client when we are 1/2hr or 1 hour away, depending on what suits the client best. At least that way they can go out & do stuff!!!! We try & do 2 hour windows for people, but it doesn't always go to plan. We'd never go down the road of computer generated answering shite!!!!!!
AlleyCat, most companies these days just give you a window like that, but don't leave you hanging all day long. I was shocked when Sears told me they expected me to be here all freakin' day. And then they didn't even come until the day was almost over! I was SO mad.
Deletecompletely understandable! I'd be pissed too!!!!
DeleteAlleyC, ARGH!!! :-)
DeleteFrom the first time I saw the Progressive Commercial with Flo pushing their "Snapshot" device that could save drivers money by plugging it into your car, I couldn't help but wonder who would be dumb enough to fall for that. Have your insurance company (and who else) see you on GPS every move you make? I don't think so! If I ever have a car with a black box, I will pay whatever to have it yanked. I like technology until it spies on me. I drove a car for far too many years as I know you have with my wrenches and spare parts in the trunk - albeit hard to work on cars these days. I can still use a map too! Companies give out free cell phones to employees so they can track them real time and/or see where they have been. As you mentioned, there are the street cameras. Can't tell me that our smarphones aren't capable of being tracked. I have read about the smart electric meters being put on houses across the country that can transmit signals as to what you are using electricity for in your house and when and where. All they gotta do is stick those RFID chips in us (which I heard is a feature of Obamacare) and we will all be monitored by that huge facility in Utah that the NSA is building to store all our calls and emails and communications and that nobody talks about.
ReplyDeleteIt will be the digital age of communism.
Then the frustration that the government will know where we are but where the fkkk is the repairman!
Bronx, this is how bad things often start in formerly free societies - giving up a little freedom for convenience or the illusion of security. Oh, but it's only a little. And then a little more and a little more. And next thing you know, all your freedom is gone and nothing is convenient or secure for you. Communism is winning by relying on the laziness and self-indulgent nature of man.
DeleteSo... uh... was it plugged in?
ReplyDeleteI had to ask...
~shoes~
Red, yeah, it was plugged in. But it had a short in a connector to the motor that was lighting up the thing like Dr Frankenstein giving life to his monster. So I had surfed the net looking for answers and bought up every part every 'expert' said was causing the problem. Turned out I didn't need any of them. He modified the connector and the problem was solved.
DeleteI hate it when they give you that "sometime between 8am and 5pm" bullshit.
ReplyDeleteSo will he be here in the morning, or the afternoon?
"He'll be there sometime beteen 8am and 5pm."
But is my appointment scheduled for his morning shift, or his afternoon shift?
"He'll be there sometime beteen 8am and 5pm."
* * * * *
That's just bullshit. When he reports to work and is given his list of jobs both he and the company know which job is scheduled first, which is second, and so on. They even know that at least a day ahead of time, so why is so fucking hard for them to let the customer know "He'll be there between 8am and 12pm." or "He'll be there between 1pm and 5pm."
Capn, I hate it, too. I can't believe that in this day and age, especially with the competition eating their lunch, they still treat customers that way.
DeleteWow--
ReplyDeleteWhat ur work did not give u MLK Day off?
Buttons and I slept until oh I don't know 3:00 ish. And I then we went for a walk. Ate some lunch. Then off I went to the "Coffeehouse"
It's always difficult waiting on someone or something.
Take care my friend.
Stormy, no, we didn't get Obama's inauguration day off. Did you like the way he hijacked MLK's day for himself? That's so Obama!
DeleteSears sucks fermented genitalia. My coworker had the same problemo but with her stove. Same shit, different color.
ReplyDeleteWe sue insurance companies for a living. I don't feel sorry for them one bit. The settlement amounts they offer their insureds what have paid their premiums for years is insulting.
Senorita, I just think its ridiculous not to at least narrow the time down to a smaller range so I can at least work part othe a day.
Delete