Big Ugly Man Doll

I’ve decided to count down to Thinksgiving, and take a moment each day to think about things I’m thankful for.  Today had a pretty clear winner.

Number Ten:  I’m thankful for really good customer service.   Also, for the state of Indiana.

You see, there was part of the last Chicago road trip (Day 2, for the die-hard fans) that didn’t make the write up, largely because I completely forgot about it while typing – gunfire will do that to a man.  Halfway up from Columbus Ohio, in the middle of the Cornfields of America, the gasket holding the windshield onto the car came loose.  We pulled over, tucked it in, and pressed on.  It came loose again.  I rolled down the window, grabbed the flapping black hosepipe at 75 mph, and mushed the minivan like a Toyota dogsled, whipping them huskies hard a-gee. 

Then SOBUMD pulled over again, and made me cut the flappy part off – ostensibly so that it wouldn’t pull the rest of the gasket from the window, but mostly so other drivers wouldn’t run off the road laughing at me.  She’s very safety conscious. 

We stopped again at the nearest available spot, which turned out to be an Indiana State Highway Welcome to Indiana (State Motto: “At Least We’re Not Ohio!”) Rest Area.  The gasket, despite my repeated and concentrated fretting, was still coming loose.  We debated the merits of just removing the windshield and driving the rest of the way to Chicago with the radio up REALLY LOUD, but the kids vetoed it – sissies are afraid of a few insects.  Since we were going to stand there until a solution presented itself – an event that did not strike me as imminent – I picked up a “Welcome to Not Ohio Indiana” informational brochure.  It was eight pages long and about 8 inches tall by 4 inches wide, with glossy paper. 

A solution presented itself. 

I folded up the brochure, folded it again, and then again, which at this point represented a very thick cross section of the Cornfields of America, and I jammed it in between the windshield and the bit of the car that should have a gasket holding the windshield on and keeping it steady. 

We drove to Chicago.  We drove around there a lot.  We drove home.  We forgot all about Indiana.

Today, 6 years after SOBUMD had Safelite install this windshield, a technician from Safelite came to the house, removed the cross-section of Indiana brochure that has been holding the windshield onto the car for the last long time, and repaired the gasket.  For free.  When Safelite says “warranty,” they mean warranty.  SOBUMD reports excellent service from their phone reps and the technician.

Yeah, I think I can be thankful for that.

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