'Big' man tells off irate customer (me)

I've really run the gamut of emotions today.

Early on I was furious. I got my car back from the service garage yesterday afternoon and by the time I left for City Council, there was something else wrong with it. This has happened one too many times for comfort.

I rarely 'lose it' when dealing with another person, especially a virtual stranger, but I sort of lost it this morning. I did not yell, because I don't rarely yell (except at the computer), but I made it quite clear that I was not happy and that if I wasn't made happy, things would start appearing in print and/or on this blog.

I know this was not good. The only other time I can remember using my writing as a weapon was also over car repairs, but with another garage and over another car.

So later in the day the guy who runs the garage called me and told me I could pick up my car. I went on over and he sat me down like I was a little kid and told me off. Oddly enough, this kind of thing doesn't make me angry. This is one situation in which I am not reactive.

I apologized like a good little girl, the apology was accepted, and I vowed to myself never again to give him MY business.

(Even though he made the car better for free. I later realized that he had had my car keys in front of him on his desk the whole time. I find that more threatening than anything he said.)

It was the same situation as when the editor of the Current sat me down, talked to me like I was a little kid, and I also just smiled and apologized. Then I turned in my letter of resignation the next morning.

Not that this garage needs more business, as the head mechanic (who was also present and was the one I had spoken to earlier) informed me. Well, he should be happy because they're not going to get it.

So what I wonder is, would they have done that if I were a man? I doubt it.