A-Car

I know they named themselves "A-Car" so they could be at the top of the listings. I laugh when people do stuff like that.

Not long after I moved to Pasadena my car needed a major repair. I didn't know a mechanic here, so I went through the AAA listings. The nearest place with an appointment available happened to be A-Car on Walnut at Mar Vista, and the Service Manager happened to be Vic.

I drive about 10,000 city miles a year. That's L.A. miles, baby, that's wear and tear. The poor car (we call her the Snot Comet—don't ask) has had some major work done, just like any other L.A. babe with miles on her. I've come to trust Vic and his team with the big stuff. When the job is negligible—tighten this or loosen that—Vic waves me off without charging me. Why on earth does he do that? Why doesn't he charge me through the nose when he knows I haven't the faintest idea what he did and I'd probably pay? Because Vic is that rarity of rarities, an honest businessman.

He's also no fool. In me he has a customer for life, and he knows it.

The car in the photo above is not mine. I want to clarify that. I wonder if that person is as happy with A-Car as I am?