Frustration day

Frustration Day

For the last few days, I felt like I was running in a maze, trying to find my way out of it.

I did manage to find a taxi this Saturday morning but I had to tell the driver how to get to the BMW shop. He was trying to go the long way, guess he thought he could get me to pay more.

Once at the BMW shop, nobody knew I was there to pick up my bike. Romeo was not in on this Saturday and nobody knew anything about my bike. I found my bike parked way in the back, wet from the rains we had yesterday. Now I had to find the keys for the bike and then…..the bike would not start. No, not the battery, I have a brand new battery in this bike. So what is it?  The bike cranked but would not turn over; a short someplace because of the wet conditions? It was frustrating! Nobody around from the shop crew of course, I am on my own.

I turned off all the buttons that were on, that somehow had been turned on by someone. Heated grips on? That sure was not me who turned this on in 30 C. weather. I turned off all lights, put the bike in neutral and tried again. No, it would not start. Did I say it was frustrating?

The bike was standing all night way leaned over on the too short side stand, does that have anything to do with the not starting?  I am no mechanical expert; I can tighten a screw but that is about it. Now what? I looked at the bike and just stood there for a while, getting a bit steamed because for the last week we’ve had nothing but frustrating experiences with our bikes. It was not really the bike; it was more with the people we thought were in the service business. Yes, I know they have to make money and all, but I am used to being treated politely and nicely when I have problems. Here I felt pushed aside but needed because they need my money to stay in business. But really, they had no business sense.

OK, I looked over my bike one more time, all buttons are off; I even opened the gas tank to make sure there was gas inside and then, I pushed the starter and with a bit of hesitation, the bike started. Good!

But why did it not start before? I have no clue! I just got on the bike and rode it back to Hostel Taxi. Parking at the Hostel was at a premium, there was not a lot of room in the street because all the residential folks living around the Hostel use all the parking spaces. I parked my bike on the sidewalk, covered it up with a bike cover and hoped that tomorrow the bike would be there. There was no guard nearby; no fence. The bike was exposed to all kinds of damage. Not a good spot to keep a bike for 10 days. I have to think of something else. All this is frustrating, somehow nothing works as it could or should.

Meanwhile, Carol was in the room doing her thing. Unbeknownst to me she was taking a shower but I didn’t know that. I walked up to the room, tried the door, locked! I knocked, but nothing was going on. Mmmm. I walked around the building, looking for Carol thinking she is outside but could not find her. I walked up to the window of the room from the outside and called for Carol, no answer!  Is she OK? I walked up to the registration, asked if they have the key to the room but they just shook their heads, no! Now what?

I went back to the door and now I really KNOCKED!   This time loud and banging! I knocked with a sound and loud “Carol” call following my knocking. Finally I heard the lock being opened from the inside and I can get in to the room, take off my riding gear. What is going on? Her hair was wet, a towel draped around her, she had been in the shower, but she was crying; too much frustration, too much upheaval. While she was in the shower she heard me knock the first time, got out of the shower to open the door, but I had left already looking for her. She went back to the shower, the phone rang and it’s ADAC. Carol answered the phone and found out the registration we sent out was for my bike, not her’s. She went back to the shower and then I showed up ‘’again’’ now knocking like a wild man. This in and out; up and down; not knowing what was what; finding mistakes, etc. wears on ones nerves. I cannot blame Carol for crying, it’s a frustrating experience to be stranded without a bike, with help but no real help. I can only take so much of frustration before I lose it, too. My way of coping is to get mad at something.

Not sure if that is a good way, but after a week of trying to solve issue after issue, I felt frustrated. So in order to not do more damage with my behavior, I just vegged out, read a book and took long, slow, deep breaths.

Carol sent ADAC a new photo of the correct VIN# and we called it a day. It’s nice outside but we just read.♠