The infamous tow truck story

The following is a detailed story of our evening last night. It is written in the words of Sam...


It's a really long story and a fun one to tell but not so much for typing. So you peeps are just gonna get the cliff notes here. :)

We ate dinner at Antojitos (yummy!) and parked behind Pappa John's (won't do that again!). When we came out the car was all jacked up. What a sight that was! Carrie even snapped a picture of it while it was up there in all its glory.

The tow truck driver was the stereotypical tow truck driver. I knew he wouldn’t respond to my good looks but I was surprised that I couldn’t interest him with a bribe. He wasn't about to back down. No way no how. Something about “state regulations.”

So I went inside PJ's and talked to the assistant manager, who, btw, was NOT the most pleasant person I've ever met (that's how I'll put it since some of you are impressionable youth). She told me she called the tow truck driver because I was parked where her delivery person likes to park. I should mention that were about 25 empty spots all around me.

So here's this big tow truck crowding out the whole parking lot for a good hour or so. (Really, calling the tow truck out is more convenient than me parking in one particular stall?)

I was cool, calm, and collected the entire time (I know this can be hard for some of you out there to wrap your heads around). Finally, a PJ's employee with a little more life experience came up to the front to talk with me. He understood me. We were equals. He understood things his underling did not (like the customer is always right ). We had a nice chat.

But there wasn't much he could do about it. Sure, I get it. The tow truck driver deserves to be paid. The problem was why the tow truck was called in the first place. We exchanged numbers (maybe, just maybe, someone “higher up” could do something magical for me) and pleasantries and I was on my way back out to chat with the tow truck driver. Not seeing any way out of it I gave him my credit card. (He told me he wouldn't charge me tax. Wow, what a guy. But it seems like charging state sales tax would be some kind of state regulation. ;) Just sayin.)

Then out of nowhere the PJ's OWNER showed up (didn’t even know he was onsite) and told the driver that he's told his employees NOT to call the towing company! What?! At that, the driver said, "That's it, I'm lowering the car. I don't want to get in the middle of this. And you guys (PJ's) need to stop calling us to tow from here. It's petty.”

We all shook hands. Even the assistant manager lady came over to apologize directly to me. In the end we're all friends and I don't have to make good on my little threat which may have had something to do with telling everyone I know not to get their pizza from PJ's. As if I really care to do such a thing. But it sounded good. And in the end, I think that's what made it all work out for everyone (mostly me).

Except the tow truck driver. In the beginning I offered him cold hard cash. In the end I didn't have to pay anyone a dime. I hope he's at least being paid by the hour!


I should probably also give a shout out to the PJ’s on Summitview. Without them, this post wouldn’t have been made possible. I’m sure they make great pizzas too. Yakima…Buy Into It!

All’s well that ends well.

Okay, so that's really not the cliff notes version. But you didn't get to see all of my expressions. :)