Already whined/wept on stonebender...

[serene]

Both someotherguy and I managed to leave the house without our keys. We didn't know this, so we walked happily and peacefully to the coffeeshop for a bite to eat, after which we planned to go home and work work work, because we each have projects we need to do, and a house to clean before the munchkin arrives.

So we get home and we have no keys. We go back to the coffeeshop to see if they're there. (1.5 miles roundtrip, times two, so that's three miles on my injured foot -- not fun) Then we go to the *other* coffeeshop to get on the internet and look up a locksmith, because the woman who owns our house is not answering her phone. (1 mile or so roundtrip). Now it's getting really cold outside, and someotherguy is only wearing a t-shirt. Anyway, I call the locksmith from a payphone, and the woman who answers says that they need a phone number, and I say My phone is in my house and I can't get to it, and she says Well, give me the phone number of a relative or something, and I say Okay, here's stonebender's number. He's my boyfriend. How much will it be? And she says $55 service charge. And I say is that the total? And she says No, that's the service charge. If he has to do anything complicated, it will be more.

So, see, here's the deal: If they call that number you give them and someone doesn't say, Yes, Cindy (the name they gave stonebender) is indeed my girlfriend and she needs you to open her house, they Just. Don't. Show. Up. Poor stonebender, he feels so bad, but it's so not his fault. I'm so angry at those people, I could spit.

So here we are waiting outside in the bitter cold for someone who's not gonna show up. Our neighbor gives us a blanket and offers to do anything we need. We could have stayed at her place waiting, but her place is behind ours and we wouldn't see the locksmith guy, so we wait, sharing the blanket, which is not enough. So someotherguy decides to walk and call and figure out what's up, and they tell him they called stonebender and he didn't answer, and so they didn't come. So someotherguy finally gets someone to see if giving them our credit-card number will get them out here, and after a while, they consent.

An hour and a half or so later, my teeth chattering, I see the guy arrive. He gets to my door and says "Do you understand the charges?" and I say "She told me $55."

He says No, that's just the service charge. If I have to pick the lock, it's $35 more, and if I have to drill it, it's another $35.

So tell, me, if you were the customer-service woman at the beginning, do you think you might have: (a) Let me know that I should make sure that the person whose number I gave should know they were calling and give the secret password, and (b) let me know that "anything complicated" includes *anything at all* that he has to do to open my fucking door? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Anyway, I am finally in my house, after seven hours out in the cold, and I am beginning to warm up. Not my favorite day ever. End of whine.



someotherguy, by the way, is the perfect person for me to be with in a crisis. He doesn't freak out or yell. He is sweet and takes care of me. And he lets me take care of him a little, too.

Comments

[nooks.livejournal.com]

I never would have thought that I could come up with yet another reason to learn how to successfully pick locks. For one thing, it looks like there's good money to be made, and for the other, well, I'm sure that letting you back into your own house would've been good for something, right?

(I'm really pleased to know you're okay.)

[nooks.livejournal.com]

Oh, and another thing: what's this about "Cindy"? Did they mishear your name? I know all about that.

—"Jessie"

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

An employee at my office's local Starbucks somehow heard "Beth" as "Donna" last week. That was a new one.

[gloriajn.livejournal.com]

That really stinks. I'm too far away to do anything, but I'm just glad that you're home and warm. I'm just sorry for the sucky day, though.

[loracs.livejournal.com]

I can not believe how complicated it is to get someone to come out in an emergency. I wasn't home when they called, in fact stonebender was just starting to tell me about this weird call he got (the locksmith asking for or about Cindy) when you called. And you were so cold that I couldn't understand or recognize your voice at first.

stonebender does feel real bad about not figuring out that Cindy was suppose to be you.

So do they get "crank" service calls? Do they get people who want their door open and then refuse to pay? What the fuck is this all about, esp. after you give them your credit card number. And yeah, what is the bit about not giving the real price for the service. Is the $55 service fee just for a second opinion; "Yep, that door is locked."

Glad you're both safe, warm (or getting there) and in your home.
What a stupid, stupid system. Or maybe just the night when stupid people were on duty.

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

They probably do get crank service calls. It's also not inconceivable that someone would call a locksmith to help them open a door that's not their own. The phone call thing doesn't make a lot of sense, but they probably do need some kind of precaution to make sure they're only opening locks legitimately.

[stonebender.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you had to go through that Buttercup. I know a customer service person *I'd* like to explain a few things to! *caress*

[firecat]

[*chicken soup*]

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

*Very warm hugs*

[supergee.livejournal.com]

One advantage of belonging to an organization of ex-junkies: One evening my Narcotics Anonymous group was locked out of the church we meet in. One of our members went up to the door, bent over the lock, and did something, and the door popped open. He said, "You can get in anywhere with MasterCard."

[rsc.livejournal.com]

What a pain. I'm glad you're home safe and sound.

Two suggestions:

(1) Is there something that you carry whenever you leave the house? If so, get a set of spare keys and put in that something. (In my case, it's the belt pouch in which I carry my wallet, and I don't go out without my wallet. Presumably if you were going to a coffee shop one of you at least would have had a wallet.)

(2) Deadbolt locks. Makes it impossible to lock yourself out without the key. More secure, too.

[tracytreefrog.livejournal.com]

Oh My so glad you are both home safe and warm. I have been lucky only locked myself out once. One of many times I was lucky to have my parents fairly close pop came with his spare key and let me in but it was an awfully cold 30 minutes waiting on the deck for sure!

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

(uploading deep warmth, hot chocolate, and comfy snuggles)

[pameladean]

Stealing the warmth savings of five cats and teleporting them in your direction.

Excuse me, I have to go cover the cats up with little afghans now.

P.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Ouch... I'm sorry things went so badly, and am glad to imagine a lovely, fully-rewarmed and relaxed, happy serene.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Ugh. What an awful experience. (The one time I locked myself out, it was definitely quicker and easier to get in; I don't remember the charge.)

[dbubley.livejournal.com]

I've locked myself out of my car more than out of my house. I've never thought of any fool-proof solution. If my door required a retinal scan to open I'd probably manage to get my eye swollen shut while I was out. At least you were not alone, which was probably part of the problem because you each thought the other had a key.

We have a Cindy and 2 Sandy's at work. Debbie & Betty are confused, too. I wonder if there's a name that can't be confused. Maybe a longer one that would still be recognized if only partially correct.

[lcohen]

*hughug*

poor sweetie. that sounds awful. i'm glad you had each other.