I know where to put the petrol in and how to swipe my credit card at the end of each service but that's about the extent of my automotive knowledge. And don't the mechanics love me!
The last one I've been with for the past six years kept scheduling my car for another service every three months or so, and he would always find something to replace or repair or simply add to the bill.
At his last service in April at 105,761km, he stuck a label in the upper corner of the windshield to remind me to let him vandalise my credit card again in June or when the odometer reading reached 115,000km, whichever came sooner.
What with the few kilometres we do, June came much sooner than the 115,000km and, despite putting off the suggested service by weeks and even a couple of months, we were still only on 109,000km yesterday when I finally pulled in at another mechanic's place to ask him about the need to service the car almost as often as I fill up with petrol.
He looked at the logbook and the rego - which is due in December - and said, "Come back then and we'll do the rego check and service all in one. After that, I only want to see you here once a year when the oil, which goes off after twelve months, needs replacing."
How refreshing to meet an auto mechanic who doesn't lie when his lips are moving! Thumbs up to Batemans Bay Registration Centre who are my mechanics of choice from now on.
