I was once again in some state of probationary remedial employment with YC Honda. I was not quite ready to really work on cars, so I was consigned to the parking lot.
There is a class of customer who cannot afford to bring their cars to the dealership, so they go sniffing around the periphery, looking for off-duty mechanics that will do side work for bargain rates. One of these less than desirables, found me in the parking lot and showed me to his partially disassembled Acura TL 3.2 V6. The intake was removed clear down to the cylinder head (not just the plenum, but the risers as well).
This was not a great state of affairs, and they had given up at this point trying to reassemble it. They'd purchased all the gaskets to complete the job, and all the bolts were in boxes, though not quite in perfect arrangement for quick reassembly. I keep wanting to refer to the customer as Leo, since he reminded me of an ex-employee who I didn't like.
I was reluctant to take on the job, for fear of screwing it up. I made the excuse that the management might not like me doing side work right there in the parking lot, but David Chanh assured me it was ok.
I turned around, and there was an auditorium filled with all the employees that had ever worked there and then some, including people like Crystal, a person I knew from the cult. I made a remark to the effect that "it might be in their best interest to let me do the job, since I would at least be doing something, and I might actually learn how to work on cars at the same time."
The crowd erupted in laughter and faint applause. I cringed in embarrassment. It was true, they were paying me just to stand around, and it would give them great pleasure to either see me struggle or succeed at anything, rather than do nothing.
David Chanh went out of his way to put a lot of the pieces back together for me, leaving only the last few bolts, as way of baby-stepping me into doing the job. I guess I consented at this point, although I don't remember getting the car actually running.
More occurred after this golden nugget of a lesson, but I don't remember it. I had to wake up because it's Sunday, and I was about to oversleep again. Hi dee ho.
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I've changed my comments settings to allow for anyone to comment. All comments are welcome, even spineless potshots from anonymous posters. Please, by all means, give me the tongue lashing I so richly deserve. I promise not to hunt you down and melt your keyboard with my plasma cannon. I won't, however, promise not to pout and make that face you can't stand.