Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 11:50:09 -0700
Reply-To: Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Keith Adams <keith_adams@TRANSCANADA.COM>
Organization: TransCanada
Subject: Friday - More Canadian Tire Mythology
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
HAHAHAHA - man, did you ever make me laugh. I went into Ukranian Tire
(as we call it around here - no offence to Ukes!) to look for hatch
struts for my van.
Me: can you look up a strut for me in the computer?
CT twerp: we don't list the struts - you just have to bring it in and
match it for length with the ones in the rack
Me: (thinking) sounds strange - I've looked up struts before
Go out to van - pop off tremendously leaky strut to carry around the
store and get everything greasy. Start comparing it to the ones in the
rack. Older CT twerp comes over
old CT Twerp: Can I give you a hand?
Me: just need a new hatch strut - he (pointing to other twerp) said to
just match it up
old CT Twerp: well, let me look it up in the computer for you, that'll
be quicker
(and it was in there, too!)
DOH!!!
They ask the DUMBEST questions. I desperately needed a distributor cap
for my Golf one Friday night, and after going through all the
tappity-tapping, and it said it didn't list a cap for my car (yeah,
because the 2.0 4 cylinder has changed SOOOO much over the years).
After all that tappity-tapping, I figured I would go see someone who had
a clue and get a Bosch one. I wasn't going to try and confuse him with
the fact that the same engine was in the 97 and the 96 as well as the
Jetta.... I don't think they understand parts interchangeability.
But I hear you on the CT money. It is 100% impossible to get rid of it,
unless you buy an item that costs EXACTLY like 10.95 and you have 10.95
in CT money. I remember hearing a story that one of the bars at
Univeristy of Waterloo, during the cash strapped spring months, took CT
Money on par. Also, another (could be legend) was that when Canadian
U.N. Peacekeepers were stationed in Haiti, they were using CT Money as
Canadian Currency. *HAHAHAHA*
CT is always good for some annoyance and laughs, and yet for some
reason, I always wind up going back.....
Cheers for a good weekend,
Keith Adams
Calgary, Alberta
1986 Vanagon GL Westfalia, 1998 Golf Wolfsburg Edition
Subject: [F] Canadian Tire [was: seat covers]
Canadian tire (TIRE, see?) is the most worthless, screwed up, pain in
the ass, incompetent store around. The only cool thing about it is
Canadian
tire money--it's cool because it is mathematically impossible to spend
it all. (You always get some back with every purchase).
I HATE having to go to Candian Tire. Let me illustrate with the
following non-exaggerated scenario:
Buying a spark plug at Canadian Tire:
=====================================
You: I'd like spark plugs for my 2.1 L vanagon, please.
CT twerp: What year?
You: uh, 1989.
CTT: (tapping away at keyboard...) Four cylinder?
You: uh, Yes...
CTT: (tappity tap tap) cargo van?
You: Um. No. It's a westfalia. What does that have to do with
anything?
CTT: (tap tap tap tap tap tap) Sorry, we don't have "westfalia" plugs.
We only have a "camper" listed.
You: Fine. FINE. I'll take the camper ones.
CTT: Sure?
You: YES!
CTT: (tappity tap tap tap tap tap) GL?
You: Sure...
CTT: 3 door?
You: Mmmhmm...
CTT: Blue?
You: YES! Just give me the damn plugs before I throw you outside to
freezeto death!
CTT: I've only got the Canadian Tire "Motomaster" brand quintuple-fire
hi-performance plugs, but I'll have to order them from our Moosejaw
store.
You: Forget it. Just give me a set of wiper blades for the vanagon,
then.
CTT: (tap tap tap tap) what year?
You: AAARRRGH!!!
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Tobin Copley Bowen Island, BC, Canada tobin.copley@ubc.ca