The Tow Truck Driver and the Princess

I could use some feedback on the following incident:

An acquaintance and I decided to drive in my car to Telluride today just to walk around and see the sights. Its a pretty drive and T-ride has lots of exotic shops just to window shop at. My acquaintance is always claiming that she has no money, but she has a jewelry selection that would make Tiffany's green with envy and she is 1/4 owner of a highly profitable restaurant here in town.

We arrive at our destination without incident and stop in the parking lot of the local grocery store because "Princess" has to use the bathroom. I go in with her just to gaze at all the elegant gourmet items this place features while I'm waiting for her to do her thing so we can move on.

We get back to the car and Ms. Genius, aka yours truely has locked the keys in the car and can't find the spare I usually keep under the bumper.

But all is not lost. One of the car windows was rolled down just enough to get a wire coat hanger through and hit the release knob inside. Princess is starting to get hysterical, and I assure her that all will be well, I've performed this maneuver many times since I'm forever locking my keys in my car. I didn't want to call a locksmith because when all you have left to live on for the month is $100.00, a locksmith is an outrageous luxury, and besides, we didn't need him.

I go in search of a wire coat hanger, find one after several minutes of asking around, place my purse on the trunk of the car, and start fishing for the knob. Meanwhile, Princess is making a public scene in the parking lot, crying and cursing and claiming we will be stuck there forever. Unknown to me, she called the tow truck when I was getting the wire hanger. Unknown to both of us, some concerned citizen called the police, telling them that Princess was having a hysterical breakdown at the local grocery store and maybe someone should check on her.

Just as I almost had the unlock button in my grasp with the coat hanger, who should arrive but BOTH the police and the tow truck driver. The police asked me to prove that it was my car that I was tryiny to open, and I went to get my purse which had fallen off the trunk and under the car where I couldn't see it, so naturally I assumed it was stolen. The officer gave me a very skeptical look, and ask if my papers were in the car, I said "yes."

Looking all official, the policeman said, "Well, I can't let you break into this car. You can have it towed somewhere or you can pay the tow truck driver here to open the car and we'll check your name against the paperwork in the car.

Princess opened her wallet and gave the tow truck driver $65.00 for taking about 30 seconds to open the car with a slim jim, I got out my paper work, the police ran a computer check on the car, me, my licence and my third cousin twice removed, and told us we could go on our way.

As I began to back out of the parking place, sun of a gun! My purse was revealed to have been laying under the car all the time!

Princess jumped out like a flash and grabbed my purse, and extracted $60.00 - all I had on me, and said "This is what YOU owe me for the tow truck." Short of taking a swing at Princess in the parking lot, there was no way I was going to wrest that $60.00 out of her little hand, and I'd been through enough with the police and gawking on-lookers, anyway.

I was so furious with Princess, I could barely see straight. I still had $2 or $3 in my jacket pocket, and I told Princess, "I need to be alone for about half an hour. I'm going to go drink a cup of coffee, and if you're not back in half an hour, I'm leaving without you.

I was morosely into my third cup of coffee, getting a nice caffeine buzz, when Princess trotted back into the coffee shop only 5 minutes late with her arms full of packages.

I said to her, "We need to decide who pays how much of the tow driver's bill. "Oh," she responded happily, I gave him all the money I had, and then I bought these things with the other $60" -MY sixty - "and I'm broke. Can I bum a cigarette?"

I should have left Princess all by her lonesome in Telluride, but it was starting to snow and it was after dark, so I just snarled to her, "Get in the car!" How I managed to drive her home without pushing her out the door at the first steep mountain cliff is beyond me, but somehow I restrained myself.

I was too angry tonight, but tomorrow, Princess and I are going to have a nice little chat. I think Princess should pay me back the entire $60.00 because she was the one who went into hysterics and called the tow truck when there was no need, and especially because she stole my money and just went shopping with it. Princess thinks she only owes me forty.

What do those of you who are not in a white hot rage think is fair in this situation?

[zippyt]

she called the tow truck , she pays for it or you pay half since you were driveing

[limey]

You assured her all would be well, you had almost completed the "rescue manoevre": she owes you $60 for callin the tow truck without reason.

[Hoof Hearted]

She called the tow truck, it is her bill to pay. She owes you $60.

[Elspode]

Yep. Princess ponies up $60.

Now, let's talk about her need for medication...

Originally Posted by Elspode

Yep. Princess ponies up $60.

Now, let's talk about her need for medication...

Yes, I definately think Princess is a candidate for Wolf's tender mercies. I found out too late that Princess's family have been wanting to have Princess committed for years. I think Philly would be just the ticket.

Wolf, what time could your ambulance driver come meet Princess at the airport?

[lookout123]

seriously. do you have an ad in the paper looking for people to screw you over and bring drama to your life?

Originally Posted by lookout123

seriously. do you have an ad in the paper looking for people to screw you over and bring drama to your life?

Lookout, I'm actually going to give you a serious reply. My childhood was like most other people's - good, bad, playmates, cliques in the 7th grade, etc. I was also raised by the wicked witch of the west whom I now refer to as the "Momster." I haven't seen the Momster in 3 years now and don't know if she is alive or dead. This is at her request, BTW, not mine. My father was a caring loving person and he saved me from having a permanent suite at Wolf's place.

I have had some great friends, a 20 year marriage to a terrific man that still I love to this day. But like Shawn Colvin, "I kill dreams in the chase, I slap love in the face..."

The Momster may have shaped me, but as an adult, I can work at changing that. I know, I'l never be perfect, but life seems to be about carrying your burdens as gracefuly as you can and keeping the whining to a minimum. "Princess" reminds me very much of the Momster, BTW. Hell, I can "do" being with people like Princess, no problem. I'm trying to change this.

[footfootfoot]

How much did you charge her to drive her sorry ass back from telluride?

Gotta start thinking on your feet Mari.

Well, she had no money, you see. The poor thing spent her last $65.00 in the world on the tow truck, then she did all that shopping with the $60.00 she stole from me and spent every last dime.

Oh did I mention that I went out for a stroll after we got back and saw Princess climbing into her car with a 12 pack of beer and a pack of cigarettes in her dainty hand?

She has til Wednesday to re-pay me, then I go to her wealthy family with the tow truck bill and the police report. Princess committed a few fun other little tricks that I left out of the OP for brevity's sake, and almost got herself arrested. If they don't cough up the money, I'll file theft charges against Princess.

[zippyt]

Princess committed a few fun other little tricks that I left out of the OP for brevity's sake, and almost got herself arrested.

Such as ?? Inquireing minds want to know !!!??!!

[Hoof Hearted]

Oh Yes! Spill!

Well, let's see. She caused a scene in the grocery store and began cursing and swearing at the employees when they didn't have any coat hangers.

Just before that she had eaten a large to go bowl of their soup without paying for it (lucky no one saw her, but I was having fits and left the store while she was doing this, so I missed much of the general altercation in the store right afterwards).

She followed me into an office next door where I politely asked the gentleman at the front desk if he had a spare coat hanger. He checked and came back and said, "no."

While I was waiting for the man to return, Princess began ransacking other emppty offices in the building, looking for coat hangers. The man had a fit (as well he might}, and ordered Princess to leave the building before he called the police. Princess responded from down the hall somewhere with a string of obscenities.

I was already on my way out, I thought Princess had just gone to wait by the car, not ransack offices.

Princess got in a fight with the police when they arrived, chewing them out for not opening the door with THEIR slim jim, and instead making us pay for the the tow driver to do it.

The policewoman said that if Princess so much as opened her mouth one more time, she would arrest Princess for harassing a police officer in the line of duty. The man from the office next door who had been watching the encounter all from his front steps, yelled, "Arrest her!" pointing at Princess.

All in all, I would have been delighted if the earth had opened and swallowed me up. Yes, a good time was had by all.

[Hoof Hearted]

Originally Posted by marichiko

Yes, a good time was had by all.

I know it has ME chuckle-ing merrily along! Quite entertaining from the outside, but I bet it wasn't any picnic for you.

[Aliantha]

What a fucking bitch! That's about all I have to say about it.