Friday, September 21, 2007

Finding a Repairman in Katrinaville

This is just venting, so you can go away if you want. After three weeks, I finally got a repair man to come look at my nearly-new LG washing machine. He replaced the computer (what idiot got the bright idea of putting a computer in a washing machine?), then announced the motor also needs to be replaced and he'll be back... in two weeks. Maybe.

I'm supposed to live FIVE weeks without a washing machine? I'm beginning to wish I'd simply thrown the #$%@ thing out and bought a new one (not an LG!) when it broke down for the third time. That's right, this is the third time in thirteen months the sucker has died. Of course, NOW it's no longer on warranty...

Thanks to Katrina, we have all new appliances. Unfortunately, it seems that after Katrina all the appliance manufacturers kicked their production into high gear and let quality control go out the window, which means that we now have a collection of new, expensive lemons.

I'd take my wash over to my mother's house, except her DRYER is broken...

9 comments:

Payton L. Inkletter said...

Candice, my wife and I would let you do some washing at our place till your machine is fixed, but we’re in Perth and you’re in Louisiana, so that probably counts the offer out. But yes, no, the quality of just about any technology these days is lowering, from keyboards – my last one lasted just over four months earlier this year – to DVD disc recorders to ovens to cars to….

And computers in washing machines? Don’t start us! Almost a year ago we replaced our old faithful expiring Hitachi workhorse with their latest whiz bang ‘fuzzy logic’ model, and pulled our hair out trying to work out how to run it by consulting its in-English manual written by a fuzzy minded Jap on blue meanies to whom English was his tenth late life language. The options were mind boggling, and it was only after we closed the manual and played around with the buttons on its console that would have been the envy of anyone at Cape Canaveral that we got the hang of it. We, dare I say it, like the thing now.

We are having a water crisis in Australia these recent years, so not washing would at least help that. You could maybe take a leaf from our mammalian cousins’ ways and lick your clothes clean. No, seriously, yes, it gives us the willies too, all this runaround over machines that don’t live up to wholly reasonable expectations. Good luck and may the manufacturer of your LG live in interesting times.

cs harris said...

Thanks for the offer, Payton! And you're right, it does seem to be everything these days--we also had two cars in the shop last week.

Steve Malley said...

Historian Charles Beard made an impassioned argument for disposability. When technologies change rapidly, so does the culture those technologies support. In that light, it doesn't make sense to 'lock in' any part of our infrastructure.

He was talking about the Old West, with its railroads, balloon houses and ghost towns, but the thought does echo into our current age. After all, it won't be long before clothes have self-cleaning embedded nanotech (probably powered by the sweat they absorb from our bodies or something equally creepy). The newest clothes will never need washing, and the poor will be left to wear recycled biodegradable paper gowns.

But then, I shave with a 150 year old razor. What do I know about disposability?

Payton L. Inkletter said...

Steve, is the blade 150 years old as well!? Only joking, unless you say yes… In which case, where can I buy one? In fact, is your razor that beauty you’ve pictured on your blog site at http://steve-malley.blogspot.com/2007/09/tamagotchi-gesture.html ? In which case, count me out, it looks expensive and dangerous.

Payton L. Inkletter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Charles Gramlich said...

Maybe they'll include this effect on an episode of "K'ville."

Lisa said...

I sure feel for you! I don't know why it is that when it rains it pours. Here's hoping something wonderful happens for you over the weekend. Hug. :)

Steve Malley said...

I think my own washing machine heard me.

I too am now dragging my clothes down to the river to beat them against a rock...

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