Looking for a New Car

I thought it has a been a while since I shared a funny story, so here is a recent story...

Two weeks ago the old car got sold because there were loads of things going wrong with the car. So my dad and I have been looking for a new car for me to use, otherwise I am not able go anywhere! :(

Last week we looked on the Auto Trader website for cars. There was one car that looked nice and had a fairly reasonable price. I rang the number that was given on the website. I said, "Hello. I've seen your car for sale on Auto Trader. Is the car still for sale?" The man replied, "Hello, hello... hello" (a bit like elderly Panjabi people do when they can't hear someone on the phone - I have been accused of doing this also, but I deny doing this!). I realised the man was a foreigner from his accent. I repeated, "Hi. I've seen your car for sale on Auto Trader. Is the car still for sale?" The man, "No, no, no, no, no, no.... Yes!" I was confused whether it was a 'No' or a 'Yes. Waheguru.

I was trying to speak to the man but he got really frustrated because he couldn't understand a word I was saying and I couldn't understand a word that he was saying. Because I couldn't understand a word he was saying, the man decided to speak louder and louder. It was like he was shouting down the phone (but I still couldn't understand him). In frustration I passed the phone to my dad because I thought he might be able to communicate with the man. The man had a Middle Eastern foreign accent.

Rab hee raakhaa! I couldn't stop myself from giggling because my dad was speaking loud as well and he was speaking really really slow (I mean mega slow!) in order for the man to understand. We eventually got to the point that they both agreed that he was selling his car (that would be a good start!). Then he agreed for us to come over and have a look (which would be ideal! hehe). The funnier part was the man giving his address over the phone. All I could hear was "Toaster", "Toaster Road". So my dad repeated, "So you live on Toaster Road?" He said, "No, no, no, no.... Toaster Road." Hai Rabbaa.

Then my dad asked the man can you please spell your road name. Waheguru. The man said, "Ermmm.... " Then he started saying random letters and when my dad repeated what he heard him saying he would say, "No, no, no, no, no..." and say another letter or even repeat what my dad heard the first time. His English was really poor and he could barely communicate (I don't know how he planned to sell his car!). Eventually he had decided to give his postcode (after realising no one could understand one another over the phone).

Chalo, we now had his postcode. I searched on the Internet for his postcode and a road name comes up but the road name sounds nothing like what the man was saying on the phone (i.e. "Toaster"). So we took the chance and put the postcode in the SatNav and headed our way to this other town. When we got there it was clearly the wrong address, because it was slap bang in the middle of the town centre and there was a small church and some houses that looked like old people's homes. So we rang the man again. I passed the phone to my dad because I couldn't handle the man! Waheguru.

My dad told him that we are on so and so road but it looks like the wrong address. Then he said, "No, no, no... wrong road." The man started saying another road name. Now, even my dad was getting frustrated with the man because he couldn't make out what road he was saying. When my dad asked him to spell the road name, he said, "Wait one minute, I call my friend." He passed the phone to his friend whose English was just as bad! But with Waheguru's Kirpaa the man was eventually able to spell the road name (very slowly!). So he gave the number 45 Bilston Road. We drive there and say "Please stand outside so we can see where your house is." No one was there. It was a main road and looked like the wrong number. So we ring him again, and now he decides to say he lives at number 155. Sat Naam, Waheguru. I was thinking how many houses does this bloke have on this road!

We then got to number 45 Bilston Road, and saw a man waving at us outside a Polish grocery store. Was it a random man waving at us? lol. We waited and then he got inside his car (which he had advertised) and without telling us he just drove off. Thankfully we asssumed that he wished us to follow him. So we drove behind him. He then parked up a few streets ahead.

The road name was "Dunster Close". I don't know how on earth the man got from "Dunster" to "Toaster". On top of that I was thinking "Why did he say Bilston Road when he doesn't actually live there!" Waheguru. Anyway, after all that hassle we didn't buy the car. The tyres were wrecked! There were loads (I mean loads) of scratches and chips (Rab Jaane what the man has been doing with the car) and it looked filthy! I thought "Hai Bhai! At least clean the car (even slightly) before trying to sell it to someone."

The man ended up being Polish (and not Middle Eastern!). He was a friendly and nice person, and was much more easier to understand than on the phone (when he was shouting!).

Chalo, it was a bit of adventure! We couldn't stop laughing on the way back home! :)