Rhode Island NE Advance Auto Parts

So if you read the last post--and frankly, if you're reading this, I'm assuming you read the last one--you know that I got this b*llsh*t fix-it warning courtesy of the Maryland state trooper last night, for the tag light, of all things. For those not keeping score at home, that's the small light that shines on your license plate ("tag"), so police cars behind you can see your license plate number. (I've been thinking about it, and the tag light is the first step to a surveillance society. It serves little purpose other than police convenience.)

One of the inconveniences of moving to a new place is that you don't know where anything is. Where is the nearest auto parts store? Well, the yellow pages suggested that it was on Rhode Island Avenue, but with those damned diagonal streets, it's always hard to know where the cross streets are. So I called. The young woman answering the phone couldn't answer my question, which was, "What's the cross street?" She had to put me on hold and ask someone else. Now, I'm thinking, "She works there, and she doesn't know the cross street." This is not a good sign.

The cross street was 4th Street. Great. If you know D.C., that's like, half an address. "Northwest or Northeast?" "Northeast."

OK, I'm in business. So I drive over--this is maybe a mile from the new place. Maybe a mile. But I drove anyway because it's like 200º degrees today. It's in the 'hood, but that section of Rhode Island (near Capitol Street) is gentrifying, kind of. But this is the 'hood auto parts store. The guy two places in line in front of me was buying, like, eight quarts of oil and a fan that plugs into your cigarette lighter. The guy in front of me, two "club" theft-prevention devices. No one asked me if I needed any help, and I had some difficulty identifying the actual miniscule light bulbs I needed. But I did, and then I checked out.

One interesting question with many auto parts stores is how much actual installation of auto parts purchased therein they will tolerate in the parking lot. I've seen places where it's clearly posted, "No Installation on Premises." Not at the 'hood auto parts store. Installation in the parking lot is the norm. Indeed, one guy was producing quite a bit of exhaust doing something to his car I couldn't quite figure out.

So I just plugged in the lights in the parking light. And it was hot on that blacktop, trust me.