I have written about embarrassing moments in my life before. I had another yesterday.
I was driving our customer's Honda Integra to the DMV in the city of Sano for an inspection. I really don't care for these cars because the they are pretty low to the ground and not very easy getting in and out. Anyway, I stopped at a 7-11 on the way to get something to drink. As I was getting out of the driver's seat, something happened to my pants... I was wearing this old pair of khakis, and when I tried to climb out by getting my right leg out, (and it put me in a rather awkward position. I am a big guy and these cars are not made for people like me.) the fabric of the inner thigh of my pants ripped! These pants had been purchased at a Target for under $20 some 5 years ago and been through many many washes. I suppose it was "time".
Alright, I had to make a decision. I could go home and change or I could go to DMV hoping it wouldn't be too crowded so I'd be able to get the inspection done without anyone noticing. It was 2:15pm, and I had to be at the DMV to confirm my reservation for the inspection by 2:45. No, going home to change was out of the question.
I reached around to assess the damage. The rip was bigger than I had thought. It went from the seam of the inner-thigh all the way to the back of the thigh right under the butt! I stood by the car and tried looking at the reflection in the window but I couldn't really see, so I went inside the 7-11 and tried checking with the bathroom mirror, but the mirror was placed too high on the wall I could not see my butt area.
While I was sweating in the tiny bathroom trying to look at the mirror over my shoulder standing on my toes, I was running out of time. As I walked out of the bathroom and through the store to the entrance, I could feel the breeze. There was no way the rip was not visible as I had hoped.
Was there a store nearby where I could buy a new pair of pants? No. what if I ripped other parts of the pants so it would look like the rip was on purpose!? No, that would never work. My mind was racing. I had to go to the DMV and just hope for the best.
It was a Friday and the place was crowded. Now I had to get out of the car, walk into the office to confirm the reservation and pay the fees. I knew there was a bathroom right by the side entrance, so I stopped in there first. There was a large mirror in front of the sink. I stood in front of it and checked out the rip. It was right where the butt meets the thigh and if was standing with my weight on my left leg, you couldn't really see it, but if I stretched my leg forward (as in when you...walk), my hairy thigh and a part of my grey briefs were exposed. I walked out of the bathroom trying so hard to act natural and made my way to the reservation counter. I was praying that no one would stand behind me but soon, a man on his cell phone stood behind me. I moved and stood sideways with my left side facing the counter clenching my butt tight hoping that would create creases in the pant fabric that would obscure the rip. The woman behind the counter handed me back the papers. Now, I had to walk away! There was nothing I could do. I just took the papers and hurried back to the car.
Once back inside the safety of the Integra, I noticed that the seat is touching the skin of my thigh directly! As I moved and stretched my legs, the rip was getting bigger... Again, I tried clenching my butt to create a little play in the fabric but there was no way I could stay like that for the entire duration of the inspection. I had to think ahead. This inspection usually takes about 10minutes. What you do is drive through a series of tests inside this building where the special machines check things like the brakes, speedometer, headlights, etc. You stay in the driver's seat for the most part but there is this one part where you have to get out of the car, stick a special probe inside the exhaust pipe to measure the exhaust level. That means you have to crouch down to insert the probe. Crouching down + ripped pants. Not good. I got out of the car (VERY carefully) and inserted the probe into the pipe by bending at the waist, not the legs, facing sideway.
With that big hurdle behind me, I thought I was home free. Then I realised I had to go into another office to receive the sticker! Unlike the one where you confirm reservations and pay fees, this one is much larger with much more open spaces.
What's more, while the other office is usually used by mechanics (mostly men), this one shares the same space with the place where the people register cars. Many young women working for car dealerships are there. I walked in, and as I had feared, the place was full of people, many of them young females. I went up to the counter, which is located at the far left corner (Thank GOD!) and handed in the inspection sheet. Normally, you leave the counter and wait until your name is called but I was not leaving the safety of the counter. No, Sir! In a couple of minutes, they called my name and gave me the sticker. Then I noticed that everyone waiting was looking at my general direction. Had they seen the rip!? Oh, no. There was a TV mounted on a rack right above the counter where I was! Oh, man.... I would HAVE TO walk away from the counter with my back to the people. I had to just go for it. It wasn't like I could walk away backwards. So I did. I helf my head up high and walked out of there.
About 45 minutes later, I was in my room back home taking off my pants. The rip was HUGE! A few more inches and it would have reached the outside seam of the pants! It was nothing some strategic standing position could conceal. I imagined those women telling their colleagues back at their offices. "Oh my Gawwd! There was this guy at the DMV today with a huge rip in his pants!! I thought I was gonna die!!"
Needless to say, I checked carefully if there was any sign of wear in the fabric in that area before I put on the pants I am wearing today.
I was driving our customer's Honda Integra to the DMV in the city of Sano for an inspection. I really don't care for these cars because the they are pretty low to the ground and not very easy getting in and out. Anyway, I stopped at a 7-11 on the way to get something to drink. As I was getting out of the driver's seat, something happened to my pants... I was wearing this old pair of khakis, and when I tried to climb out by getting my right leg out, (and it put me in a rather awkward position. I am a big guy and these cars are not made for people like me.) the fabric of the inner thigh of my pants ripped! These pants had been purchased at a Target for under $20 some 5 years ago and been through many many washes. I suppose it was "time".
Alright, I had to make a decision. I could go home and change or I could go to DMV hoping it wouldn't be too crowded so I'd be able to get the inspection done without anyone noticing. It was 2:15pm, and I had to be at the DMV to confirm my reservation for the inspection by 2:45. No, going home to change was out of the question.
I reached around to assess the damage. The rip was bigger than I had thought. It went from the seam of the inner-thigh all the way to the back of the thigh right under the butt! I stood by the car and tried looking at the reflection in the window but I couldn't really see, so I went inside the 7-11 and tried checking with the bathroom mirror, but the mirror was placed too high on the wall I could not see my butt area.
While I was sweating in the tiny bathroom trying to look at the mirror over my shoulder standing on my toes, I was running out of time. As I walked out of the bathroom and through the store to the entrance, I could feel the breeze. There was no way the rip was not visible as I had hoped.
Was there a store nearby where I could buy a new pair of pants? No. what if I ripped other parts of the pants so it would look like the rip was on purpose!? No, that would never work. My mind was racing. I had to go to the DMV and just hope for the best.
It was a Friday and the place was crowded. Now I had to get out of the car, walk into the office to confirm the reservation and pay the fees. I knew there was a bathroom right by the side entrance, so I stopped in there first. There was a large mirror in front of the sink. I stood in front of it and checked out the rip. It was right where the butt meets the thigh and if was standing with my weight on my left leg, you couldn't really see it, but if I stretched my leg forward (as in when you...walk), my hairy thigh and a part of my grey briefs were exposed. I walked out of the bathroom trying so hard to act natural and made my way to the reservation counter. I was praying that no one would stand behind me but soon, a man on his cell phone stood behind me. I moved and stood sideways with my left side facing the counter clenching my butt tight hoping that would create creases in the pant fabric that would obscure the rip. The woman behind the counter handed me back the papers. Now, I had to walk away! There was nothing I could do. I just took the papers and hurried back to the car.
Once back inside the safety of the Integra, I noticed that the seat is touching the skin of my thigh directly! As I moved and stretched my legs, the rip was getting bigger... Again, I tried clenching my butt to create a little play in the fabric but there was no way I could stay like that for the entire duration of the inspection. I had to think ahead. This inspection usually takes about 10minutes. What you do is drive through a series of tests inside this building where the special machines check things like the brakes, speedometer, headlights, etc. You stay in the driver's seat for the most part but there is this one part where you have to get out of the car, stick a special probe inside the exhaust pipe to measure the exhaust level. That means you have to crouch down to insert the probe. Crouching down + ripped pants. Not good. I got out of the car (VERY carefully) and inserted the probe into the pipe by bending at the waist, not the legs, facing sideway.
With that big hurdle behind me, I thought I was home free. Then I realised I had to go into another office to receive the sticker! Unlike the one where you confirm reservations and pay fees, this one is much larger with much more open spaces.
What's more, while the other office is usually used by mechanics (mostly men), this one shares the same space with the place where the people register cars. Many young women working for car dealerships are there. I walked in, and as I had feared, the place was full of people, many of them young females. I went up to the counter, which is located at the far left corner (Thank GOD!) and handed in the inspection sheet. Normally, you leave the counter and wait until your name is called but I was not leaving the safety of the counter. No, Sir! In a couple of minutes, they called my name and gave me the sticker. Then I noticed that everyone waiting was looking at my general direction. Had they seen the rip!? Oh, no. There was a TV mounted on a rack right above the counter where I was! Oh, man.... I would HAVE TO walk away from the counter with my back to the people. I had to just go for it. It wasn't like I could walk away backwards. So I did. I helf my head up high and walked out of there.
About 45 minutes later, I was in my room back home taking off my pants. The rip was HUGE! A few more inches and it would have reached the outside seam of the pants! It was nothing some strategic standing position could conceal. I imagined those women telling their colleagues back at their offices. "Oh my Gawwd! There was this guy at the DMV today with a huge rip in his pants!! I thought I was gonna die!!"
Needless to say, I checked carefully if there was any sign of wear in the fabric in that area before I put on the pants I am wearing today.
