Okay, Dad here. Listen up. I have been going to Pick N Pull for decades and some of you folks on Yelp sound like real morons.
Therefore- this is for all you amateurs, newbies, 'all about me' types and snowflakes.
1st out, I'm not defending this business. They have their problems.
However, I am sick of people expecting a junkyard and their employees to kiss your butt when you are there. This is a junkyard, not the mall, not a restaurant. Deal with it.
1. Do not bring your Coach purse, kids, your dogs, your grandma, your wheelchair bound great uncle, your bag of weed, booze, guns, jacks, flamethrowers, etc. Got it?
2. Wear appropriate clothes for a junkyard!! CLOSED toed shoes, jeans, a shirt, overalls are best- all items you don't care about getting dirty and greasy. You're not visiting the beach or shopping at Macy's!
3. Know what you're looking for; there are tens of thousands of parts out in that yard. If you don't know what or where it might be, plan on spending some time to find it. When you do that, walk around the yard expecting to find cars that are whole, gutted, and in between. There are thousands of people who visit there a month, and if you own a popular car, do you really think you're going to find a pristine example?
4. If you are approached by a dude to 'borrow' a tool, do the Nancy Reagan thing and just say 'NO', 'NEIN', 'NYET', etc. In other words Slick, I didn't pay for MY tools for you to borrow them.
Easy. Or you can just smile and respond back with some Russian phrase to have relations with your neighbors babushka. He/she will get the point.
5. If you didn't bring the right tools- you can get your hand stamped, get your butt in the car you came in, and go get them at the auto parts store (or wherever) and come back. Don't you dare ask someone else to borrow their tools. That's the #1 STUPID thing to do out in that yard.
6. If you happen to find the right part, KNOW BEFOREHAND what a new one costs. For all you whizz kids, look it up on your phone. If the one you find on the yard is satisfactory, buy it- or not, the prices are posted for all to see. Now if one of them dolts at the cashier's station quotes a price that is outrageous because they screwed up and are classifying it incorrectly (I've had this happen), talk to them. If they still insist on charging too much because they are being a stubborn mule and labeling it incorrectly, ask for a supervisor. But be nice, no one likes to deal with an a-hole customer. That said, be prepared for the same answer. If that occurs, simply say 'no thanks', drop the part in their bin over by the gate and be on your way. Lesson learned.
7. Expect to pay a 'core charge' for parts that are deemed as such (again, look at the price list). The business sends scrap out to be shredded and smelted; that keeps all the bunnies, lizards, you dooms day liberals and unicorns happy because the junkyard also recycles that scrap. And yes, the EPA requires a ton of 'fees' which adds to the cost of all this. Thanks to all the misanthropic hypocrites in politics.
8. Oh, and if you look like you're stealing, and they ask about what's in that bag, it's because you look like you're stealing. Pretty simple. So if you are tweaking on meth and your eyes are darting back and forth because the tiny black helicopters circling your head followed you in, expect to be challenged on that.
That said, I've been asked to open up my tool boxes EVERY time I leave. I expect that. It doesn't mean I'm doing anything wrong, it's just part of their policy. If you're offended at that policy, talk to your a-hole friends that steal from them. They are at fault, not the business. The business is simply reacting to what happens in their daily operations. So tell the thieves to knock it off, that's not cool.
9. Budget an appropriate amount of time to get what you need done in that yard. It's not their problem if you're in a hurry and your schedule is tight. Yep, you may get steered in the wrong direction, but you will realize quickly you should be buying parts at the auto parts store. Again, it's your decision of why you are there in the first place.
HINT: I NEVER ask where something is, that's absurd. I really don't care if they offer it at the window when you walk in. Do you fall for the Ethiopian Prince emails begging for money? Seriously, are you that stupid?
Bottom line is this: it's a junkyard. They have dangerous stuff in there that can cut, tear and crush you; the $2 entry fee is to cover liability insurance.
You will get dirty, Plan for it.
You may or may not find what you are looking for. Think of it as an Easter egg hunt.
Know what the new price is of what you are looking for. It helps in your decision to pull, or not to pull.
If you find something you need, decide right there if it's worth the time pulling it.
Lastly, PLEASE stop blaming everything on everyone else. That's absurd.
Love,
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