Well, it would appear I spoke too soon.
That seems to happen a lot around here.
I'm referring to the post I wrote last week about our impending move, how it was going to be so easy. From our point of view, it still is. Most everything has been packed and a lot has already been moved over to the new house. But I neglected to factor in the local side of the equation, and that's where things have suddenly become complicated.
We need to be out of the rental by the 15th, so last week I started calling around to get quotes on moving. There are around 20 movers listed for Bakersfield, so I just started down the list. It began rather ominously when I received the exact same curt, robotic message on the first 8 businesses I called...
"No one is available to take your call. Good bye." *click*
Wait a minute... where had I heard that message before?
Oh, right... that's the message the phone company puts on your number when you haven't paid your bill and they're about to disconnect you. NEXT.
I had better luck with the rest of the list, either being referred to a website where I could detail our move or actually getting a real live human on the phone to go over the requirements. On Monday the quotes started to roll in.
And they were all from companies based in LA!
They were Potemkin Movers! They had the facade of a local business, with a Bako mailing address and phone number, but the crew and equipment were all back in Van Nuys. Why on earth would an LA moving company bother with Bakersfield? They must think there's money to be made, just not enough to go to the trouble of maintaining a staff here. What do the natives know that I don't? Why would they prefer to hire a big city company over the local talent?
I guess we'll find out.
Because while the LA quotes were all decent, there were other considerations to be made. I know from experience that moving trucks aren't the best maintained machinery in the world. When we moved into our hillside house in LA, the movers had to place cinderblocks behind the wheels because, as they informed us AFTER they had packed up the truck, "the brakes are bad". These were the same Cirque du Soleil movers who decided that, to save time, rather than carry our belongs up the stairs and into the house they would just toss them from the truck up to their buddies on our front deck. I was appalled, but I have to admit, a little impressed. Some of those boxes weighed 50 lbs. and they were tossing them up 20 feet like softballs. But I digress.
So, this option would involve...
Hiring some rattle trap moving truck from LA.
Hoping it can make the two and a half hour, 150 mile journey to Bako.
Up over a mountain pass at 4000 feet.
A pass that was closed this Sunday and Monday because of ice and snow.
What could possibly go wrong with this plan? NEXT.
So after the LA movers were taken out of consideration, it left only six local companies, and only two of those bothered to call me back or send me a quote. The quotes were nearly identical and it really just came down to picking one. Made no difference to me, so I picked one and as I was on the phone with the cheerful scheduler I noticed something about the quotes...
The both had the exact same address.
"Um..." I stuttered. "I just noticed that you have the exact same address of another mover I'm considering. What's the deal with that?" I asked.
Her tone grew dark.
"That's the OTHER side of the family..."
Turns out they are the Capulets and the Montagues of the Bakersfield moving community. Two sides of the same family that hate each other and yet share the same equipment and facilities. And they are both vying for my attention.
So this doesn't bode well for the move. I ultimately picked the Capulets and the Montagues are none too pleased. Let's just hope a duel doesn't break out on the front lawn next week.
