You Won’t Hear A Jeep Out Of Me

(I am interviewing for a field computer technician job. The job entails servicing customers at their locations. This area of the country gets heavy snowfalls throughout the winter. This is in the mid-1970s, before SUVs become popular, and before all-wheel and four-wheel drive are common on vehicles that aren’t trucks.)

Interviewer: “…and the job comes with a company car!”

Me: “I hope it’s a Jeep!”

Interviewer: “No, that would not fit with the company image. But you could buy your own Jeep, and we’d reimburse you for mileage.”

(I quietly imagine two scenarios. Scenario #1:)

Me: *on the phone to a customer* “Sorry your computer is down, but my Chevy Impala can’t get through the snow. You lose.”

(Scenario #2: People look out the window to see a Jeep, with a company logo on the side, churning up the snow-covered road coming to save the day.)

Me: *thinking, but keeping quiet* “Now, tell me again, which one is in keeping with the company image?”