[footfootfoot]

Well thanks all for the creative suggestions. I am not surprised that the best and brightest minds of the cellar could be put to such good use on such a mundane problem.

We live in a pretty small village, (their term, not mine) about 1900 people. maybe 75% were born here or hereabouts. (I'm an implant) I was having my hair cut at my local shade tree barber and got the 411 on the head honcho at the town garage. While my, ermm, hair stylist was not so sympathetic to this guy or his wife when she was done filling me in I felt so sorry for him that I figured I wouldn't have so much to complain about if they had totalled the car.

Anyway, I chilled out sufficiently before I called him (figuring I can always escalate if I don't like his response, but it doesn't usually pay to come in both guns blazing unless you figure you're going to lose at the outset)

He wasn't in, so I left a message. He called me back, was very apologetic and said he'd schedule a cleaning for me at a local body shop and they'd even drive the car over there and pick it up and return it. (I declined the pick up and deliver offer. Duh if you can't get the tar in a crack do you think I'll let you drive my car?)

So now we'll see what happens next. I'm glad I didn't go mental on him at the outset. He was actually very polite and accomodating. After getting off the phone I wondered a minute why they'd have a body shop that they usually worked with. Then I started thinking about the snow plows...