A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS EXPERIENCED RECENTLY WHEN I WANTED TO HAVE TWO 3 LITRE VALVE CHESTS CLEANED SO THAT I COULD INSPECT THEM THOROUGHLY FOR FAULTS. I ASKED SIGURD BOELLING WHO OWNS A VERY NICE 4.5 LITRE BENTLEY AND LIVES NEAR ASKER ON THE WEST SIDE OF OSLO, IF HE COULD RECOMMEND A CHEMICAL CLEANING COMPANY THAT COULD CARRY OUT THIS WORK FOR ME. HE KINDLY OFFERED TO CLEAN THEM FOR ME WITH HIS HIGH PRESSURE WATER JET EQUIPMENT BUT NOT WANTING TO INCONVENIENCE HIM I DECLINED HIS OFFER. HE TOLD ME THAT ANOTHER BDC MEMBER HAAKON ROINE HAD USED A COMPANY SITUATED IN FORNEBU THE FORMER OSLO AIRPORT NOW COVERED IN OVERPRICED FLATS AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. HAAKON, WHO ONCE WAS BUILDING A 3 LITRE BITSA, GAVE ME THE ADDRESS OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT.
THIS CHEMICAL CLEANING COMPANY WAS RATHER DIFFICULT TO FIND AND AFTER DRIVING AROUND THE AREA AND PHONING THE COMPANY FOR DIRECTIONS, I AT LAST FOUND IT. ENTERING THE OFFICE AREA I DISCOVERED A PERSON LYING BACK IN HIS CHAIR WITH HIS FEET ON THE DESK SEEMINGLY HALF ASLEEP. COMMUNICATION WAS DIFFICULT AS HE COULD NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AND ALTHOUGH I CAN SPEAK NORWEGIAN I DIDN`T KNOW THE SPECIAL WORDS FOR THE WORK THAT I WANTED TO BE DONE. ANOTHER MEMBER OF STAFF HELPED OUT WITH THE TRANSLATION AND WE ALL WENT OUT TO LOOK AT THE VALVE CHESTS LYING IN THE BACK OF THE CAR.
HE LOOKED AT THEM AND GAVE ME A PRICE OF 4000NOK (400GBP) FOR THE CLEANING! I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS PRICE. IT WAS TOTALLY OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE VALUE OF THE PARTS! I WAS EXPECTING TO PAY ABOUT 500NOK . AFTER QUESTIONING THIS PRICE HE THEN TOLD ME IT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND THAT HE DIDN`T GET OUT OF BED UNLESS HE EARNED 1000NOK (100GBP) PER HOUR.
MY ANSWER WAS TO SAY THAT THE PRICE WAS TOO EXPENSIVE AND LEFT INTENDING TO BUY THE CHEMICALS NECESSARY FOR THE CLEANING AND DO THE WORK MYSELF. I PHONED SIGURD AGAIN AND TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE KINDLY REPEATED HIS OFFER WHICH I GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED.
ALAN