The inspection on my car was coming due this month (expiring at the end of 3/2004), so I knew I had to get that done within the next few days. In past years, I’ve gone to the Jiffy Lube at Greenville & Mockingbird and they’ve always been fine (just an ordinary car inspection).
Since buying my PowerBook, I’ve been keeping mental notes of local businesses with WiFi support and I had in the back of my mind that one of the oil-change shops had WiFi (though I couldn’t remember their name or whether they were authorized for inspections in the first place).
So, I first checked the TX Department of Public Safety’s site for inspection stations in my area. Sure enough, there was the “Kwik Kar Lube & Tune” which sounded familiar. And, a quick check at JiWire — a site listing WiFi hotspots — confirmed it. So, I packed up my PowerBook yesterday afternoon and headed off.
It was a great experience, or as good as a car inspection can be. I pulled into the parking lot and an attendant greeted me at my car door to ask how he could help me. I requested an inspection, handed over my keys, and he got started right away. I headed off to the waiting room and unpacked my laptop. Mac OS found the access point right away and I was connected.
As I waited, I downloaded the latest Thunderbird build, chatted a bit on iChat, and the inspection was complete in about 20-30 minutes. It was fairly pleasant and I wouldn't hesitate to go there for my next inspection.