Republish: Are You a Traffic Cop?

Posted on September 19, 2022 by way0utwest

In England today, working even though it’s a UK holiday. I was supposed to be out at a customer all day, so I had repeated an old editorial. Check out Are You a Traffic Cop and see if you feel differently than you did the first time you read it.

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Daily Coping 19 Sep 2022

Posted on September 19, 2022 by way0utwest

Today’s coping tip is to make time to remember if you’re busy, allow yourself to pause and take a break.

I’m in the UK today, and at the Redgate office for part of the time. One of the things that I like to do when I’m there is walk outside for a few minutes. Being back in an office is very stimulating, and it can be hectic for me. I’ll often schedule a lot of meetings to get time with people while I’m there.

I’ve learned a couple small breaks outside relax me during a stressful time. I’ll take a couple of those today.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

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Tesla Warranty Service for Trim

Posted on September 16, 2022 by way0utwest

This is part of a series that covers my experience with a Tesla Model Y.

I noticed a problem on the driver seat of my Tesla a month or so ago. The trim piece around the side of the seat was loose. It appears a piece of the trim cracked off.

20220818_140751

I picked the Service tab in the app and started to schedule things. I went through a couple menus to note this was interior to the car and a seat issue, then typed a few sentences to describe the issue. I uploaded this picture, and then was given the option to schedule service at one of the service centers.

Apparently this didn’t qualify for mobile service, which is fine. I picked one of the service centers near me (both about the same distance) and scheduled a date and time about a week out. I could have picked a time 3 days out, but that didn’t work in my schedule.

Communication

I got a few messages in the app during the week. First, one a day later to ask that I confirm I still want the appointment. A day or two later, they sent a note asking which seat, to confirm the driver seat. Then they sent an estimate of US$58, though noting this might be covered under warranty.

I approved them all as I assume I can argue the warranty thing in person.

I also got a note the day before that they were thinking this might take a couple hours with their load and letting me know that they were giving me ride share credits.

The Appointment

The morning of, I drove to the service center. I parked the car, and as I walked up, I checked the app. A new message showing me how to get a rideshare credit with Uber. No loaners, but that is nice.

I checked in with the reception person and then walked away. No need to give them a key. Apparently they have geo-fenced service keys for the Tesla Service Centers. Cool, also slightly disconcerting.

In any case, I worked for an hour and then had another appointment, so I called an Uber.

When I returned to Tesla, I realized I didn’t have my wallet, so I wanted to grab it. I went in the app to check the location and saw this:

Screenshot_20220823-104631_Tesla

Interesting. The car is in service and I can’t see app functions. I walked over to where I’d parked and it was still there. My phone worked as a key, and I could get in, but an “About” screen was visible, not the normal view. Also, a notice that the car was speed limited at this time, which is probably a good thing when techs are 20-something and have the opportunity to test a Plaid Model S for some reason.

In any case, glad I could get my wallet for lunch instead of playing the “where will my NFC phone work” game.

I went to lunch and about 30 minutes later I got a text that there was a message in the app. I checked and they said my car was done. They provided a message that told me where the car was located. I walked over, checked the repair (looked great) and drove away without talking to anyone at the end.

The repair was covered under warranty and I got an invoice for $0.00 in the app.

All in all a good, albeit slow, experience.

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Paying It Forward on the Internet

Posted on September 16, 2022 by way0utwest

A big part of SQL Server Central has been members of the community answering questions for others. We have an amazing community and over the years, it’s been helpful to so many people. I often get the thanks, but really the people at the top of the all-time list have been those that have helped many people. There are too many to list, but gilamonster, Jeff Moden, lynn-pettis, lowell, and more have been tremendous assets to our community.

Part of the inspiration for StackOverflow years ago was SQL Server Central and the popularity of people helping others. The main thing their founders didn’t like from us (and other sites) was the need to register. Hence, the ability to be anonymous on Stack if you choose. No matter what format or style of Q&A you like, Stack and many other sites have found that there is a lot of desire to ask and answer questions online.

Brent Ozar answers questions regularly during his office hours. I enjoy watching the recordings, especially from the beach. I miss the beach, but I love the mountains, so I’m only a bit jealous. However, recently he had a number of questions come through that he declined to answer and instead put out a post, inviting the community to answer. There are some interesting answers in there, and some are worth reading. Maybe you even want to add your own thoughts to some of the questions.

A big part of my career, and in life outside of my career, is helping others improve their lives. Answering questions for others got me started on this path of SQL Server Central and speaking at conferences. Coaching my kids led me to coach others. Thinking about both those things got me to volunteer at other organizations.

I’ve had success, so I’m paying it forward in different ways. I’d encourage you to do the same. Whether online or in your local community, whether now or at some point in the future, paying it forward is good for your soul.

Steve Jones

Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Stitcher, Spotify, or iTunes.

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