The Custom Auto Glass Blog

Ah, the great windshield — the unsung hero of every road trip, shielding you from the elements, bugs, and the occasional wayward bird with an existential crisis. We seldom give it a second thought… until, of course, it cracks. And then, suddenly, it becomes the most important thing in your life.

My story begins on a sunny Tuesday morning, when I was cruising down the highway, blissfully unaware that my life was about to be divided into two distinct eras: Pre-Crack and Post-Crack.

The Moment of Impact

It happened so fast. One minute I’m singing along to an off-key rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody (nailing the falsetto, thank you very much), and the next – CRACK! A pebble, no bigger than a Tic Tac, decided to ruin my whole day.

If you’ve ever had this happen, you knwo the stages of windshield grief:

1. Denial: “That noise wasn’t my windshield. Nope. Probable just hit a bird…or a small plane.”

2. Anger: “Searously, how does a pebble cause THIS much damage? It’s like my windshield was made of wet tissue paper!”

3. Bargaining: “Matbe I can live with it? It’s barely noticeable…If I squint…and drive only at night.”

4. Depression: “Great. Now I have to adult. I was so close to avoiding any responsibility this week!”

5. Acceptance: “Time to call Custom Auto Glass and RV. Maybe they won’t notice how many fast-food napkins are stuffed in my glove compartemnt.”

The Phone Call

Calling a windshield repair shop is like calling a secret society. They ask all these obscure questions like, “What make and model?” “Do you have sensors in your glass?” “Is it heated?”

Look, my car is from 2008. It barely has working cupholders, let alone “heated sensors.” The only heating going on there is when the sun decides to turn my interior into a mobile sauna. After some back-and-forth, the appointment was set.

Installation Day

Of course, the windshield replacement day arrived during a heatwave. The kind of day where stepping outside feels like entering an oven. But nothing could deter the technician. He arrived with a huge sheet of glass that looked suspiciously like something from a crime scene clean-up show.

Naturally, I had some questions:

Me: “What if the new windshield doesn’t fit?”

Technician: “It’ll fit.”

Me: “But what if it doesn’t? Do you have a backup?”

Technician: “I got you! We have checked and double checked.”

This man had the patience of a saint. He worked with a level of precision I can only dream of applying to folding my laundry. But as I watched him pry off my old, battered windshield, I couldn’t help but feel like I was witnessing surgery on a beloved pet.

The Final Touch

Once the new glass was in place, the technician gave me strict instructions: No driving for an hour, no car washes for 24 hours, and – most surprisingly – no slamming the doors. Apparently, slamming a door could undo all of this man’s hard work. So, now I had to treat my car like it was spun sugar. Okay, I can do that.  

Lesson Learned

By the end of this saga, I realized a few things:

1. Windshields are drama queens. Seriously. The tiniest pebble can crack them, and they demand the utmost care in return.

2. Technicians are windshield whisperers. They can handle your car with grace and care that you’ll never touch.

3. Avoid driving behind trucks. I don’t care if it’s a dump truck or a milk truck. They all seem to be carrying your windshield’s worst nightmare.

4. Invest in windshield wiper fluid. If i’m goign to replace my windshield, I might as well clean it once in a while, right? 

So, next time you’re out on the open road, remember to cherish your windshield. It’s the guardian between you and a swarm of bugs, and the occasional flying Tic Tac of doom. And when the inevitable happens, just know that you’ll come out the other side – with the help and support of Custom Auto Glass and RV.