What are Lenses Made Of?!?!

By Chris

Teresa already wrote about my sunglass lens falling out in the car. Well, after three searches of the car, including one yesterday where I completely removed all the mats, cleaned every inch, moved the seats every way they can go and even vacuumed and checked the debris . . . I can't find the stupid missing lens. The car is really, really clean . . . but no lens. And it feels like my eayes are going to explode driving around without them. I think the regular glasses act as magnifiers for the sunlight . . . and I can't take them off because I can't see straight without them (ugghh, I'm getting old!). It makes no sense that I can't find it. I know it fell off in the car. Teresa even looked. Oh, well. I have a slightly updated prescription since I got the sunglasses, so it wouldn't hurt to get new lenses anyway. I stopped by the eye shop first thing this morning, handed over my frames - one lense in and one out- and started the transaction. The technician pulled my records.

Tech: You have a new prescription since you got these. Would you like your old prescription or your new one?

Me: Uhhh. The new one?? (Why would I want the old one. I thought about saying: I actually like my sight being slightly off while driving, so I'll take the old one please.)

Tech: O.k. So, would you like to replace both lenses.

Me: Well . . . yes (again, am I missing something? Don't you need them to synch up, match or something? One old prescription and one new. Yikes. Wouldn't that make you cross-eyed or something. I clearly don't understand vision correction).

With the crucial information gathered, she writes up a bunch of stuff, looks up two or three things in a binder and on the computer and runs in the back room for a second. What was she doing? I noticed one thing she looked at had my name and some mumbo - jumbo insurance information. Maybe it said something like "he doesn't know anything about this, so you can charge him a lot!" Then she whipped out the calculator and said . . . . $160! What! Maybe I will take just one lens. I remember the actual glasses were pricey when purchased, but I thought surely that was mostly the stylish titanium frames (co-worker calls them my FBI G-man look). What could I do though? The geeky clip-on-your-regular-glasses things are dirt cheap, and probably work similarly. But, I really can't roll like that. I mean, not with my Star Treck Bluetooth ear piece. It wouldn't be right. "We need half to get started," Tech lady says. Ha! I bet you do. I get out the check card and say "take it all now", acting like a high roller with my lenses that cost more than I used to make in several days in college. In fairness, they have always been real good to us, and reasonable. I'm probably still ahead lifetime with this group over the old mall eye people I used to use. So, they'll be in "in a couple of days" since they have to order them for these particular frames.

And, just when I thought I was the stupidest cutomer of the day (lost a lens in a car), a lady comes in with some very crooked glasses on her head (and a bluetooth earpiece, in public, as I have been warned not to do). Other tech lady almost laughs when she says "How can I help you" (probably thinking: "oh my, how in the world did your glasses get so jacked-up like that, and why are you still wearing them."). "I need to get these adjusted," lady says, with a straight face. Ha! Adjusted. These things looked like a truck ran over them. The tech holds them up to the light and says "ooooooo kaaaaaayyyy." A long pause. Then she says "What happened?" (that's clearly not everyday wear that gets things that crooked). "I fell down," the lady responds. I bet she waan't paying attention because she was talking through that Bluetooth earpiece! I told her "that's o.k." . . . and explained my stupid eyeglass story. I bet they get her for more than $160.

So, lesson of the day? If you own an eye shop, it pays to have goofy, clumbsy customers.