Blasted blades!

The passenger side wiper blade popped right out. I pressed the magic lever, and it slid free quite smoothly. I was quite hopeful, therefore, that all my anxiety about replacing the wiper blades by myself was for naught.

Then I moved to the driver side blades.

I pushed and pulled. I pushed and pulled some more. Fearful of breaking the wiper arm, I stepped back and tried to calm myself with a few deep breaths. Doing so was not much help...either to my nerves or to my success.

I stepped back inside to fetch a small flat-head screwdriver, thinking that I could use it to get at the lever more effectively. Since I was standing on the left side of the car, I could not get a proper view of the lever the way I could when replacing the passenger side blade. So, I leaned and twisted and poked at the thing with my screwdriver to no avail.

Now, while I was working rather unsuccessfully on the driver side, there were several men who walked by, ignoring my plight. I had thought that perhaps on of them would stop, but they did not. Even when the screwdriver slipped and sliced off a good chunk of my left palm and I cried out in pain not one of them stopped.

With blood running down my hand and still unsuccessful, I decided to climb up on top of the hood so that I could get a better view of that small lever. I was afraid that I would dent the hood, but managed to get up there without doing any damage. It was this awkward act that finally compelled someone to stop and offer help.

Wouldn't you know that he had the old blade off in about 10 seconds, that is after I got his hand all bloody when he was helping me down my perch on the hood.

It is my firm contention that I loosened it for him.

Perhaps I don't need to replace the rear wiper blade after all, eh?