My father owns his own garage. Across the street is a gas station/general store. This morning somebody started backing out of the store’s parking lot without checking to see if any anything was coming. At the same time another person was driving down that street. The second person swerved to avoid hitting the first. She ended up crashing into (& partially through) the wall of my father’s garage. No one was hurt (& Dad was in his office when it happened), but that wall’s partially collapsed and the door to the large bay can’t be opened (which means he can’t get cars in or out which means lost income). So he got to spent his of his day taking pictures, calling his insurance agent, and arranging for repairs.
Glad he’s OK. I’m assuming the second person’s insurance will help cover repairs, and your father’s own business insurance the rest?
Usage note: “garage” =/= “car storage outbuilding” but rather = “car repair establishment” in this usage. (Where is this common? I’ve seen it in Downstate NY and the Niagara Frontier, Pennsylvania, and a couple of Midwest usages, all surrounded and divided by “auto repairs” shops and the like, where “garage” is simply “place to put a car/commercial establishment building proving car parking”.)
I’m glad he’s okay too. My mom was working in a fast food place eons ago when a police cruiser chasing someone drove into the glass front of the dining room. She and another worker dove behind a counter when they saw him coming. Glad your Dad didn’t get a close up view!
I’m confused by your clarification/question. Are you saying this because you think people won’t know that the OP’s father was referring to a business? And are you asking where it’s common not to refer to such a business as a garage, or where it’s common to refer to them as an auto repairs place?? Sorry, I’m experiencing a low ebb to my reading comprehension tonight.
Anyway, a repair place is commonly called a garage in NH and MA, regardless of whether or not the business calls itself one. My old car spent a week an a half at the garage, right up until the dealership who took it as a trade-in today sent a tow truck to get it. Everyone who inquired about the state of the car over the past couple of weeks asked me if it was still at the garage, too.
No fun! Glad he wasn’t hurt.
I’ve always commonly heard of an auto repair shop being called a garage. Never thought of that being regional. Northern Va.