About this location
A few stories people tell about this place
1. A little boy named Max was visiting his uncle’s garage one Saturday morning. As he walked past Choi Smog Test-Only Center, something strange caught his eye—a small sign that read ‘Smell Our Special Blend of Clean Air.’ Curious, Max peered inside and noticed an old man adjusting a strange-looking machine. Max approached cautiously, and the old man smiled warmly.
‘Would you like to try our special blend?’
Max nodded hesitantly, and the man flipped a switch—suddenly, the air filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies mixed with pine trees. Max laughed out loud, realizing it wasn’t just any smell—it was actually quite pleasant!
From then on, whenever someone needed their smog checked in town, they’d say, ‘Hey, take it to Choi’s place—they’ve got a secret recipe for clean air!’
2. It was an unusually quiet Sunday afternoon when a delivery driver pulled up to Choi Smog Test-Only Center. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the empty parking lot. As he approached the door, he heard a faint humming sound coming from inside. Curious, he opened the door just enough for a peek and saw an old mechanic, Choi, dancing awkwardly to some obscure Korean pop song while adjusting a car's exhaust pipe. 'Ah, you here for your test?' asked Choi without missing a beat. The delivery driver nodded sheepishly. 'Don't worry,' Choi grinned, 'I know exactly how to make that little engine purr!'
3. It was a foggy midnight in San Francisco when a delivery driver pulled up to Choi Smog Test-Only Center. The neon sign flickered ominously as he approached the lone figure inside. ‘Hey,’ said the delivery driver, ‘I’ve got an old van here that’s been giving me trouble.’
The man behind the counter peered into the engine bay with a twinkle in his eye. ‘No worries,’ he grinned. ‘We’ll get it fixed right up—just for today though!’
An hour later, the van purred like a kitten and the driver left, laughing. As he drove off, the neighbor passing by shook his head and muttered, ‘Typical Choi—always fixing things just long enough for you to leave.’
4. A delivery driver pulled up to Choi Smog Test-Only Center one rainy Monday morning. ‘Hey,’ he called out, ‘anyone here seen my exhaust pipe?’ ‘Pipe’s right here,’ said a regular, pointing to an old rusty piece of metal on a shelf. The driver stared blankly for a moment before breaking into laughter. ‘That’s not mine!’ he exclaimed. ‘Ah,’ smiled Mr. Choi, waving his hand dismissively, ‘it’s always someone else’s exhaust around here.’