Life stories
 

I have a couple of stories I want to tell today so I decided to start this thread for short stories from life. I am going to start with two from the last week.

Motorcycle death
 

Over the Homecoming weekend a young male Purdue student managed to kill himself on his crotch rocket bike. I don't want to ridicule him because I was young once and with a little different circumstances could have ended up as a statistic myself.

It seems he and two buddies were riding through Lafayette and were headed back to West Lafayette over the new Columbia street bridge. I am quite familiar with this bridge as I drive it every day to work in my Miata. I treat it as sort of a no man's land as it is impractical to patrol from Lafayette or West Lafayette.

As you leave the Lafayette side the bridge rises about 30' to get over the rail corridor which now runs along the river. Just after the crest the bridge curves to the right to square itself with the river and the road it leads to in West Lafayette. On the outside of the curve is a guardrail which is about 24 to 36" tall.

It seems the young man hit the guardrail just after the crest of the bridge's hill where it turns right. The report says Alcohol did not appear to be invovled. My guess is he was either distracted by talking to his buddies or perhaps just was going so fast that he was partially airborn and could not make the turn. Either way he hit the guardrail and went over it and fell at least 40' to the river below which they said was less than 2' deep. His motorcycle slid along the inside of the guardrail another 100+ feet.

When the rescue folks came they had some difficulty in finding him and took about a half hour. CPR was applied on the way to the hospital but he was DOA.

Lesson? All you young bucks out there.....do your motorcycle tricks on a closed circuit where there are no guardrails to catch you if you get behind on your riding.

Everybody says he was a very nice young man.

I hope by telling this story I can help someone to avoid such an accident.

The man who did not learn his lesson(s).
 

Most days a bunch of fellows mostly around my age meet at a local bar/restaurant to eat and chat. There is a core of us numbering about a dozen or so that turn up typically in clusters of from 2 to 9 with an occasional dozen. Today about ten turned up.

First topic was real estate investment about a specific property which was a failed investment which got about 50% constructed before they ran out of steam having failed to secure adequate financing to finish the job ...(how does that happen?) Current estimated market values ranged from $150K to "I would not take it unless it were free". It seems that the local Architect (not me) got together a small group of his (now ex) friends and before running out of money managed to spend about (supposedly) $1.5M adding about 40 units to a rather elegant 1800's home with turrets and many fireplaces and leaded glass windows. The design unfortunately (we all agreed) was botched in multiple ways....poor layout and poor aesthetics coupled with poor construction details.

Second story line was a local builder developer who is old enogh to know better.....;) He started out modestly working in a local factory, and went into business as a builder then a developer. He had a family with some kids and a wife that he "ourgrew" and divorced. It came out over the last month or so, a little each day, that:
a. his first divorce settlement cost him over 1.5 M to his first ex.
b. His legal fees for that one were over 100K.
c. It was his fault (judging by his other stories I suspect infidelity).
d. He really got screwed in the judgement because the Judge is a real @#$%&* head.
e. He remarried a woman 15 years his junior.
f. he screwed up again.
g. He is now in the process of getting another divorce (though they still date) !?
h. Oh yes, did I mention he did not bother with a Pre-nuptial agreement?

I have little patience with men who are unfaithful to their wive(s).....but I guess what makes me chuckle the most is that in telling these stories about himself I am pretty sure he thinks we will be impressed with his (financial....sexual?) prowess.

Tom,
We have an expression down here concerning the guy in your second story ; "He has more between his legs than he has between his ears"
I have a pic that I could put up here that some one sent me the other day but I think it would earn an infraction if not a ban so best not.

I've driven by the skid mark for three days now twice a day, and I conclude that the skid mark is commensurate with a cycle driving in the far right lane getting airborn over the crest of the hill on the bridge and coming down just before the raiiling and locking up the rear brake just before hitting the rail.

The police say he was going at least 60. I am guessing more like 100.

It will be interesting to see if his friends admit what they saw.

If the bike had had anti-lock brakes, it may not have even happened.

The skid mark is only 10 to 15' long so with the speed and all I doubt that they would have saved him, though it looked like a fairly new bike in the picture...do the new bikes have anti lock brakes?

I doubt that "real" sport bikes have antilock brakes, but I don't like new bikes any better than new cars. If you do something that dumb, it doesn't really matter what you're riding.

Check out this knuckle-head:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1942733?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+collegehumor%2Fvideos+%28Co llegeHumor+Newest+Videos%29

1995 Olds Cutlass Ciera: List one for sale and meet all the bottom feeders.

I've sort of carved out a nice niche of old fart owned domestic sedans (usually Buicks with the 3.8 and Grand Marquis with the 4.6), as well as Trucks/Jeeps with the 4.0. These cars tend to bring out good people not looking to get buried in car payments with enough cash to make an under $5,000 purchase. A few weeks ago I ventured into unknown territory with a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera sedan. It is very clean, with only 112,000 miles, nothing wrong, and I bought it cheap enough to list it at $2000 and still make a decent profit.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...DSC03700-1.jpg

I have shown the car 10 times (breaking my previous record of 4) and nobody has bit yet. Not because there is anything wrong with the car, but because they all have serious personal or financial issues and have no business shopping for a car and wasting my time. I'll describe the most memorable.

A guy in his early 50s I would estimate pulls up in his beater Chevy Lumina with 190,000 miles and looks like its seen Armageddon. After a test drive, and hearing his tale of the millions that await him in his various business investments, but needs a more presentable vehicle. He mentions the trade in, and out of politeness I look over his car. No paint, headliner gone, every seat torn, disgusting trash filled floors, threads showing on the tires and under the hood smelled like coolant, most likely do to an intake manifold leak. Ran well enough though.

I, very graciously, offered him $250 for the car, with mine at full asking price. His offer was $1000 for my car and $500 for the trade in, and would like payments for $100 a month. This was not a lowball haggling tactic, it was his honest expectation. After laughing him off and doing everything I can to shoo him out the door, he comes back in my place in a huff claiming that I broke his car. Now mind you, all I did was open the hood and look (didn't dare touch) while he started the car up, and put it in reverse and drive. After explaining how it was impossible, he threatened to call the police on me if I didn't give him a running car for breaking his. This argument was taken outside by his car, where he went to show me how his car wasn't starting.

From my cursory glance I immediately noticed the car was in neutral with him trying to crank it. I suggested he put the car in park and try to start it, and told him I'd be calling the police if he didn't leave immediately. Who knows if it was intentional or not. Very, very stupid either way.

This thing is turning out not to be worth the $800 profit potential.

Now you know how I felt selling my sisters POS, not as easy as you thought hmmm.:rolleyes: Now you get to deal with all the wonderful losers that I did, have fun. For some reason those cars bring them all out, its like a parade of morons.

What appeared to be an easy lay up turns out to be a tough shot!;)

I went with my favorite machinist to look at a Lincoln he was interested in. He asked me to drive it. The seller's wife rode along. We went out on the interstate and I romped on it up to about 85 and then we drove it back. He decided to think about it. The next day the guy calls him and said I ruined the transmission in it.

Heh!

My friend told him to go fly a kite and after a few harassing calls the guy gave up.

Another time we went to look at a Mercedes a local fellow had for sale. I romped on it fairly well too but only up to about 60. The car had a miss at higher rpm. When I pointed it out the fellow got really angry and said Mercedes were not made to be run hard like that.

Hah!

My first out of the 20 or so cars thus far since starting the dealership. I'm bound to have a few albatrosses.

I've also had the worst lowballing on this car I've ever experienced too.

I believe it's a cross section of people, that crosses paths with the car type and it's price. Is what I'm thinking. Generally speaking, there are pricing level strata, car brand year model strata, and people strata for each.

I was helping my daughter find a car and we found a Mercedes on Craigslist. We called the owner and he said someone was test driving it but we decided to go over anyway. we got there just as they were pulling into the driveway. The guy got out and walked away without saying a word.
Me and the owner just stood there looking at him. I asked the guy, Is he walking away? And he said yes. I asked him why and he said the guy didn't like it because it didn't have the original radio in it.
We test drove it and wound up buying it.

We were looking for a car for daughter #2 last year. We found a nice car on craigslist and went to go look at it. The car he showed us wasn't even the car in the add pictures. The interior was a totally different color. The trunk and rear of the car was spray painted! We told him we'd be in touch, Yeah right!

A while back I needed a place to stay and a friend of mine offered to rent me a spare room he had. I thought about it until I found out he was out of work on workmans comp because he hurt his hand. Which wouldn't have been so bad except he still went bowling twice a week. I told him no thanks.
Later on I found out he lost his home because he couldn't pay his bills. It was agreed upon by a lot of people that he could have worked if he wanted to. It's not like he did construction, he had a desk job!

Danny

People sure have some interesting ways of looking at things!

I wouldn't give that car away, it one of GM's best in recent years. One of my ex-employees had the Buick iteration of the same car. He bought it used from a dealer with about 70K on it. It ran to over 200K with virtually no maintenance, and very few repairs. It would have run longer, but he had a fender bender that damaged the fuel filler, and since he was uninsured at the time, the car went to the crusher rather than deal with all the fines.

It was powered by the cast iron V6 (3.0 I believe) and had a straight 3-speed auto, no OD and no lockup.

The tendency you observe of people trying to get something for nothing is one of the results of the "Home Depot" syndrome.

....a lack of money is also a strong motivator for aggressive negotiation!

Yes, it is a good car. The water pump started dumping at test drive number 5, but I replaced it along with the serpentine belt. I can usually tell when an old fart owned a car from the smell and the brand of tires (usually Micheline). This is the 3.1 V6. I usually go for the 3.8. The supercharged ones are especially fun.

Had someone call me this morning, after test driving it yesterday, saying they will take it. She wanted to "pray on it" overnight and is now "getting her ducks in a row" to make the purchase. I'll believe it when the cash shows up. Seemed like a good person though, and she rode over with her brother in a 2001 Jeep XJ. He spent more time looking at my 88 wagoneer XJ than the Olds. :D

I wonder if her "praying on it," has more to do with her being able to "come up with the money," or as a ploy to get a compassionate price break for holiness from you...

The Jeep enthusiast Brother, may be a good candidate for the Wagoneer???

I think you just have to wade through some unsavory potential buyers on any vehicle sale - to get to the cream sometimes, Tyler.

I had to wade in through a larger than usual amount of unsavory ones, but this was my first $2000 and under car.

As soon as I start griping about it, of course it sells. Just came back from doing the paperwork and making the deposit at the bank. Should last the next owner a good long time. :o

The Jeep is my "keeper", while I'm selling these more expensive trucks (Sierra Denali, Cadillac Escalade) which I really don't need. I'd rather have the money in the bank than have a really expensive drive way ornament that I never use. Between the Jeep and the buick, all my needs are met. I also usually have a large truck/suv in my inventory I can use if needed.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...0/DSC00304.jpg

Will you throw in a walker and cane voucher from CVS/Walgreens, with the purchase of the station wagon?

I will on mine!

You need it!

Nice woody pic. Really like that Roadmaster.

- Peter.

Like heck I do......I got enough aging, mechanical stuff to maintain around here already - not to mention "this old '70s house" I'm re-habbing!!

You've gotta thin the heard somehow. After all what would the Darwin Awards site do for humor? I rode bikes for years both in the States and Europe and have no sympathy for those that kill themselves on them. I am sorry for those that get killed by others although knowing the danger it is a bit hard to muster too many tears.

I cannot stand those darwin awards. Just too sad.

Day before yesterday I was coming across the river to the place I hang out with a bunch of other old farts for lunch. I come across the river (the one the kid on the bike killed himself on) on the other side if the bridge which has 2 lanes. As I came across I moved into the far right lane which goes for about four blocks marked right turn or straight and passed several cars which were just starting to roll away from the light which I caught. I passed a newish black 350TE wagon and moved over into the lane in front of him and matched his speed. I did not cut him off and did not make the move at the last minute before the go straight portion of the lane ended.

With the top down I could easily hear him downshift and floor it. I watched in my mirror as he moved to the far right lane and passed me then got right in front of me and put on his brakes. Hmmmmmmm....

I cleared traffic and moved to the left lane since I was planning to turn left anyway and he moved left right in front of me....I guess he thought I would try to pass him again, but I simply turned left and went to my restaurant.

About a month ago a fellow did something similar in about the same spot in a Ford Pickup. That did not surprise me.

Someone doing something so juvenile in a newish benz was a total shock.;)

I've had a few of those people...my most memorable customer was a guy in his 50's, had a glass eye, smelled of booze and looked really unkempt. Told me all kinds of crazy stories...bought the car though. About 3 months later, I got a notice in the mail telling me the car had been impounded...apparently he never transferred the title, and the state of california wanted almost 2 grand in storage fees. Good thing I sent in the release...

I spotted this old thread tonight and read through it, giggling out loud softly as to not wake the Mrs.

I imagine Tyler could tell us some good stories about his show and auction appearances.

I read all the way through it before I realized it was 12 years old:D

hah!

Craigslist Flakes
 

Tyler never came back, any other good stories ? .

It is true that a decently priced vehicle can be very hard to sell .

I gave up on craigslist long, long ago ~ I'd add 'price is the price, no offers, bring cash or don't come' and still they came and gave me a hard time .

I'm a bottom feeder, I buy at scrap value and make no bones about it .

If I see what I want I'll grab it, unless crash damaged I can fix whatever else .