You don' have to be 16 to be ...umm..stupid about cars. But it helps.
Last summer I was mowing the lawn and a car coasts to a stop in the middle of the street in front of the house. Plenty of room to pull over..but it stops in the middle. I hear the starter crank..and crank..and crank. (Why do people think that if you just keep turning the key it will make the car start?)
Lady gets out and is fuming and swearing loud. Hesitant to approach her ..(new relaxed gun carry laws in MN)..but I was a bit concerned for the very young kids previously playing next door(now staring at the scene in the road) learning "new words" I know they never hear at home.
This lady was PISSED at her &^*(%^ car....and advertising it loudly. I recall it was a nice new car...but not a MBZ.
So before she had burst a vein I asked if I could give her a hand. That at least stopped the jumping and swearing.
She handed me the keys and said "if you can start this *(&*(^ car..you can HAVE it".
I thought of her generous offer..as I slipped the key into the ignition. Right away I suspected I knew the problem...the gas gauge needle was all the way to the left and sitting on the peg. When I asked her if she had the title with her...she began to calm down a bit more and asked why. I told her I did not actually want the car...but was willing to bet her $100 I could start the car in less than 10 minutes.
I did it in seven....since I had the gas can sitting on the front walk.
When she asked how much I wanted for helping...I said my stepdaughter would probably like the car...and I could use $100..but that I would settle for $5 for the gas I had poured in and an apology to the neighbor kids.
She looked like I had slapped her...handed me a $20 and took off without another word. So I apologised to the kids for her..."sometimes adults get too excited to think clearly and say bad things" and finished mowing the lawn.
I used to be a lot quicker to offer my help. In fact I usually carry tools with me in the car (since I drive "experimental vehicles" a lot)....and would routinely pull over to help stranded motorists.
We live in a rural area so I was not too worried about having a gun pulled on me..until I had a gun pulled on me.
But that is another story.
