What would you trade for your child's safety?
So today was semi-disastrous. The gas mechanic flatly wouldn't work on my truck and crossing the street to the next mechanic was almost scary.
It was a small shop, manned by a heavily tattooed, black leather-clad older white guy - the demographic that voted most likely for tRump - with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth dropping ash on his bare protruding beer belly and a kerchief draped over a shiny bald head. There were several vehicles on the pavement in front of the open garage in various states of disrepair.
Another older white male paced around my truck, disbelief screaming with every step. The bad boy mechanic half listened to me describe the symptoms, my male friend Mike reiterated what I had said, as the two white males just shook their heads in disbelief when it came to the veggie oil part....
The mechanic told me it was my injectors that were bad. I looked at him in disbelief, like how could he know that without even examining the engine or anything. Okay, well he's old and maybe so experienced - or new age - or reiki automotive master.... but I've replaced my injectors before but I ask him anyway, how much he'd charge to do it for me.
He says 695. Okay so I'm thinking $6.95 per injector? When he said no, $695 to do the job, I laugh and say I'll replace them myself. Afterall, I've done it before.
He tells me I need a special tool and I can ruin the engine if I don't do it properly.
Okay, if I believe him - which I don't - I ask if he has the tool and the injectors. He tells me $1800 to have them shipped here and another $295 (as in $295 EACH) to purchase them.
WTF? I can't remember exactly, but I paid about $10 bucks each - at least less than $100. I point to the injectors and confirm that it's the part we're both talking about.
Somehow, & I forget how, we start talking about Cuba. The other guy - who turns out to be a customer who wants his diesel bus fixed - scoffs at my praise of Cuba declaring he wants his FREEDOM. When I ask him freedom to do what he states "to make money". Really?
When I point out when everyone has free education, free land, free healthcare, and a basic universal income, what money do you need to make?
Of course, he wants STUFF - and he wants to make more money than those that are lazy and don't want to work - which in his opinion is what communism does for him.
I know this man has children so I tell him the story of the womon drummer who came to Drum Camp from Cuba and asked u.s.ofa. drummers, who were astonished that she didn't mind waiting in line to buy toilet paper, what they would be willing to do in order to know that their children are safe. She said she never once during her son's entire life feared harm would come/was coming to him if/when she didn't know where he was.
What would you be willing to do without in order to have total safety for your children?
The other mechanic who was coming out to Yalui Village to look at my truck this evening was a 'no show' again. When I called, he PROMISED me he'll come tomorrow, blaming the c.v. scare leaving him short-handed.
Okay.
So today was a bust - except I got to get to know my new friends better and was treated to a delicious local meal!
It was a small shop, manned by a heavily tattooed, black leather-clad older white guy - the demographic that voted most likely for tRump - with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth dropping ash on his bare protruding beer belly and a kerchief draped over a shiny bald head. There were several vehicles on the pavement in front of the open garage in various states of disrepair.
Another older white male paced around my truck, disbelief screaming with every step. The bad boy mechanic half listened to me describe the symptoms, my male friend Mike reiterated what I had said, as the two white males just shook their heads in disbelief when it came to the veggie oil part....
The mechanic told me it was my injectors that were bad. I looked at him in disbelief, like how could he know that without even examining the engine or anything. Okay, well he's old and maybe so experienced - or new age - or reiki automotive master.... but I've replaced my injectors before but I ask him anyway, how much he'd charge to do it for me.
He says 695. Okay so I'm thinking $6.95 per injector? When he said no, $695 to do the job, I laugh and say I'll replace them myself. Afterall, I've done it before.
He tells me I need a special tool and I can ruin the engine if I don't do it properly.
Okay, if I believe him - which I don't - I ask if he has the tool and the injectors. He tells me $1800 to have them shipped here and another $295 (as in $295 EACH) to purchase them.
WTF? I can't remember exactly, but I paid about $10 bucks each - at least less than $100. I point to the injectors and confirm that it's the part we're both talking about.
Somehow, & I forget how, we start talking about Cuba. The other guy - who turns out to be a customer who wants his diesel bus fixed - scoffs at my praise of Cuba declaring he wants his FREEDOM. When I ask him freedom to do what he states "to make money". Really?
When I point out when everyone has free education, free land, free healthcare, and a basic universal income, what money do you need to make?
Of course, he wants STUFF - and he wants to make more money than those that are lazy and don't want to work - which in his opinion is what communism does for him.
I know this man has children so I tell him the story of the womon drummer who came to Drum Camp from Cuba and asked u.s.ofa. drummers, who were astonished that she didn't mind waiting in line to buy toilet paper, what they would be willing to do in order to know that their children are safe. She said she never once during her son's entire life feared harm would come/was coming to him if/when she didn't know where he was.
What would you be willing to do without in order to have total safety for your children?
The other mechanic who was coming out to Yalui Village to look at my truck this evening was a 'no show' again. When I called, he PROMISED me he'll come tomorrow, blaming the c.v. scare leaving him short-handed.
Okay.
So today was a bust - except I got to get to know my new friends better and was treated to a delicious local meal!
posted by Xan @ 11:38 PM
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