(This is an entry in the contest to win the new book from Dave Barry.)
by Scott Donaldson
My first car was a 1971 Ford F-100 side step truck. It was a “three on the tree” manual transmission with a V-6 motor. The battery was attached with a nylon rope, the road was visible through holes in the floor and the radio played through a drive in movie theater speaker. The truck ran on regular gas and country music. I kept a red golf umbrella in the rear window gun rack to demonstrate my civility.
This truck was very simple. I worked on everything: brakes, electrical you name it. I never took a trip of any duration without my tools and I had a lot of tools.
One fall weekend, I was robbed. The thief took my stereo and phones, the typical household electronic stuff. They chose the wrong person to rob, I wasn’t poor, I just didn’t have anything, and I lived in a bad part of town. The thief left through a back door. In order to leave, he had to push my ten year collection of tools out of the way.
Funning thing is, the tools were my only valuables. The tools allowed me to fix my truck so that I could get to work. I guess he didn’t want to steal the tools. Carrying tools might have been morally confusing. He might have felt he should use those tools and actually work. He might have actually earned a slow dollar. Slow dollars you keep, fast dollars, stolen dollars,…they are gone in a vapor.
LOL!!! hehehe
Posted by: Meg | April 13, 2011 at 02:13 PM
Well, at least you still have your tools, right? First, cars are really unforgettable to most car owners. I remember when I bought my first car, I was showing it off to everyone I know. Too bad that car is no longer mine now; maybe, it's in a better place by now.
Posted by: Nicole Vickers | May 20, 2011 at 11:09 AM
It's really sad that there are people who steal for some money. Reckoning my first car has a bittersweet feeling of a little regret. I'm just glad that I sold that car, as I think someone else is using it.
Posted by: John Prue | May 26, 2011 at 08:11 AM
I agree with Nicole. I still have my tools from my first car seven years ago. Each of them is still in good condition, and I can still use them. J I handed over the tools to my dad since he's more careful than me. But he did buy me new ones in case of car-wrecks on the road. :)
Posted by: Alecia Longsworth | December 26, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Alecia - Well, you are way more mechanically inclined than I am.
Posted by: Cris Cohen | December 28, 2011 at 06:56 AM