Push Me, Pullman

I regret to inform you that I have most unfortunate news about a dear friend of mine and I know an acquaintance of more than a few of yours as well. The van is on its last tread. While it manages to keep driving on the conversion part has about a seventy-five percent fail rate making it for me virtually undrivable. Less than a month after dropping two grand on getting the ramp and door fixed the ramp and door stopped working. So once again I found myself driving a hundred miles to the closest authorized dealer in Spokane.

After an hour with the van the mechanic came out to the front show room of the mobility store carrying something. He said, “From what I can see so far it’ll be $3,000, but” His demeanor changed as he raised his eyes to look at mine before continuing, “I have a feeling if I start taking it apart to do the repairs I’m gonna find a whole lot more.” He held up the bolt for me to see it was nearly rusted in half. “I went ahead and replaced this. The whole underneath is almost as rusted out. Anything I would do to it would be a band-aid and you’d be back in maybe a month or the next time you bottom out. If you do choose to go ahead with the repairs I need to let you know I can’t guarantee any of the repairs. Sorry, but I thought it best to let you know the situation.” Without hesitation I said, “No, I appreciate it. Can you just bring the van around then?”

We knew the day was coming when it would no longer be worth resuscitating the van. Still I felt bad that the van was already one wheel in the scrap yard after only a decade. In all fairness I was a sixteen and a half year old handicap male who was beginning to drive for the first time ever. Not that I’m totally guilt free. I didn’t always use the best judgement. Once I got stuck driving through the creek to Amanda’s parent’s house and water rose about a foot inside the van before Triple A pulled me out. There was also that time T.J. Sharley and I pulled a Duke’s of Hazard off a ten foot drop off into some farmer’s field pushing the body two inches back off the frame. Oh and I rear-ended two different people but unfortunately involved the same traffic cop. Let’s face it I’m not that great of a driver, but I have a range and it just took me a while to figure that range out. And I’d like to think I’m a little older and wiser and feel I have learned the importance of propper maintenance and regular tune ups. I also couldn’t help but feel some relief to be through with the van and its passenger side door that has to be opened just right and the open door sensor that dings then locks the doors every time you hit a bump in the road and the damn radio when it only gets AM and…