It was a fellow camper with a dead starter battery. “I went and left the ignition on all night,” he explained, shaking his head, acknowledging his boneheadedness. “I used up both of my jumper packs trying to start the truck, but no luck. Do you have a jumper pack I could use?”
“No, but I have cables.”
He gave me a look like I was from the Stone Age then asked, “Do you have time?”
“Sure.”
I drove over, passing five other rigs the guy must have asked for help before finding me. Five other rigs that would be up a creek if they were to have battery problems.
Thanks to my apparently obsolete jumper cables, my wimpy van was able to start his Super Bad-Ass Macho Duty diesel dually. De nada, amigo.
“It’s funny,” he said. “I probably have enough tools with me to rebuild my engine, but no jumper cables.”
Any day I can feel justifiably smug is a good day.
Sure, jumper packs are great if there’s no one around to help, or if you’re too much of an introvert to approach strangers, or if your ego is too fragile to ask for assistance. Maybe I should have one. But there’s a lot to be said for good old no-tech solutions.
I'm a firm believer in heavy-duty jumper cables too. Along with tire-plug kit, compressor, folding shovel, traction-pads, tow-straps, and a come-along.
ReplyDeleteCrap! You'd think I was a rolling disaster! But truth is,like insurance, I have rarely had to use this stuff- some of it never.
A good set of jumper cables take up less room, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd cost much less. And don't need to be recharged.
DeleteThe times I've had flats I didn't realize it until I was driving on the sidewalls, ruining the tire. A plug kit would've been useless. If I were to discover a flat while parked, I'd change it and let a pro patch it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing a good deed. If more people would do one daily, corny as it sounds we'd all be a little happier...kenny
ReplyDeleteIt bears repeating..KISS -Keep it simple son. Or if one prefers Gene Simmons popular ROCK band.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I was taught to prevent battery explosions- beginning from the dead battery; positive TO positive negative to ground i.e. Another piece of metal around engine.
ReplyDelete