Hi gmtan. I rarely check this thread and have rarely contributed to it, though some of you may remember the morning "the murderers" were in my backyard. Dog saved us, cops everywhere. I won the forum that day. Well, I've never started a thread in the FFA, but I have a story from last night that I want to share somewhere.
I got my car stuck in a random garden in the supermarket parking lot at 10 pm last night. After doing some shopping I just didn't see it. Forgot it was there, and it sure looked like I could just drive forward and be on my way. There was nothing in the garden but dirt, so I didn't see any plants in front of me. Now the curb for this garden is only 4 inches or so at the pavement, but it's dug out a good foot inside the garden. I confess I hit the gas kinda hard to zoom out of there and this deep drop high-centered my car. The frame between the tires was resting on the curb. This isn't getting stuck in the mud or soft sand. This is different.
I got out and cursed in part because I promised Kit a ride home from work and she got off at 10:15. Well there were three huge flat rocks in this garden. They made it obvious I wasn't the first to do this. If I could somehow get them under a tire, I might just get out of there without needing a tow truck. So I started working on it. They were heavy. I had a witness. Big young dude dressed like a slob yelled something, got out of his car, and came to help. His gf yelling at him. So he sees my dilemma and starts working really hard to get a rock under a tire. Nice of him. I told him I could handle it, but nope. I'm 63 and he's in his 20s. "Just get behind the wheel old man. I got this." Well, nothing was working and I suggested jacking up the car to get a rock under the tire as a solution. No jack in my trunk. So he checks his gf's car. No jack. So he tells me he knows where he can get one just a block or so away. Drives off in his gf car to get it. She's shopping for tampons.
While he's gone, I'm making phone calls. Sorry Kit, got my car stuck. She works at a Dollar Store, lives in a bad part of town, and I give her rides when she closes. I hate her walking at night. She's 21, dirt poor, and well, I've known her for years. Coached her back in the day.
A tweaker pulls up on a bicycle talking fast and wanting to help. I can't get rid of him. He's very dopey and equally fascinated with the high-centered problem. Big guy gets back very fast with a scissor jack. This is a new Cadillac Lyriq. It's a very heavy car, and I don't think an old rusty scissor jack is gonna do. So I have this guy huffing and puffing trying to jack up my car, this tweaker frantically digging out a tire, and I'm doing nothing but watching. Wth. The gf, clearly on the rough side of her cycle, comes out with her tampons angry at the big dude. They fight. She leaves without him. I can't apologize enough, but the jack works. We get a rock under the tire and line up two more to get me out of there. It works. I thank them profusely and take off to get Kit.
I instantly feel like a turd. I go back and offer him a ride. No, he's alright lives all the way across town. Doesn't want to be an inconvenience. The tweaker is hanging out so I give him $10, thank him and off he goes. I'm going across town to look for Kit and tell him he's earned a ride anywhere. So he gets in and tells me he lives in La Mirage, where Kit lives. Perfect. I introduce myself and shake his hand. He's Brad. We talk about cars. I see Kit just before the entrance to that bad neighborhood. She gets in and says, Hi Brad. Thanks for helping my dad.
. Sorry to laugh. Hokas ruined my right foot. I have a bunion because of those damn shoes. My ski boot fitter calls it my sixth toe and had to punch out the shell of my boot to accommodate it. 
