The boss told me to go pull a car in. I jumped in it and pulled around the building, hit the brakes and they went to the floor, pumped like a madman and nothing. The second time around the building I tried the e-brake, nothing. I dropped it down into first and idled around the building for or five times before he came out to check on me. Ended up putting it in neutral and letting it coast to a stop and pushing in the bay.
Being poor sucks. I mean, we could assume the guy is irresponsible, it's certainly a possibility, but I bet being dirt poor is probably part of it.
Harvey wrote: Being poor sucks. I mean, we could assume the guy is irresponsible, it's certainly a possibility, but I bet being dirt poor is probably part of it.
$600 phone bills when you can't afford to fix your car sounds fairly irresponsible.
I crashed into my bosses toolbox with an s10 that had no brakes. On a side note, snap-on tool boxes are tough as E36 M3.
EvanB wrote:Harvey wrote: Being poor sucks. I mean, we could assume the guy is irresponsible, it's certainly a possibility, but I bet being dirt poor is probably part of it.$600 phone bills when you can't afford to fix your car sounds fairly irresponsible.
It depends on what they might have paid for in lieu of paying for the phone bill. You suddenly get paid less than you should or miss work due to illness, what do you pay, the phone bill or the grocery bill?
Driven5 wrote:OSULemon wrote: I feel the need to do something...Blunt force sterilization?
This made me spit out my tea. It will also be my presidential platform in 2020
In reply to Harvey:
There are plenty of low cost phone/plan options out there. I'm currently paying under $20-$30 per month after taxes and fees on my 4G smartphone plan, and it would be roughly half that if I chose not to use any cell data at all...But could still continue using all the wifi data I want at no additional charge, and there is a lot of free wifi available out there. The federal Lifeline program is also there to help genuinely low income people have access to essential telecommunication services.
The evidence provided strongly favors his dirt-poorness being the result of irresponsibility, over the other way around.
calteg wrote:Driven5 wrote:This made me spit out my tea. It will also be my presidential platform in 2020OSULemon wrote: I feel the need to do something...Blunt force sterilization?
Well, you know you'll have my vote!
Why are all you guys so mad? If he can't afford car repairs he should be glad he has a car that won't break.
Driven5 wrote: In reply to Harvey: There are plenty of low cost phone/plan options out there. I'm currently paying under $20-$30 per month after taxes and fees on my 4G smartphone plan, and it would be roughly half that if I chose not to use any cell data at all...But could still continue using all the wifi data I want at no additional cost. The federal Lifeline program is also there to help genuinely low income people have access to essential telecommunication services. The evidence provided strongly favors his dirt-poorness being the result of irresponsibility, over the other way around.
I agree there is little reason to have a $600 phone bill with any sort of reasonable service plan. It is very odd. Being dumb and poor is kind of a double whammy.
For the record though, no matter how little sympathy his statements and actions make me want to give him, delivering him a master cylinder in the spirit of Festivus would probably be for the greater good...Just so that no family has to lose a loved one this holiday season, as the result of his poor choices.
Harvey wrote:Driven5 wrote: In reply to Harvey: There are plenty of low cost phone/plan options out there. I'm currently paying under $20-$30 per month after taxes and fees on my 4G smartphone plan, and it would be roughly half that if I chose not to use any cell data at all...But could still continue using all the wifi data I want at no additional cost. The federal Lifeline program is also there to help genuinely low income people have access to essential telecommunication services. The evidence provided strongly favors his dirt-poorness being the result of irresponsibility, over the other way around.I agree there is little reason to have a $600 phone bill with any sort of reasonable service plan. It is very odd. Being dumb and poor is kind of a double whammy.
Most poor people are poor due to lack of opportunity - it's hard to "bootstrap yourself up" from literally the bottom.
But some people are poor because they are dumb and make bad decisions. Mr Brakeless wonder here seems like a prime example of the type. Nobody that could be made broke by a $600 phone bill should put themselves in the situation of having a $600 phone bill. Prepaid - it's impossible to run up a huge bill.
Seriously, an unlimited plan shouldn't be more than 1/3rd that price....at the most.
dculberson wrote:Harvey wrote:Most poor people are poor due to lack of opportunity - it's hard to "bootstrap yourself up" from literally the bottom. But some people are poor because they are dumb and make bad decisions. Mr Brakeless wonder here seems like a prime example of the type. Nobody that could be made broke by a $600 phone bill should put themselves in the situation of having a $600 phone bill. Prepaid - it's impossible to run up a huge bill.Driven5 wrote: In reply to Harvey: There are plenty of low cost phone/plan options out there. I'm currently paying under $20-$30 per month after taxes and fees on my 4G smartphone plan, and it would be roughly half that if I chose not to use any cell data at all...But could still continue using all the wifi data I want at no additional cost. The federal Lifeline program is also there to help genuinely low income people have access to essential telecommunication services. The evidence provided strongly favors his dirt-poorness being the result of irresponsibility, over the other way around.I agree there is little reason to have a $600 phone bill with any sort of reasonable service plan. It is very odd. Being dumb and poor is kind of a double whammy.
Well, granted I'm struggling to figure out how one runs up a $600 phone bill, but at the same time being poor means that ANY bad decision you make can be the one that send you into financial ruin. People in general make bad decisions all the time, but under normal circumstances you can handle it, being poor means you can't.
I agree with the other folks though, helping this guy out with his brakes is a gift to the general populace since he obviously needs his car that bad.
Mike wrote:dropstep wrote: My dad once drove a beetle through the garage door at work. Elderly lady had dropped it off the night before with a list of things it needed, no were on the list did it mention no brakes!. Thats the first beetle he ever repainted.My mother had a similar situation, except she brought the car in for brake work, and (honestly, the technical aspects are hazy) while the tech had stepped away, another tech decided he needed the lift. Somehow the car had wheels and no brakes at the time, and the second tech hopped in, and backed the car into some metal display rack.
This happened at a chain shop that we shared a parking lot with. Heard some commotion and then a very expensive looking Snap-On made like the Kool-Aid Man through one of the bay doors.
Tech A just did brakes, didn't pump the brakes up to extend the caliper pistons. Person B (may have been a manager) threw it in gear and went to pull out without checking for a brake pedal first.
In reply to Knurled:
Over 30 years of teaching brake technology at a college and the first thing students heard when getting into vehicle after brake work was, "Did you check the brakes?".
A long time ago I was driving our 1928 Model A in the fields. Coming down a hill, I attempted to slow down, brake pedal went to floor, steered uphill and stopped with parking brake, removed wooden floor board. Clevis pin had broken to the mechanical rear brakes (no front brakes) found and installed nail and drove home. Simpler times.
I spent a week commuting to work in the rallyx miata after it started making grinding noises (but it would stop RIGHT NOW if asked), which made me realize i only REALLY needed the brakes to pull into my parking spot and obviously could have e-braked that if i were an idiot.
Pfff... Drove my Celica home 200miles over a steep mountain pass in the snow with only one working caliper. No backs, no passenger. No e brake. 65+mph. Top that.
In the course of my work I run into people who often claim they "can't afford" certain important things like registering their car or upkeeping important things on their car (like brakes and tires). Yet they all have expensive clothing, purses, the newest phones, go out and drink every weekend at the fancy clubs, etc. A $500 purse and a $1000 iPhone is what they "can't afford." They just choose poorly, anyone that has seen Indiana Jones knows what happens when you choose poorly.
That being said, I did have an Opel Manta that blew a rear brake drum line. I ended up folding the line up and crushing it with a pair of lock jaw pliers and zip tying them to the live axle rear end housing. The car drove fine to a family member's house. I parked it and fixed it as soon as I could get the appropriate line and flaring tools. But that was hardly without brakes.
I did done some "pump and pray" driving back when I was young, poor and stupid. But 1500 miles of driving with no brakes, now that's determined stupidity.
Im poor but my E36 M3 has brakes and safe suspension. I dont find unsafe vehicles fun, i dont want to endanger my kids, other drivers and there family or even just myself. Then again my phone is 45 a month pre paid and i dont buy things i cant afford.
moparman76_69 wrote: Why are all you guys so mad? If he can't afford car repairs he should be glad he has a car that won't break.
That just made me laugh !!
HunterBenz wrote: In the course of my work I run into people who often claim they "can't afford" certain important things like registering their car or upkeeping important things on their car (like brakes and tires). Yet they all have expensive clothing, purses, the newest phones, go out and drink every weekend at the fancy clubs, etc. A $500 purse and a $1000 iPhone is what they "can't afford." They just choose poorly, anyone that has seen Indiana Jones knows what happens when you choose poorly.
We see that a bunch here too. My Matco salesman (new guy, real cool) mentioned how he thought it was silly how some people would show off their new tattoo or talk about their recent trip to Cedar Point and in the next breath say they don't have $20 for him this week.
In reply to dculberson: I have a few comments about your statement, but they belong in the Off-color section. Poverty creates many problems, including people driving cars with no brakes, bald tires, etc.
I think the furthest Ive driven without a master cylinder was 4miles. 4 pucker filled miles through downtown Oklahoma City.
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