I saw American ingenuity at its finest tonight............

[mrmpa]

I am currently in a rental car, while mine is in the shop. I was exiting a parking lot and misjuged the curb cut. The car got stuck on top of a wall about 18" high.

I called AAA, and 2 men in separate trucks showed up. Both were about 20 years old. The first to show up, took his time sizing up the situation, and realized that one tire was not on the ground. He placed wood behind the wheel to use as a ramp. He also at ths time tried to jack the frame up off the wall, but that didn't work. After several attemps with the wedge he could not get the tire up over the wall.

The second man showed up, he got some wood, thicker placed it under the wheel, placed a chain leading from my car to the first AAA truck, both vehicles were driven in reverse & voila my car was released from its prison.

I know these guys do this sort of thing daily, but it is so nice to watch problem solving. and the result is good.

[monmouth]

1. My friend and I were getting out of the car one day and we stopped to watch a truck driver park

his huge, and I mean huge semi tractor trailer. This guy absolutely knew what he was doing and didn't have a lot of room to do it in. It was a perfect park and when he got out we applauded him. He was shocked but we complimented him to the hilt, sort of made his day I think. He just kept his head down, sort of smiling. People knowing how to do their jobs and doing it well is always appreciated.

[FirstLight]

2. this is why certain skills/classes are essential in public education

i'd like to think we could all learn by hands on methods how basic logic and physics/engineering work... then again, it might be a little pollyanna for me to think that lol...

my dad was a tinker, and he taught me invaluable lessons about simple physics, etc...not may folks do it now, they call someone else to do the heavy lifting, so to speak... my girlfriend was talking about how her husband isn't at ALL like our dads generation in regards to 'doing it yourself' and figuring out details, problem solving etc...lol i learned how to pick a lock and what tumblers were by the time i was 10, i knew about putting a block behond the car wheel when you jack it, i learned how to change oil... but ya, i'm a freak


yes, it is cool that at least there are still folks who have the know how to figger things out like this - those are the ones you want on your team during the zombie apocalypse!

[rocktivity]

3. I remember an episode of Cops

where they found an eighteen-wheeler in a field containing gigantic circular skid marks and a driver so badly shaken up he couldn't get out of the cab. But it wasn't a DUI thing -- it was a mechanical malfunction. Fortunately, the driver (who looked to be in his fifties) had managed to steer the truck off the highway without causing what easily could have been massive damage. I got the feeling that a less experienced driver wouldn't have been as successful.


rocktivity

[liberal N proud]

4. Sometimes tow truck drivers can do some amazing things.

I had a situation once where the shift cable broke. The guy showed after a 60 mile drive (nearest tow truck) and proceeded to jack the car up, crawled underneath and shifted the car into park so it would start. Then with me sitting behind the wheel shifted the car into drive so the car wouldn't need to be towed. I thought he was either brave or insane. I gave him $40 tip because I was not sure AAA would pay him since there was no actual tow. I then drove the car to the shop and dropped it off.

There is much more to the whole story that involves family but that is for another time. Combined it makes the most amazing tow story I have.

[Sedona]

5. If I have cash on me

I always tip tow truck drivers. I never had a cranky one, and they always do what needs to be done. They've got me and my family out of more than a few tricky situations.

[OnyxCollie]

6. Getting stuck on a curb sucks.

That happened to me once.

Without having the benefit of being a AAA member, I had to resort to my own ingenuity using that which I had in the car, i.e. a spare tire and a beat-up pair of high tops that I wear when I cut the grass.

Needless to say, I remained on the curb.

While I stood there and pondered my situation (feeling my level of embarrassment rise), a nerdy-looking kid wearing glasses came up to me and asked if he could help, struggling with a heavy stutter as he did so.

I got in the car and put it in reverse while he pushed on the front fender. In moments the tire caught the pavement and I was freed from my perch.

The effort of my savior left a large dent in the front fender of my car, but I didn't care. (The benefit of driving a piece-of-shit car.) I thanked him profusely.

We both received a gift that day; I got my car off the curb and he got to be Superman.

[KT2000]

7. one of my favorites

was a huge nighttime road widening and paving project on the only road out of our area.
It was beautifully choreographed so that the trucks brought in the material, the rollers (a few) kept even one way and then back, guys on the sides doing somehting (not sure), then they jump on the rollers so everyone goes back to position so some of the traffic can go through - then they do it all again - under the lights.