Stranded
On Tuesday, I went to a lovely little town called Needles. Anyone who lives in Southern California knows that you turn off at Needles to go to the river (Laughlin). They also know that it's approx 286 miles.

After doing my 15 minute job in Needles (I took four pictures) I turned around to come home. 100 miles from Needles, and 56 miles from the nearest town west of there is a place called Ludlow. It's a 1 horse town. It has a restaurant, 2 gas stations, a Dairy Queen and a tire and belt repair shop. (I'm just setting the scene).

So, I pull into the "town" for more gas and some food as I was starving. My transmission decided that now would be a good time to blow up. Mmmmmmmmmm, says me, there's a tire/belt replacement shop and in I walk.

Me: "Hi, my transmission just blew up"
Redneck: "How do you know?"
Me: "I can't get my car in gear, and there's transmission fluid leaking everywhere"
Redneck: "You've got an oil leak"
Me: "Nope, it's my transmission"
Redneck: "What would you knwo little lady?"
Me: "Okay, please can you look at it?"
Redneck: "No, I'm not authorized"
Blah blah, who the fuck is authorized? I'm stranded and miles from the nearest town.......etc. *sob*

The nice man from the gas station comes out and pops his head under the hood and told me what I already knew, then explained that the tire/belt shop really isn't allowed to do any work on the hunk of junk. At this point I'm 150 miles from home, and it's fucking obvious my transmission blew up, so I sob. Well I am a girl.
I call AAA (RAC equivalent) who will be there in an hour and a half. I ask the nice man in the gas station where I can go for a beer (knowing I can't drive at all that night). Ludlow is a DRY town. It's owned by a Mormon, no alcohol is allowed to be sold.
Here's where jobsworth comes in.............I had a 6-pack in the car that I picked up Needles as it was $2.50 cheaper. So I went into the gas station and grabbed a cup with some ice. Gas station guy comes out for a smoke while I'm pouring beer into my cup of ice. Yells across the parking lot "Ma'am, you can't do that. It's illegal in this town". 29 people stop and stare at me with a can of Bud in my hand. Gas station guy comes over and grabs the can from my hand and throws it onto the freeway! By this point, I'm sobbing. My car just blew up, I have to figure out how to get home and all I want is a FUCKING BEER!
Gasman goes inside. I sit in my car in the 90 degree heat and pour another beer into the cup.

That's probably the best beer I ever had. My car is still in the town 56 miles from there, the transmission is being overhauled and I need $2,000 to pay for it. Donations are welcome.
( Batshitmentalist is sane for once, Sat 14 May 2005, 7:09, Reply)