When we stopped for fuel mid-afternoon yesterday, the General asked: "Did you see the windshield in that truck?" I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn't even see the truck. I know what you're thinking, "Who's surprised?" Okay, so I was lost in thought while I was pumping gasoline.
I thought it was price gauging! Had I initially paid attention to the price per gallon, I would have gone on down the road. The thought of "highway robbery" came to mind. How's that for being melodramatic?
I wanted a candy bar, so I was going inside the convenience store anyway. Why not look at the windshield that had garnered the General's attention. I couldn't believe my eyes. My first thought was hail damage, but it looked more like the windshield had been hit by a boulder or two. I'm thinking it had to be a rockslide down a mountain in Colorado, but I wouldn't have wanted to drive that far. There is something about signage that says, "Look Out for Falling Rock", that aways gives me pause for concern.
I did notice some hail damage on the hood of the truck, but it paled in contrast to the busted windshield. The thing that confused me most is that from my perception, there was no way the driver could see through the windshield to drive. From the outside, I couldn't see through the windshield.
It may have been a tough FORD truck, but without a new windshield the vehicle was not safe to drive. I'm thinking the truck was a 2003 model, but I could be mistaken. It looked like one of my first Ford trucks. That was a long time ago.
I bought the truck from the General's nephew at a dealership in Marble Falls. He was a successful new car salesman at the time. He had the gift of gab; a baby face and he wasn't a pushy salesman. I wasn't looking for the "family discount", but I wasn't paying sticker price either. Though that was at least twenty years ago, I'm sure he remembers that I looked at every truck on the lot. I was not an easy sale. Like I said, I wasn't paying sticker price.
Only once have I paid sticker price. That was with my last truck (post pandemic) when there was a shortage of computer chips, and nothing was for sale. I'm generally a bargain hunter, but my previous truck had fifty thousand miles on it. I normally trade at forty thousand miles, but nothing was available. I paid full price for that truck and was pleased to find it. It is my truck that currently has $15,000 worth of hail damage.
Getting back to the truck with the damaged windshield, I was standing in front of the truck taking a picture, when the driver of the truck got out of the vehicle. You could have knocked me over with a feather! From his body language (i.e. scowl on his face), he didn't appear to be a happy camper. I attempted to engage him in conversation, but he wasn't in a talking mood. He appeared to be in a hurry. Maybe I don't give folks the benefit of the doubt, but as he headed inside the store, I had the thought he was going to purchase a six-pack or two and lotto tickets.
Have you ever noticed the persona of folks who always have money for lotto tickets? They look like they don't have a dollar to their name, but they buy twenty dollars' worth of lotto tickets, a carton of cigarettes and something to drink inside a paper bag.
By the way, I checked Google this morning to see if what I recently had been told about laws surrounding underage drinking in Texas was true. I was sure it wasn't, but I was wrong. In Texas, it is permissible for a minor to consume an alcoholic beverage if it is in the visible presence of the minor's adult parent, guardian or spouse. Where else but Texas?
All My Best!
Don
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