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The Advantage of Keeping Your Cool
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79SuperVert
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Joined: May 31, 2002
Posts: 9758
Location: Elizabeth, NJ & La Isla Del Encanto
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 5:59 pm    Post subject: The Advantage of Keeping Your Cool Reply with quote

It was a beautiful, warm Sunday morning today. I planned to drive the Beetle to a nearby park, sit under a tree, and read another one of Leo Tolstoy's short stories. I was half way to the park, when the Beetle stopped running at a traffic light. The starter spun the engine strongly, but it would not start running again. I pushed it into a nearby garage with the help of the station attendant.

I checked for loose wires and for points stuck together. There was nothing apparently wrong. No strange smells, no funny noises leading up to the light. The fuel tank was nearly full. I tried to think why it would have stopped running so gently, without any hiccup, without a shudder. It was just as if a wire had fallen off the coil, which had happened to me before, but the wires were intact, the distributor looked fine under the cap, all the ignition wires were in place. I decided to swap coils. I carry a spare coil, fuel pump, carburetor and distributor, plus the necessary tools, just in case. I know, it's overkill.

I was removing the old coil and getting the spare one ready, starting to perspire in the warm sun, wondering if I was going to have to call AAA, with tools on the ground and the trunk and engine lid open, when a mother and daughter stopped by and asked to take pictures of the Beetle. Her husband was restoring a dune buggy, she said. I was gracious and let them take one picture after another. Then they asked if I could take a picture of both of them. Then they wanted to tell me about the dune buggy. And about whether I was Puerto Rican, since I have a Puerto Rican bumper badge on the Beetle, and her husband was Puerto Rican. I was thinking dark and unkind thoughts, dreading what I would have to do if the spare coil did not fix the problem, but I did not give voice to them, continuing to smile and chat.

The mother and daughter finally left. I finished swapping coils. The car started. The garage attendant applauded. All was good with the world. I had not lost my temper. I drove to the park, read my story, came home, and thanked God for my good fortune.
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Zundfolge1432 Premium Member
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Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 12452

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:58 pm    Post subject: Re: The Advantage of Keeping Your Cool Reply with quote

That's a great story thanks for sharing. I think it shows how a good attitude can win the day. My wife worked customer service for nearly 20 years she dealt with public, God the stories were incredible people can be really mean to strangers and for no reason.
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