Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From Tayexsus
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 4:50 pm
First, I had to get here:
Took "back roads" like US 285 South, from Santa Fe NM to US 380 East from Roswell NM :
So, what really happened in Roswell? I'll tell you. Was just driving by this .. .. .. :
.. .. .. when I pulled a u-turn and drove up to Roswell's Finest Auto Parts. Walked in to a discussion between the office manager and the owner . . .
"No, I said it is $20.00 to start, then $5.00 a week."
I jumped right in, "I'll take it! When do I start?"
The office manager didn't miss a beat, "oh no, honey, it's mine ALL mine."
"Dang. Well, I need a driveshaft for a 1992 Lexus LS 400, would you at all have a Lexus LS 400 here?"
Owner looked at the screen, "we have two cars, driveshaft is $75.00."
"That is pretty reasonable."
"Oh no, honey, for you it is a lot lot lot more, like a thousand," chimed in the office manager.
Shot her a look. "Hell, with a deal like that, I'll take both driveshafts off both cars."
"We have sixty Fords with driveshafts, you want them too?" asked the owner.
"How much for the sixty Ford driveshafts?" I asked the office manager.
"Oh my word . . . "
"$93.75 with tax," says the owner.
"No, it ain't," I said. "New Mexico does not have a higher sales tax than New York. WHAT is your sales tax rate?"
"Here? (I call this stalling, so I give him a nice silent stare and time to come up with another sentence)
. . . $80.44."
"You got 44 cents?" I ask the office manager.
"Oh, don't ask her," said the manager, "I am only paying her $5.00 a week."
So, I have a spare driveshaft now, to install in the Lexus while I figure out how to get the original properly balanced. If this $80.44 driveshaft happens to be well-balanced, then heck, I'll roll with it until it loses a u-joint.
Good-bye, Roswell, good-bye Tatum NM:
Hello, Plains, Texas:
Found a quarry sort of gravel pit:
Cleaned the driveshaft, so I could place it in the interior with a more relaxed attitude than the stupid newspaper confetti outside of the auto parts place:
So glad our Volkswagens don't need these things:
And I have driven all day at 98* with nary a concern except for that ticket I got in Post TX.
34 mph on the MAIN DRAG THROUGH TOWN.
Oh, but the stupid school sign "20 mph when flashing".
"Do you see that sign flashing?" asked the kid, the kid cop.
Drove straight to the courthouse after my "summons" was summarily slipped through the driver's window.
"I need to pay a ticket."
"Driver's license?"
Gave it to the clerk. She came back,
"Um, gee, when did you get this ticket?"
"Ten minutes ago."
"We don't have you in the records yet, you'll have to come back in a few days."
After I got her to tally up the fine and court costs, she quoted me $314.00. She looked at my eyebrows and quickly reminded me that "school zone offenses are automatically doubled."
"Is the judge here?"
"Yes, but she is busy, she is in a meeting."
"No, she is talking to a gentleman about an article in the paper about a horse, ask her if she can cut me a break because the offense occurred at 11:13AM where no child is walking to or from the school, ask her, now. Now is the time. Do it." (I'm trying a little Obi-Wan Kenobe)
"She says $220.00."
Welcome to Texas.
Colin
Took "back roads" like US 285 South, from Santa Fe NM to US 380 East from Roswell NM :
So, what really happened in Roswell? I'll tell you. Was just driving by this .. .. .. :
.. .. .. when I pulled a u-turn and drove up to Roswell's Finest Auto Parts. Walked in to a discussion between the office manager and the owner . . .
"No, I said it is $20.00 to start, then $5.00 a week."
I jumped right in, "I'll take it! When do I start?"
The office manager didn't miss a beat, "oh no, honey, it's mine ALL mine."
"Dang. Well, I need a driveshaft for a 1992 Lexus LS 400, would you at all have a Lexus LS 400 here?"
Owner looked at the screen, "we have two cars, driveshaft is $75.00."
"That is pretty reasonable."
"Oh no, honey, for you it is a lot lot lot more, like a thousand," chimed in the office manager.
Shot her a look. "Hell, with a deal like that, I'll take both driveshafts off both cars."
"We have sixty Fords with driveshafts, you want them too?" asked the owner.
"How much for the sixty Ford driveshafts?" I asked the office manager.
"Oh my word . . . "
"$93.75 with tax," says the owner.
"No, it ain't," I said. "New Mexico does not have a higher sales tax than New York. WHAT is your sales tax rate?"
"Here? (I call this stalling, so I give him a nice silent stare and time to come up with another sentence)
. . . $80.44."
"You got 44 cents?" I ask the office manager.
"Oh, don't ask her," said the manager, "I am only paying her $5.00 a week."
So, I have a spare driveshaft now, to install in the Lexus while I figure out how to get the original properly balanced. If this $80.44 driveshaft happens to be well-balanced, then heck, I'll roll with it until it loses a u-joint.
Good-bye, Roswell, good-bye Tatum NM:
Hello, Plains, Texas:
Found a quarry sort of gravel pit:
Cleaned the driveshaft, so I could place it in the interior with a more relaxed attitude than the stupid newspaper confetti outside of the auto parts place:
So glad our Volkswagens don't need these things:
And I have driven all day at 98* with nary a concern except for that ticket I got in Post TX.
34 mph on the MAIN DRAG THROUGH TOWN.
Oh, but the stupid school sign "20 mph when flashing".
"Do you see that sign flashing?" asked the kid, the kid cop.
Drove straight to the courthouse after my "summons" was summarily slipped through the driver's window.
"I need to pay a ticket."
"Driver's license?"
Gave it to the clerk. She came back,
"Um, gee, when did you get this ticket?"
"Ten minutes ago."
"We don't have you in the records yet, you'll have to come back in a few days."
After I got her to tally up the fine and court costs, she quoted me $314.00. She looked at my eyebrows and quickly reminded me that "school zone offenses are automatically doubled."
"Is the judge here?"
"Yes, but she is busy, she is in a meeting."
"No, she is talking to a gentleman about an article in the paper about a horse, ask her if she can cut me a break because the offense occurred at 11:13AM where no child is walking to or from the school, ask her, now. Now is the time. Do it." (I'm trying a little Obi-Wan Kenobe)
"She says $220.00."
Welcome to Texas.
Colin