Murphy's World

Rookie driver gets that sinking feeling

I was loaded with 44k of copper coils on my first load ever. The engine light came on, and dispatch directed me to the dealer. The techs told me to pull around the building. It had rained the night before, and they had a dirt lot.
     As I pulled into the lot, the truck sank like an anchor. I somehow worked my way out after building some momentum by rocking the truck back and forth. I got to rolling in reverse a couple feet and thought, what the hell, I could probably make it out going forward.
     Not a smart idea; I got stuck once again.
     The dealer and techs were dying laughing. They called a tow truck out, and for 10 minutes of work he charged $250. I paid it out of pocket in fear that my company would fire me.
     King81

Dear King,
Let’s get a couple of things straight right from the start. Rookies tend to make mistakes, which is why they call these particularly missteps “rookie mistakes.” Go figure. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing baseball, working construction or driving big rigs, if you’re new to the game, you’re going to make a mistake – probably more than one.
     I’d also like to point out that a lot of folks who’ve been around the block more than a few times make their share of “rookie mistakes.” It’s still called a “rookie mistake” because the culprit obviously should have known better.
     OK, now that we’ve got that straight, let’s look on the bright side. (We actually do that on occasion in Murphy’s World.) First, you gave the chuckleheads at the dealership a good laugh. Second, you made the tow truck operator very happy. Third, you learned a valuable lesson for just $250. That’s pretty cheap as far as Murphy Day lessons go, and I’ll bet you never drive onto a dirt lot with 44,000 pounds of copper coil again without first testing the muddy waters.

     Regards,
      Murphy and Lucky Dog