Murphy's World

Driver Gets Soaked in This Soap Opera

Dear Murphy,
Well, my Murphy story starts off in California. I was going up the Grapevine when I blew out first gear, my oil line started leaking and my brakes messed up. I made it to Bakersfield, where it took four days and $8,000 to make the repairs.

On my way back to Indiana, the transmission wasn’t shifting right so I called the repair shop and told them I was coming back on my next trip out West. When I got there, they said there was nothing wrong with the transmission and told me I didn’t know how to shift it. After 30 years of driving, I thought I knew how to shift. Anyway, they took it out and fixedsomething, because it works fine now. Meanwhile, while I waited another four days for them to put the transmission back in, my wife called and said her father had passed away. She didn’t want to go to the funeral because of the cost, but I told her to go. She used to live overseas and the plane ticket cost $1,100.

That was Feb 2. She was supposed to return to on Feb 15, but she called me and said she had the wrong government papers and couldn’t come back unless I sent her $3,000 for the paperwork. My wife says she will be back, but I have no idea when.

D.W.
Plymouth, IN

Dear Moses,

That's not a story, that's a soap opera, only it sounds like you're the only one getting soaked.
For the benefit of those few who have never had the pleasure, the Grapevine is a notorious stretch of California highway that goes straight up one side of a mountain and straight down the other. It is murder on trucks, and it sounds like it took a nice $8,0000 chunk out of yours.
OK, I can see the $8,000 for a transmission. I can see $1,100 for a plane ticket overseas. But $3,000 for government paperwork? Either your wife is stuck in some corrupt country or she’s planning a nice, long vacation on your dime.
I hope your wife makes it back sooner rather than later. Otherwise, her story may be even better than yours.

Regards,

Murphy and Lucky Dog