Trip report: 06/15/2003 -- the trip.

The Mayor

Well-Known Member
This is the trip report where the trip is the report.

06/15/2003
On my way up I got on the road around 8 PM. 5 min into the drive I hit the traffic jam from hell, and turned around and came back. Went home, left again at 10PM, same thing. I decided to stick it out. 1 hour later I went 3 miles, so I got off and took backroads around the ROAD CONSTRUCTION. Spent the night at my fathers house in LA.

06/16/2003
Up at 3:30 AM. Drive is great till I hit Primm. Traffic jam from hell. Fatal accident at 5:10 AM, it's 8AM now and the coroner has not yet arrived. I cross the median and go back to Primm and play BJ for 2 hours. Get back on the road again, same thing. This time I decide to stick it out. 1 hour later nothing. Back to Primm, this time turning around and driving the wrong way on the freeway for 2 miles (of course nothing has moved). Hours later I finally escape from Primm - but damage my car as I run over something around the site of the accident. 1/2 hour later my "check engine" light comes on.

06/17/03.
Take car to get oil changed and check light. They say it is nothing, and reset the "check engine" light.

06/18/03
Check engine light comes back on.

06/20/03
7:30 PM
I attempt to drive home -- I have a music gig on 06/21 I am supposed to play in. My car breaks down 30 miles north of Baker. A belt comes off, massive oil leak. I get a tow, arriving at Danny's garage around 10PM. He says it needs a new belt, and he will get one in the morning. Sleep in Hotel.

06/21/03
9AM
Call Danny, no belt yet, says to call back later.

11AM
Call Danny, no belt yet, says another hour.

Noon
I show up and wait. An hour later the belt arrives. He looks at the now obvious oil leak and says "oh, I didn't see that before -- this is big, I won't be able to look at it till tomorrow.

2PM
I hitchhike back to Las Vegas, my friends are still at the Palace St and they let me stay in their room.

06/22/03
10AM
Call Danny, he still hasn't looked at it.
11AM
Call wife in distress -- she says to rent a U-Haul and bring the car back on my own.
2:00PM
Rent U-Haul and leave Vegas second time. Get stuck at gas station after I wrap the trailer around one of the cement posts. Takes me 20 minutes to get it untangled. Enter huge traffic jam leaving Vegas south.
4:00PM
Arrive at Danny's. He charges me $72 as his "minimal service fee". Has not yet looked at the car. I see this distressed threesome, two hispanic females and a man. Joking, I say I am going to LA if they need a ride. It turns out they live in Ventura, which is 20 miles south of here, and would love a ride. The females are now my passengers.
4:30PM
Leave HELL (oops, I mean Danny's garage).
7:30PM
Stop at Victorville for gas ... yep 3 hours. Sunday evening f***ing traffic.
10:05PM
Get home.

My negative EV from transportation on this trip: -$480 and counting...

--Mayor
 

The Mayor

Well-Known Member
epilogue

My mechanic in Santa Barbara fixed it in an hour. Cost $233. I have the car back now. It runs fine. The generator belt wrapped around the drive shaft and broke a seal. New belt, new seal, fixed.

--Mayor
 

Running Count

Well-Known Member
Mayor,

I know the feeling. On last trip to Northern Nevada on Hwy 80, got caught in a mammoth snowstorm. Cars sliding everywhere. Only 2 miles from Truckee and relative smooth sailing (and after 3 hours of slow going in the snow), the idiot in the RWD minivan in front of me spins out (after hitting brakes in the snow) and turns 270 degrees. I can't get my fiance's pretty new car stopped in time, and slide into the aforementioned idiot.

In sum: in BJ up 30 units. In car repairs and insurance premiums down 300 units and counting.

I would like very much to forget that trip.

Running Count

p.s. Thanks for the info you shared via email, even if it turned out to be a publicity stunt. I appreciate your candor.
 

phantom007

Well-Known Member
Maybe Missouri is not THAT bad:

$500./2hr Loss Limit.

Only the AMISH can get in the way of your Casino Trip!

CC's cannot be barred, just shuffled.

phantom007.
 
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