Maggie Mae

Last week when I turned Frankentruck over to the shop, I was told I would be taking Maggie out for a spin this week.  I felt very little apprehension about saddling her up again because she supposedly had her exhaust components replaced. Maggie is the truck who poisoned me with her exhaust to the point that I had absolutely no comprehension of where I was at....I was in Atlanta, a city I lived near and have driven through thousands of times.

The good news is that she did not have her exhaust problems repaired because  some MAN said she had a leak. The bad news, she did not have her exhaust problems repaired, at all. Grrrrrr!!

This trip has done nothing but fuel my animosity towards  several individuals and create even more tension in my muscles, and I have not even made my first delivery. Fourteen in all this week.

You see, the problem is once I took hold of the reins, it was immediately obvious that she had numerous defects. I do not care to mention what they are, but I will say that I am having to be extremely conscientious of every move I make, as well as every move that is being  made around me. I do this as a normal course of action, every week. But this week, my vigilance is tenfold.  

I have always known that Maggie was a problem child. I have written a book of repair requests. I finally threw in the towel, and washed my hands of her on March 19th.....

Since that time, she has been driven approximately 17,000 miles. The Mayor had custody of her for two weeks, during which time he had called me to confirm every negative thing I had ever said about her.  He had her for two weeks.  And during this two week period, he never once gave her one bad mark on his daily inspections. NOT ONE!!  

Needless to say, when I climbed aboard to take her for a trip into New England, I absolutely came unglued to find out that not a single thing has been repaired since the very last time I set my arse in her driver's seat. I had left a write-up of 4 very important safety repairs on March 19th. None of which have been addressed.

I give the mechanics a substantial amount of written abuse based on their inability to make the necessary repairs, but if drivers don't not bother to write up defects, just how much blame actually belongs to the mechanics.  Sure, they do not address my needs....For that, I have my grievances....But the Mayor had Maggie for two weeks and gave her a clean bill of health every day. 

Essentially, I gave up Frankentruck for critical  repairs, only to get back into the deathtrap  that is Miss Maggie Mae.  I am  absolutely astonished that the Mayor could be so negligent. But then,  a lot of drivers are. 

And yes, I do have the exhaust headache, which tends to make me very hostile. And for the record, driving with the windows down does keep the cab air clean, but even at 15 mph, you smell exhaust IN the truck. I am absolutely livid at this point, so I should just publish this post and be done with it......

If anybody has a spare set of shoulders I can rest my weary head on, I will be more than happy to pay for postage....