« Vietnamese Cabbage Salad | Main
April 12, 2008
motor vehicular breakdown 
This has not been my week, transportation-wise.
Admittedly, I finally got my transit pass, which makes me insanely, insanely happy. I was losing hope that I would ever get it.
But, I've had two motorvehicles die on me in 6 days. I'm feeling a little superstitious at this point.
I was running out to Tigard to see a friend on Sunday when my clutch failed on Hwy 26. I got up the Sylvan hill, and up the Sylvan exit, and then the car stopped and refused to go any further.
Two days and a lot of money later, I had a car with a new clutch... that still isn't running right. I wish I had a mechanic that I could trust.
Today, I had thought I would be meeting my friend downtown ... but she wanted to meet at her house (not convenient to public transit). Okay, so I jumped on the scooter. We were going to get breakfast at a wildly popular place, and then go to the Farmer's Market, go to her favorite chocolate shop, REI, and then our favorite restaurant for some good yiddish soul food.
But first, I had to stop at the ATM about 15 blocks away.
And when I tried to start the scooter again, no such luck.
I had a big hill to walk the scooter up, and then of course, the rest of the way home. It took an hour and a half.
It was notable that black folks were the only ones to stop and see how I was doing, or if I needed help. I saw lots of people while I pushed the damn 350# scooter home, the vast majority of them white, but I had one woman commiserate and offer her phone; two guys on bicycles stop and ask how I was doing and if they could help; and a clutch of women on a house stoop commiserated, offered the phone, and offered to help.
Two of my neighbors (also african-american) scolded me for not calling them (if only I had had their numbers with me!).
Obviously I need a new plan of action. I'm going to:
- get on a towing plan (AAA or BetterWorld)
- get a new cellphone where I can actually hear the person I'm talking to
And right now I'm going to take a nap, because I'm exhausted!
Posted at April 12, 2008
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://hachi.pair.com/vickijea/cgi-bin/mt4/mt-tb.cgi/562
Comments
I'm way impressed you pushed your scooter for an hour and a half, let alone uphill. I would have been trying to get a rescue truck somehow.
Posted by: fran at April 21, 2008 11:05 PM
Hello brave Athena,
I'm throwing a show to benefit farmers dying of pesticide poisoning in Nicaragua. Would you let your readers know? If they mention your blog they get 5 free raffle tickets.
Thanks for your work!
Lisa
EVENT: Amigo; a benefit for The Affected
More Info at: www.affectedmovie.com
WHEN: Thursday, June 5th
7:00pm (door) 8:00pm (show)
WHERE: Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison
www.holocene.org
COST: $5-$10 sliding scale
WHO:
Point Juncture, WA
Tractor Operator
Reporter
Hutch & Kathy (members of The Thermals)
Andy Combs & The Moth
Sabertooth
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
SUPER FUN SHOW for a SUPERFUND SITE!
Portland's music community will be coming together at Holocene on June 5th to support Catawampus Films, and Nicaraguans suffering from CKD, an epidemic of kidney failure that epidemiologists are referring to as 'a veiled genocide.'
For years agribusiness has been dumping EPA banned poisons on northern Nicaragua and then exporting those products for western consumption. Catawampus Films is completing a documentary feature on this hidden disaster with the help of Stephen Kinzer, Alec Baldwin, Dan Koppel, and Noam Chomsky.
The crew has also started a non-profit, La Isla Foundation, to support those most affected by the epidemic.
Posted by: Lisa Wells at May 25, 2008 12:31 PM