I previously posted about going down to California to move my sister-in-law back up to Washington to live with my wife and I. We had rented a U-Haul rental truck to haul all of her furniture and possessions and headed back to Washington. We got started driving in the late afternoon, so we didn’t get to the California-Oregon border until well after dark. My sister-in-law said, “Can we just keep going?” “You want me to continue to drive through the night?” I said. “Yes. Is that a problem?” “Well, I guess it’s only a problem if you drive and take the wheel. But I am the only driver, right?” “Well, yeah. I can’t drive a truck, and my mom can’t drive at all.” “Please explain to me exactly why we have to take her along? Can’t we just donate her to Goodwill or leave her at a shelter somewhere?” “What?!? Donate her? Who would even consider such a thing?” “Well, I’m sure she might be useful to someone. Just not to me. Anyway, you better stay awake to keep me company, then.” “Alright. Just, no more talk about leaving my mom behind.” “Well it could still accidentally happen if say, for instance, she takes too long in the toilet while we’re getting gas. And I forget, accidentally of course, all about her and take off up the freeway about 50 or 60 miles before I remember that we left her behind. Why then, I couldn’t possibly waste two hours or more to double back to get her. We’d have to just write off our losses and move on.” “You better not even dare to try that stunt, buster.” “Or what?” “What do you mean, or what?” “What will happen if I do try that stunt.” “I’ll never speak to you again.” “That would be a problem.” “Why?” “Well, if you don’t speak to me, and hypothetically speaking, if I fall asleep at the wheel, we could wreck this truck pretty bad. Just saying.” “But you won’t let that happen, will you?” “Well…” Then, we drove on in silence for a couple of hours until we were well into Oregon and needed gas again. My sister-in-law obviously didn’t trust me, thinking I’d make good on my threat to leave her mom behind because she stayed with her mom the whole time, we were at the gas station. I had to blow the horn three times but that didn’t work to get them to come to the truck. So finally, I went looking for them. I found them hanging out near the coffee dispensing area. I said, “Let’s go. Time is a wasting.” A few minutes later, we were back on the freeway. We made good time driving all the way through Oregon, and we reached the Washington border before dawn. By 6:00 AM, we were well into Washington, and things were going fine. I estimated we would reach my place by 7:30 AM. Suddenly, chaos erupted. I am not really sure exactly what in the hell happened. I heard a loud BANG! Then, the steering wheel jerked hard in my hand, and the truck was careening out-of-control to the right straight for an overpass. I tugged hard on the steering wheel, but the passenger side west-coast mirror caught the overpass and shattered splashing glass and debris inside the cab. In order to gain control of the truck and stop it, I angled it toward a small incline just beyond the off-ramp for the overpass. The right front tire of the truck had blown. I had previously stopped in Oregon at a U-Haul store and filed a maintenance complaint about the truck because it was steering poorly already back then. I had reported that I thought there was a problem with either the suspension or the front tires or both. That maintenance complaint would prove to be crucial. U-Haul sent a tow truck out to fix the tire, and we got to my house without further incident. However, after I turned in the truck, a U-Haul accident investigator came out to visit with me. He said, “You know, that tire wasn’t blown as your accident report claims. We inflated the tire and it held air.” “Oh really? The hell you say? That right there is pure and total bullshit. Not just pure. Not just total. Nope. That is pure and total bullshit, and you’re the manure spreader slinging the shit.” “What makes you so damn sure?” “Hello, dumbass! I got Polaroid pictures of the tire. Smile. You’re on candid camera. You are a dumb son-of-a-bitch. What, did you think I was just going to let it go without having any proof. Not a chance, pal. By the way, did you know that I filed a maintenance report on that truck in Oregon the night before the blow-out, but the dudes down there didn’t do anything about it. That’s on you.” “Why, no, I wasn’t aware of that fact. Do you have a copy of the maintenance report?” “Yes. It’s right here. But guess what? You ain’t getting it. Want to know why?” “Why?” “Cuz it’s the only copy I have. If you want a copy, contact U-Haul and get a copy. Oh, wait. You work for U-Haul. You probably already have a copy. You’re just trying to get any evidence I have that supports my case. Nice try. I ain’t that stupid. You want my evidence, take me to court. We’ll see who wins. And that is how I avoided futility with U-Haul over a blow-out that caused a wreck.
by 
by 