It started about a dozen years ago when I turned on the computer and found: 'When I shut off the engine there was white smoke coming from those slots on the side of my bus. Should I call the fire department or what?'
The message had been posted some hours before. I never heard from the person again and thought it was a joke.
I've always felt a private message meant just that, although when three or more people asked the same question I'd usually post a comprehensive answer, sometimes paraphrasing the original question. But over the years Mondays became rather special.
'I've never owned a VW before and have heard they leak more than other cars but can you tell me if this is normal?' Attached was a picture showing a puddle of oil under the bus... trailing down the driveway, into the gutter and along it, the Vokswagen Valdez.
A new VW owner from Florida wrote: 'I love it! I can see over most of the other cars. But at about 40 miles an hour the steering wheel shakes so bad it hurts my wrists. Are there some special gloves or something?'
'I finally found out what that green light is for. The new engine will cost more than I paid for the bus. You'd think they'd explain this better.'
'I guess you were right about the gas smell.' (Attached picture of a burned-out bug.)
'(Somebody's Mailing List) still shows your address as AOL. If you'd keep your links up to date I wouldn't need a new engine.'
Today is Monday, 10 March 2008. No, I'm not going to share it with you. But there it was :-)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allow me to offer a hint of advice: Don't wait for Monday. Yeah, you might get yelled at -- the Internet is owned by children and can be a cruel place. But an improperly maintained vehicle is a hazard to all of us. So bite the bullet and ask.
-Bob Hoover