Thursday, April 14, 2016

4/14/16 Four Wheel Driving, Where?

    I got a cute text from Boy tonight.  It simply said "I need 4x4 just fyi."  This from Mr. I Don't Text All Week, You'll See Me Friday.  I asked why and of course in typical fashion nothing but crickets.  I then went on Autotrader.com and pulled up one of the most gaudiest, overpriced, 4x4 Jeeps you could find and sent him a picture.  Of course he liked that.  He comes backk with "Can we get that now?"  No, Silly Boy, that example was $88,888.  Then I put the challenge on him, "Can you come up with $3000, for a down payment?  I'm thinking maybe since he is working and going to school, sometimes there are deals to get students into newer vehicles.  I say yeah, for a down payment.  He is still stuck on "that one?"  I repeat no, something cheaper, in the $20,000 range.
    I then repeat why do you need 4x4?  And his response is perfect, for him.  "Well we travel, a lot."  I say yeah, but everywhere you go is paved.  Texas is pretty much completely bought up.  There are no places where you can go and do some mudding or anything "manly" you would do if you lived in a Jeep commercial.  He is not done, saying it doesn't have to be a Jeep, he just really wants 4x4.  I say you still haven't giving me a great reason what for.  He says he went out today to look at a house they are considering renting for next Fall school year and they turned the wrong way and he entered a muddy road in which he got stuck.
    I'm sorry, but when he started driving, I offered him my F-250 King Ranch which was the perfect truck for me at the time, with 4x4.  He wouldn't drive it no matter what I offered.  He just kept saying it was too big.  Here we are now, two years later, has a little experience driving, now thinks he's ready for an upgrade.  Sorry Boy, but I can't do it.  My new truck has 4x4, and I probably will never use it.  I wanted the lifted part and the leather part, so you just gotta accept them as they come, which most of the nice Lariat, King Ranch, and or Platinum series are going to be 4x4.
    The one time I did use it was on the beach in Corpus Christi, with the King Ranch one.  We got on the beach, I set it to on, and the ride from one dune entrance to the next dune entrance was rough, specially turning the wheel.  All the wheels spin at the same rate, and something about the outer wheel on a turn versus the inner wheel makes it kind of hop and scrape on the rubber.  I understand the rickety motion, but I just did not appreciate it.
    I got off the beach as fast as I could, and figured we'll just park in the designated parking lots with the asphalt and we'll be alright.  It is like a gun, I hope I never need it, but it is nice to know I have one at my disposal.  I feel like I should carry some tow rope or something.  If I ever have to save somebody and be a hero, I should be ready and packing the necessary tools.  I should probably practice driving in 4x4 mode, anybody know a place?  Maybe I'll go drive my truck down the road he got stuck in, see how I handle it.

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