Sunday, August 14, 2011

kindness of friends


What would I do for blog posts without the notorious Welfare Escape?


There it is.  Resting peacefully outside my condo door.  The emphasis in that sentence is resting.  As in peace.  The RIP kind of peace.


About 8 PM on Friday, I returned from one of my history tours and put the truck away in the garage.  Ever since my failures to lock the truck in San Miguel, I have been very conscientious about making certain I have locked it up before I head indoors.


Sometimes too conscientious.  On Friday, I managed to get my security steps a bit out of order.  I locked the truck -- but failed to remove the key.  Worse, the key was still in accessory mode.


Not only was the key locked inside (with the nearest spare key in Melaque), but the battery (my new battery, mind you) was slipping away to the the Land of No Charges.


One of the joys of living in a new place is that everything is new.  A corollary is that being in a new place means knowing next to nothing.


What I needed was a locksmith.  Rather than running off looking around, I relied on one of the great resources God provides us -- friends.


I texted “Felipe Zapata.”  He told me what I instinctively knew.  No locksmith in town would be open at that time of night.  But he told me not to worry.  He would be here early Saturday morning to rescue me.  Just like the cavalry.


And so he did.  A locksmith showed up and had my door open within seconds.  And we were on our way to a local mechanic to borrow a battery to jump my truck back into life.


By noon Saturday, I was back in operation.


So, thanks to Felipe for his kindness and assistance.  Otherwise, my next series of blog posts would be about the events within walking distance.


But I do have a few of those, as well.

21 comments:

tancho said...

Texting?
That's not the Felipe I know, he wouldn't be caught dead texting....but that garage looks awfully familiar...
Glad all worked out ok Amigo, in your next car, they will probably have the smart key, it has a built in sensor, it knows that it has not been removed and will therefore not lock the doors......something invaluable for us forgetnicks....

Mcotton said...

It seems we have all done the same thing, one time or another.  It goes with owning a car.  I solved that problem.  My car has a combination lock built in the door.  It is one of the reasons I purchased it.

cynthia & mike said...

Hey Steve!  You should run some stats on the Welfare Escape and the number of posts you’ve had in which it was featured.  It certainly keeps us entertained…¡thank goodness for our friend Señor Zapata!

LeslieLimon said...

Thank goodness for Señor Zapata! :)  So glad everything turned out okay!!! :)  

Laurie Matherne said...

Glad that the crusty curmudgeon named Zapata is doing some good in this world. 

Don Cuevas said...

I've lost track of el escritor Sr. Felipe Zapata ever since he stopped writing about Mexico and started writing about panthers' dens and furs.

Where can I find his latest works? Te agradeceremos mucho.

Saludos, Don Cuevas

http://mexkitchen.blogspot.com/

Francisco said...

I've solved that problem with a "hide a key".  It's a little metal box key holder with a magnet attached.  It has saved me a lot of headaches.
Saludos,
Francisco

Steve Cotton said...

That will go top on my list when I start the new car search. The Escape is a good beach truck. For now.

Steve Cotton said...

I loved that function on the Taurus. I ciould have used it several times on the trip. To remember to lock it. And to get in when I locked it too early.

Felipe Zapata said...

Jeez, man. Right in the final post on The Zapata Tales the new website is mentioned prominently along with the internet address. Jeeeeezzzz.

Steve Cotton said...

Without him, I would probably still be wandering the streets hunting for a locksmith.

Steve Cotton said...

He is exactly the guy you would want as a neighbor.

Felipe Zapata said...

Francisco: I pointed out to el Señor Cotton that driving alone around Mexico without a spare key is, well, not too bright. He informed me that he indeed has a spare key to the Escape. He keeps it in Melaque. It is safe and sound, and probably crusty from sea air.

Steve Cotton said...

The link tyo The Unseen Moon is in my blog roll at the right. It is: http://unseenmoon.wordpress.com/

Steve Cotton said...

I tried that. But the topes, cobblestones, and pot holes managed to shake it loose. I will bet you can find a lot of interesting things around topes.

Elmerhodap said...

Unless you are a mexican - then you would be too noisy for him...

Steve Cotton said...

I am not certain what to make of that. He is a Mexican citizen. And, I suspect I am too noisy for a lot of people.

Babsofsanmiguel said...

Remember, I told  you you can go online and order a remote for your car. Then you call a # and they program it for you.........you're driving me crazy and it's a SHORT trip!  Just kidding...........

Steve Cotton said...

For me, it is just a short walk down the block.

I will look into getting a remote when I get back to Melaque.  My old one was on my key chain.  And that would have done me no good in this instance.

John Calypso said...

Is that a Thule Sidekick cargo box? How does it workout for you - just mounting one to the Jetta.

Steve Cotton said...

I think it is. I have only used it for the trip down. It now sits atop the Escape telling one and all that I am a tourist.