#car trouble

[rhetthammersmithhorror]

Space Mutiny | 1988

[hyperfixiation-station]

Im currently sitting on the side of the road because my car broke down...so enjoy readers car getting broken down a Simon helping(this is like...and idea of an idea, not we thought through)

So imagine you're driving, and all of sudden you're car starts flashing lights at you and you just manage to pull over before it suddenly just stops on you.

You call your cousin in near tears explaining what happened, and he says he'll get to yku but not for another hour.

So you sit in your car, overheating, when suddenly a man in a motorcycle pulls up next to you. He gets off, pulling off his helmet and shaking out his blonde curls. His face is scarred, but incredibly handsome.

He comes up to your window, asking if you're alright and if you'd like some help. You nod numbly, popping the hood and watching his shirt bulge as he bends over your car.

He straightens up and informs you that you'll have to get a tow with that lovely, gravely voice of his. Lucky for you though, he knows a guy and can get you a deal.

He types the number in your phone and hands it back to you with a wink.

"Tell 'em Simon sent ya, kay sweetheart?" You don't even look at your phone till you watch him speed off.

There's 2 contact now saved in your phone. The number for Soap's Automotive Services, and another one saved under Simon Riley.

Ope and there's my cousin, will see you all later

[thegoodmorningman]

Happy Monday! It's time to pretend!!!

[hunkadorusrex]

Sunday mornings at the Curtis house were usually slow, but this one had started with Soda groaning dramatically about Darry having to work.

“It ain't fair,” Soda griped from the doorway, arms folded tight. “Nobody should have to work on a Sunday.”

“That’s just the way things are,” Darry answered, matter-of-fact, as he flipped the last of the eggs onto a plate.

Ponyboy stood by the stove, spatula still in hand, watching his oldest brother with a look that wasn’t quite a pout but wasn’t far from it either. He agreed with Soda—of course he did—but he knew better than to say anything.

Johnny, on the other hand, was too focused on breakfast to get involved. He hovered just shy of the counter, resisting the urge to bounce on his toes. Two-Bit would have already been reaching over Pony’s shoulder to steal something off a plate, but Johnny had better manners than that. Barely.

Darry finally escaped, shaking his head as he grabbed his coat and went outside. Soda deflated into the kitchen and threw himself against Ponyboy’s shoulder with an exaggerated sigh.

“Pony, I need support. Emotional support.”

Pony grunted under his weight. “You need diet support,” he shot back, shifting under him.

Johnny smirked. “Too much chocolate cake, Soda? Goodness.”

Soda gasped like they’d just betrayed him. “Well, I never—”

Before he could finish, a deafening BANG shattered the lazy morning. Instinct took over, and they all ducked, Ponyboy nearly knocking the pan off the stove.

For a second, everything was silent—then, from outside, Darry’s voice rang out, sharp and frustrated.

“Damn piece of junk!”

Johnny let out a breath first, then glanced toward the window. “Truck’s outta commission.”

They scrambled outside, finding Darry with the hood already up, muttering under his breath.

Soda wiped his hands on his jeans and stepped forward. “Lemme take a look.”

Darry nodded, and as Soda poked around, he called back to Ponyboy, “Go inside and call Steve, will ya?”

Pony nodded and gestured for Johnny to follow.

Steve showed up quick, rolling his eyes but already rolling up his sleeves. The truck, he decided, wasn’t dead, just being a real pain in the ass. Fixable—but the parts would be pricey.

Soda barely hesitated before digging into the old coffee can above the fridge, pulling out the emergency fund. “I’ll take on more hours if I have to,” he said as he and Steve headed out to find what they needed.

Ponyboy slumped at the table, barely picking at what was left of his breakfast. “I wonder if Darry would let me get a job.”

Johnny frowned, chewing his toast thoughtfully. “Dunno. Probably not.”

That didn’t sit well with Pony, and after some sulking and staring at the ceiling, an idea sparked in his head. The excitement in his eyes was enough to get Johnny to follow him without question as he bounded up to the attic.

It took a while—Pony muttering under his breath as he dug through boxes while Johnny flipped through old photos—but finally, with a triumphant “Aha!” Ponyboy pulled out what he’d been looking for.

A hunting rifle.

Johnny tilted his head. “You gonna start shootin’ bill collectors?”

Pony huffed a laugh. “Nah. I’m gonna sell it.” He ran a hand over the polished wood. “It’s nice. My uncle gave it to me years ago. But I don’t even like hunting.”

Johnny went quiet. He knew what it meant to give things up. Knew how sometimes you didn’t have a choice. But still—this was something from Ponyboy’s family. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

“…You sure?” he asked, hesitant.

Ponyboy smiled at him, small and reassuring. “Yeah. It won’t break my heart or nothin’.”

Johnny nodded slowly, but there was still a shadow of sadness in his expression. That was just life, though.

As Pony turned back to the box, Johnny noticed something peeking out from between the wall and another stack of old things. He reached for it, pulling out a knife—sturdy, with a well-worn leather sheath.

Ponyboy stilled. His gaze landed on the knife, then on Johnny. His voice, when he spoke, was softer than before. “That was my dad’s.”

Johnny turned the handle in his palm, then glanced up at Ponyboy, quiet for a moment. He crouched down, looping the strap around Ponyboy’s ankle and fastening it.

“There,” he murmured. “Now it’s yours.”

Ponyboy blinked, eyes glassy for just a second before he pulled Johnny into a hug. It wasn’t anything fancy. Just a warm, steady thing—one that said more than either of them needed to.

Life was like that sometimes. But at least they weren’t in it alone.

[atths--twice]

Saw this on Twitter and had to write a little something. ❤️

Their car began to overheat at mile marker 203, barely making it to the service station.

He sighed as he took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves while she called for another rental car.

“They said about thirty minutes,” she told him, hanging up as she joined him.

“Great,” he said with another sigh. “It’s blazing out, no wonder the car overheated.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, fanning herself and looking around. “Least we made it here and we’re not stuck on the side of the road.”

“Hmm,’” he hummed, as he also looked around. “Look at that.” He pointed to a dirt field with bases laid out to create a small baseball diamond. “Come on.”

“But the car…”

“Thirty minutes you said,” he told her, grinning as he started to walk toward the field. “We got time.”

She nodded, taking his offered hand to step over the path of half tires that had been set up as a barrier between the parking lot and the loose gravel walkway. He squeezed it as he let go and they continued to the field.

“Man,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the dirty and stained up bases. “This takes me back.”

“You play a lot as a kid?” she asked, looking around with a small smile.

“Not really on a team as my folks couldn’t afford it, but neighborhood pick up games? Hell yeah.”

He spied a ball in the grass at the edge of the dirt lot and he smiled. Picking it up, he stared at it and then smelled it, his eyes closing. God, it smelled like summer and bologna sandwiches, warm sunshine and the tired feeling you got from riding your bike from morning till night.

It smelled like childhood.

“You ever play baseball as a kid?” he asked, smelling it again.

“Yeah,” she said with a small nod. “I was a pretty fast runner.”

“Smell that,” he said, holding the ball out to her. “What does it make you think of?”

She took a small sniff and hummed.

“Running through sprinklers. Eating sticky, melting popsicles. Riding my bike through the neighborhood and stopping by people’s houses without calling ahead.”

“Exactly. Like childhood,” he said with a grin and she nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Wanna have a catch?” he asked, popping the ball off of his forearm and catching it in his hands.

She stared at him and then looked down at her attire. He anticipated hearing a no and was taken by surprise when she nodded as she began to unbutton her blazer.

“Let’s see what you got,” she said, dropping her blazer outside the diamond without a care that it would get dirty. He grinned and stepped toward the pitcher's mound, rolling the ball around in his hand.

She stood at home plate, awaiting his throw. When he let it go, she caught it easily, tossing it right back to him. She smiled and he smiled back, throwing the ball once again.

By the time the replacement rental car pulled into the station, they were both hot and sweaty, but smiling from ear to ear. He tossed the ball up one more time as she collected her blazer.

“Thanks,” he whispered, setting it onto the middle of home plate and walking over to join her.

Their luggage and other personal items transferred to the new car, they got in and turned the air conditioning up to high.

Leaving the rental agent behind to figure out what to do with the broken car, they waved and made their way to the driveway of the parking lot.

They both glanced at the empty lot just as a group of kids rode up on their bikes. All of them dropped their bikes, shouting and laughing as they took out baseball bats and more balls from backpacks or even pockets. Two teams were quickly formed and they began a game, the ball making contact with the bat with a loud crack! and then cheering.

“Nothing replaces that feeling,” he said softly, turning on his blinker to turn left and leave the dirt lot in the rearview mirror.

She covered his hand with hers briefly and he smiled as he nodded.

Well, almost nothing, he thought, glancing at this new partner of his, wondering when it would be a good time to tell her he was falling head over heels for her.

“Let’s find a place to eat,” she said, turning the vent to blow the cool air more directly onto her. “I’m starving.”

“Me too,” he agreed, smiling with a nod, the memory of her happy laughter, as he ran the bases with his hands over his head in mock celebration, echoing in his head. “How about burgers and shakes?”

“Yes!” she agreed. “Something chocolate and deliciously cold.”

“Your wish is my command,” he said, stepping on the gas as her laughter rang out once again.

[pulpsandcomics2]

Car Trouble

[prettyplumpkitty]

So the part I DID NOT mention regarding our trip was CATASTROPHE! About an hour & a half into our return journey, I began to feel an increasing wubba wubba from the right passenger tire. Just past Jackson, Michigan, I was just starting to tell Mister something really felt wrong and I started changing lanes into the right lane when our tire literally FLEW (exploded?) off the car at 70mph. I was able to keep control and come to a slow stop but oh my goodness, it was a WOW moment. Thus ensued trying to arrange a tow truck and transport for all six of us off very busy I-94 E. Huge shout out to the tow company for sending TWO trucks to transport us all to the garage. Extremely thankful for garage as well for fixing us up as best they could & getting us back on the road the same day. The children & I still ended up getting an Uber to a very lovely hotel & mister joined us with the car later & we had a pleasant evening together.

So wow, definitely shook up but so grateful everyone is okay & that even our van made it home. Not impressed with the garage that put new brakes on the van right before our trip and apparently forgot to put the tire on right/tight. Can’t express enough how grateful I am to be home!

[object-obsession]

Kim Possible [one episode] > MANY CHARACTERS

Inanimate Object Characters List | Entry: 77

Every TV series that includes an episode like this, automatically receives a gazillion points of approval from me.

Moreover, this amazing request allows me to add both a toaster and a fridge to the counters! Way to go!

Characters: some chill, funky appliances [toaster, fridge, oven, blender, stereo, microwave] and Sadie

Episode: Car Trouble (2003)

Requested by @marsmarvel02

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Car trouble on West 88th St., 1950s.

Photo: Ruth Orkin via orkinphotos.com

[eyeofnewtblog]

Things that happen at home:

So, my mom had her first symphony concert this weekend, and I’m happy to report that it was a smashing success.

What I personally thought was really cool is that the whole symphony is mostly older women. Most of the brass section was older men though, and you could tell that the trumpet and trombone players were having a great time with the music (lots of jamming out head and shoulders movement) and WOW that tuba player has A Set Of Lungs.

Honestly kinda makes me miss the days when Middle Sister would stand just outside my bedroom door and just BLAST through her practice session as fast as possible. Yes, she was a tuba player. Yes, she was in marching band and orchestra. Yes, I absolutely ran out screaming “MOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!” Every. Single. Time. No, that did not stop her in anyway whatsoever.

Anyway, there was also a cello soloist that performed with violin and viola accompaniment, and he was legitimately fantastic. I told my mom during intermission that she was better and she did her scrunch up face of You’re Full Of Shit But I Like The Support which was cute.

I was sitting next to my one of my cousins for the concert and we both kept side eyeing each other and giggling about how he was bobbing along and jamming out…for those of you that don’t know, it’s very easy to jam out and look cool when you have either a very small instrument or a very large instrument.

When you have a medium instrument, like a cello or French horn, you just look silly if you’re jamming out (saxophone is the exception) and my mom has this very…contained way of playing that looks intense but graceful and determined. So to see someone looking like they’re jamming out on an electric guitar while playing a cello was just…hilarious to us, because we’ve been watching my mom jam out for decades and never seen anyone look so goofy while sounding so good.

One of my moms work friends showed up, and she was an absolute delight. Complete sweetheart; it’s also really fucking funny to tease government contractors about their top secret clearances and joke about their projects or basically anything that they aren’t allowed to talk about. (I teased her specifically about being in the CIA because she does intelligence analysis; my husband and I have a long standing “argument” about if my mom works on quantum computers or making targeted ai satellite systems talk to each other, because honestly her PhD could easily allow for both) the goal is to make relatively small jokes and then drop it quickly because you don’t actually want them to violate their security protocols…but fucking hell if it isn’t fun to toe the line.

My mechanic husband had the dubious joy of teaching me how to jump start a car in the parking lot without jumper cables. (My car battery is in the fritz and needs replacement but we honestly thought it could wait another month or so…)

But basically you put the car in neutral, push it into a position that it can roll naturally downhill, then put it in either first gear or reverse (which ever way is down hill, basically) and release the clutch. I’m pretty sure this only works on automatic transmission vehicles, but I could be wrong and didn’t ask for clarification.

I’d like to point out that we were in a crowded parking lot with a perfectly functioning set of jumper cables. We could have absolutely asked any of the ten people walking by if we could get a jump. We could have waited for my cousin to come out, because we were parked right next to each other. But no. “What if you’re stuck by yourself? You pride yourself on being able to get out of anything.”

That man knows me too well.

Overall, great night. Fantastic concert, great learning experience, got to be an absolute little shit. 10/10, would do again.

[enriquemzn262]

The AC of my pickup broke down, right in the middle of the hottest month of the year in Barranquilla.

Driving was my only escape from the heat, now it’s going to be torture, holy shit…

[hopecomesbacktolife]

🎶 would you still feel alone if your nightmares left / and they never returned home?

I'll say it now cause it's long overdue / whatever happens, I'll never forget you 🎶

[tildeathiwillwrite]

June of Doom Day 16

"At least it can't get any worse." / Secret / Stranded / Setback

Prompts List | Masterpost

Fandom: Original Work

Words: 300

Tag List: @juneofdoom @fourwingedsnake @whumperofworlds @pigeonwhumps @mr-orion

@scaewolf

TW: car trouble, swearing, smoke, implied ambush, implied magic

Whumpee was the only one on the road when the engine spluttered, the entire car shaking as it struggled before finally giving out, forcing them to coast to a stop at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The sun had set long ago, and as Whumpee turned on their hazards, popped the hood, and stepped out of the car, they couldn’t shake the irrational fear that they were being observed.

Turning on their phone light, Whumpee pulled open the hood and was rewarded with a face full of smoke. They coughed, stumbling back and weakly fanning the air with their free hand, trying to disperse the smoke. Unfortunately, they were no trained mechanic, and couldn’t tell if anything was wrong besides the obvious smoke rising in the air.

Whumpee sighed and got back into their car, leaving the hood open to allow the engine to cool off. They shut off the phone light and checked their signal. One bar. It wasn’t great, but it would have to do. “Stupid shitty car,” they muttered under their breath, dialing the local nonemergency line, “at least it can’t get any worse.”

As soon as the words left their lips, their phone buzzed, the screen turning off. Whumpee cursed, smacking it against their palm, trying to get it to turn back on. “Great! Just great! I charged you three hours ago, how can you be dead already?! You were only running the fucking map you piece of shit!”

Whumpee was so caught up in their tirade against their phone that they didn’t notice the shadows moving outside their car until it was too late.

[lazysharkart]

The realization of disaster...

[howyoustudythestars]

Complete the poem:

Roses are red The sea is teal Adam Young cooked...

[navybrat817]

When you have to spend $1k so your car passes the safety and emissions inspection.

Anyone have $1k they want to throw my way? 😂😭 Kidding. Mondays.