how to safely work under your car

[cobram at juno.com]

David <duandcc_forums at cox.net> writes:

> Please rememeber that the picture was taken an a poor 3rd world 
> country. In conditions like those...having any running vehicle is 
> considered ablessing and they do whatever they have to to keep them 
> running. They work with what they have. 2 4x4s is MORE than enough 
> to support that truck like that. Not everyone has the luxury of 
> having a lift or even ramps...

I can't believe I just read that.  I don't care if the guy is working on
the moon or in the "third world" (still looking for the second world in
case anyone finds it, let me know.)  Those 2X4's or whatever they are
precarious at best, they even look like he pulled them off his neighbors
fence or something, since they are painted and have nail holes in them. 
The truck is basically being balanced on the wheels, a strong breeze, a
compadre leaning on it or one of those recaps blowing out could send it
either way.  Sure, everyone gets lucky, sometimes many times....but it's
that one time when your luck runs out that counts.  I guess as long as it
doesn't fall on some "gringo" it's alright to work with what he has.

A friend in the "third world" has an auto electric shop, he's had it
forever, and he's been testing truck and heavy equipment batteries just
like his father used to,  by jumping a thick piece of welding cable
across the posts and analyzing the spark.  He's really good at this, can
tell you practically to the day how long the battery will last....never
had one blow up in his face...but that still doesn't make it OK, even if
he is in the third world and can't afford a heavy duty tester.  He's
still a moron for doing this (IMHO), whatever the reason.  

While traveling in various parts of the "third world", I've had 3 cases
where my vehicle's been hit,  the accidents were caused by complete and
utter lack of maintenance of the other vehicles,  in one case it was a
pregnant woman with 3 kids in rust bucket Chevette who plowed into my car
while I was filling up at a gas station.  She had been driving around
with nothing but the emergency brake for months (and only on one drum). 
If you don't have the money to maintain a minimum of safety while
operating or repairing a vehicle, well, sorry, you shouldn't have one, no
matter what world you live in.  But I guess I shouldn't be so harsh, as
you said, her vehicle was a blessing and she was working with what she
had....

A guy died about a block from my house, here in the "1st" world, he was
crushed, very slowly (they estimate it took him about 3 or 4 hours to
die) by a Saab he was working on, no jack stands, just cinder blocks that
fell sideways when the jack slid.  This was a while ago, and I still
can't see a white Saab without thinking about that poor sob.

Doesn't matter where you live, the laws of physics are the same, stupid
is stupid, and dead is dead.   I think everyone has a right to do
whatever they think is reasonable, as long as they're only putting
themselves in harms way, and I also believe we have the right to call
them an idiot when we see them doing it.  

BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/