About a year and a half ago, I blogged about Clifford, the Big Red Van who was joining the EECM fleet. Clifford was old when he came to us (generously donated by a local congregation) and I regret to say that he is in his final days. At the ripe old age of 20, Clifford has lived a good life but it is time for him to pass on to that service shop in the sky.
Beyond the variety of "nuisance" flaws (note the ripped seats and the big sign in the side window that says: "Sliding Door Broken: Do Not Open"), Clifford is increasingly becoming unsafe.
To find out for myself just how sick our poor van was, I took it for a brief test drive...
...and I tell you, I feared for my life!
I buckled up, but that was mainly a gesture since the seat belt doesn't actually tighten. The gear shift indicator is broken so you have to figure out what gear you're in based on how many "clicks" you've gone through.
The steering is erratic -- "loose" is too kind a word -- and the whole vehicle tends to unexpectedly pull vigorously to the right and left. I was warned not to use the emergency parking brake because you can't undo it once it's set.
And I noticed a set of jumper cables in the back, put there because the battery drains and dies so often that we've just started carrying the cables all the time as a precaution.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture. We need a new van. Desperately. Can you help?? If you have a full-sized van sitting around taking up space in your garage, we'd love to have it. Please call 412.361.5549 and ask for Paul or Kate. Thank you!!
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