Maggie's Farm

In 1977, as a young businesswoman who had just built her own company, I rewarded myself with a new car--custom ordered from the factory. Six weeks later my dealer called and told me my car was ready. I went on my lunch hour to pick it up. As I drove the car out of the dealer's driveway, I rolled down the driver's window--the handle came off in my hand. But, I was on a lunch break, so I stuck it back on and drove back to my office. I took it in for repair the following week. I took ownership of my sleek beauty at the beginning of a hot summer. Three times in the next three months the air conditioning fluid leaked out onto my feet and down onto the carpet and center console. On the third time--the dealer told me not to use the air conditioner until it got a little cooler outside, after all I had a new thing called a sun roof. He refused to repair the air conditioner again. When winter rains came, the sun roof leaked so badly that I would be wet to the waist after about half an hour of driving. Dealer would not guarantee he could fix it--he didn't. In the following spring--less than a year after first taking posession I was driving on the freeway with three little girls in the back seat. All of the rubber belts slipped off the engine--the dealer said they got to wet in the big rainstorm--yeah, well so did the passengers. I finally got an attorney. We contacted a new "service" that the manufacturer was providing--an ombudsman for the customer! A very nice man came out from Detroit and examined the car, and the records and recommended that the dealer help to replace the automobile--the dealer told him and my attorney to stuff it. Come to find out the ombudsman could do no more for us. That car was a Pontiac Sunbird. I have never purchased another American car in the thirty years since then. However, mom died and left me her Buick-it is slightly better, but not a lot. If it wasn't free I would not have bought it. I have however put 240,000 miles on a Toyota truck only needed two clutch replacements (taught 2 daughters how to shift)Hope that helps Detroit to understand why they are going out of business. By the way neither daughter has ever bought American either.

Excuse me: In a hurry to write my little story today; forgot to mention that within minutes after getting the handle back on--about 3 miles away from the dealer on my first drive off the lot--the tailpipe and muffler fell in the street. I had to go back for that--but they fixed the window handle the following week.

I agree Luther: First they helped to destroy America's passenger trains, then they took over America's schools with devastating effect, and presently we can watch our automotive sector close down.

Duval, and Lonesome Dove: the best reflection of a piece of our western frontier history!!!!

However, the best part of the event is that it was published, and made into a very successful tv ent at a time when there were still people who would guide it through the system of liberal publishers, liberal tv producers, etc.etc. It became a public experience because only a few short years ago there were still enough patriots out there, who saw to it that the story was told.
I have my doubts if that could happen today--unless of course it was a story about gay guys.

The best scene ever: I was the first in our family to read the book (before TV) damn near fell out of bed with the crossing of the river/snakes thing. Never told hubby about the experience, but waited until it happened to him about two weeks later: "geez you could have told me what was coming--I've got to get some sleep!"

Best,