I love it. And I'm betting you can't find the words to explain how great that felt either.
I owned a dragster, a 68 Camaro with a 427 in it. My driver was trying to explain a problem he was feeling at the top end and couldn't get me to understand him. Finally he said "Why don't you drive it and see what I'm talking about." So I did. He had to hide on hands and knees while I staged it to keep from being noticed. The thrill got huge as he started counting off the yellow lights and we cut an almost perfect green light. I did ask him to keep a hand on the wheel as I went into third gear because we were flying. The time ticket said we went 140 MPH in the quarter mile. If you know anything about drag racing in the old days, the measured top speed over a tenth of a mile. 66 feet before the finish line and 66 feet after the line. I asked for the help because there was a car in the other lane and a fence to my right. The run was great but we were caught coming back to pick up our time ticket. Gave me a week I didn't really want to lose so I could fix the problem. They kicked us out of the track for that Sunday... I don't remember the zero to 60 time but I could do it in first gear. Pass anything but a gas station... ----- Original Message ----- From: "David W Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 1:46 AM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Sighted and cynical hardware store salespeople > Hi all: > > Over the years I have found a few cool guys who have let me drive on race > tracks. > > At one time we owned a Caterham 7 - you guys over the pond might not know > it > - It is the modern version of the Lotus 7. > We had a 155 horse engine in it, the whole thing weighing 1,200 pounds - 0 > to 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds. > That on the old Goodwood track was fun - I manage to get it over the 100 > on > the straight with a really great guy in the passenger seat who didn't grap > the wheel once! > > Great experience! > > BTW I am total. > > David > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of Bob Kennedy > Sent: 20 November 2007 04:11 > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Sighted and cynical hardware store > salespeople > > I found if you can break the ice with a bit of humor, the kind we all seem > to use, the car guys are a pretty good bunch. When I worked for Pontiac > in > Charlotte, a couple buddies I had let me drive a car to lunch. Well it > wasn't to lunch, but the parts guys were teasing about me driving and so > my > 2 buddies got in on the passenger side without saying anything. I just > walked around and got behind the wheel and drove away from parts. > Unfortunately the general manager was coming back from lunch while this > was > going on and I got the talk on how dangerous that was. The owner was > cool > though. When we got back from lunch he called me in his office. I was > sure > that was the end of my job. He asked to see my drivers license and I > told > him I left it home. So he just said until I started bringing it to work > with me he didn't want me driving any more cars. Each shop I worked in > brought about the "You do what?" And after I did my job we were fine. Of > course it was easy to steel tools from me and that still burns my butt but > there are far more good guys than the bad. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Larry Stansifer > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 7:18 PM > Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Sighted and cynical hardware store > salespeople > > > Bob, > > A number of years ago I had the opportunity to tour Air Flow Research a > leading manufacturer of high end performance upgrades. Once those guys > found > out that spoke their language, ate my lunch off of the top of my tool box > and had a beer or two after work you couldn't have asked for a more > informative and cordial bunch of guys. I was accorded the same respect as > any other automotive professional. > Car guys seem to have a sense about other car guys and we seem to hang > together. > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of Bob Kennedy > Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 4:50 PM > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Sighted and cynical hardware store > salespeople > > The people that actually know what they are doing or talking about aren't > threatened by anyone or anything. I love the guys I talk to and they can > explain something while I'm holding it. But you're right the little guys > shouldn't even be working in a store like that. You can tell they aren't > an > expert in anything. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Barry Levine > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 5:58 PM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Sighted and cynical hardware store salespeople > > Howdy Folks, > > I don't know if it's just my own experience, but far and away the best, > least opinionated, most assisstive and helpful hardware store salespeople > have been the retired Ace-type trades and handymen. I've always been > happy > when being assisted by someone like that. There's no annoying attitude to > get around, or waste time educating, or simply getting frustrated over. > They just help. The more sophisticated among them have sort of knowingly > taken into account my blindness and problem-solved with me regarding > alternative techniques for getting something done. Certainly, there's > always the admonishment about safety, etc. But, I can easily accept that. > I do it myself to others. > > If ever I've run into some cynicism and ignorance regarding my Blind > Handyman abilities, it's been from a relatively young clerk in one of the > big home improvement box stores, such as Home Depot or Menards. Even > then, > I can't always determine if they're being ignorant regarding blindness, > or > simply can't be bothered to open a locked glass case, or sealed package, > etc. > > Give me Howard Cunningham any day of the week! > > --Barry > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > If you would like to join the Blind Computing list, then visit the > following > address for more information: > http://jaws-users.com/mailman/listinfo/blind-computing_jaws-users.com > > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list > just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > -- > BEGIN-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS > ------------------------------------------------------ > > Teach InfoWest Spam Trap if this mail (ID 138725973) is spam: > Spam: > https://spamtrap.infowest.com/canit/b.php?i=138725973&m=f8dbedfb3420&c=s > Not spam: > https://spamtrap.infowest.com/canit/b.php?i=138725973&m=f8dbedfb3420&c=n > Forget vote: > https://spamtrap.infowest.com/canit/b.php?i=138725973&m=f8dbedfb3420&c=f > ------------------------------------------------------ > END-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > If you would like to join the Blind Computing list, then visit the > following > address for more information: > http://jaws-users.com/mailman/listinfo/blind-computing_jaws-users.com > > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list > just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.0/1139 - Release Date: > 19/11/2007 > 12:35 > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.0/1139 - Release Date: > 19/11/2007 > 12:35 > > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > If you would like to join the Blind Computing list, then visit the > following address for more information: > http://jaws-users.com/mailman/listinfo/blind-computing_jaws-users.com > > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ If you would like to join the Blind Computing list, then visit the following address for more information: http://jaws-users.com/mailman/listinfo/blind-computing_jaws-users.com For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandyman/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/