My Grandpa's Truck

My grandpa has a red and white truck that he's owned for who knows how long. It's a Dodge Ram from the 70s and, therefore, older than I am. While I have a distinct loathing for big trucks, my grandpa's truck is an exception to the rule. Aside from the fact that it was purchased and is still used for hauling things, it has some other qualities that make it a good car. It's fun to drive because you sit up high enough to see everything and it bounces you as you go down the street. My favorite feature has always been that it doesn't require a key to start. You just turn the ignition and the engine will start for you. It doesn't shift very well if you don't use the key, but that's a reasonable price to pay if, for some reason, you can't find it. The truck is also still running after 30-some-odd years.

These are all excellent reasons to like the truck, but I learned two new things about it yesterday. Two items are kept in the cab of the truck--a screwdriver and a rock. I have seen these, but never moved them because it's not my truck. Turns out they each have a purpose. My mom was complaining that the bed of the truck doesn't open anymore, making it difficult to load things like filing cabinets you bring down from Salt Lake for your uncle. My brother then told us the use of the screwdriver. You jam it into the hole by the handle that lets the door to the bed down. Then it opens. Ta da! After Andrew finished telling us about that my dad said he was glad to know that's why there's always a screwdriver in the cab. That's when he brought up the rock. Sometimes the steering wheel doesn't want to turn. I don't remember the reasons why, so I'll content myself with saying that sometimes it just doesn't want to. This is the job of the rock. The trick is to hold the steering wheel in the correct position, then smack the steering column with the rock. I'm told it works like a charm. It's a good thing such simple tools can be used because they don't make parts for a truck that old anymore.