I knew it would hurt
Anticipation grew in my heart
I had heard of people actually bleeding from it
Dangerous it would be,
With many risks involved.
But I didn’t care
This is what I get, listening to my friends
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Practicle Jokes, 10 Safe Ways To Stir Things Up + 10 Unsafe Ways.
Every job has its difficulties, and auto/diesel repair is riddled with them. One way to offset this dark element of employment is to commence practical joking. Many technicians prefer not to disturb their cohorts while working, but there are moments of the day that aren’t filled with diagnostic or repairs. This time can be used constructively, or not. Here are ten things I have seen in a shop environment that would be considered the most common and relatively SAFE ways to stir things up.
- Grease under tool box or car door handles.
- Reorganization of tools in others tool boxes.
- Throw a charged capacitor to an unsuspecting operator.
- Actuating a car horn at inopportune moments.
- Blowing up a coolant or oil jug under someones tool box using shop air.
- Closing a hood on some one in a compromising position.
- Pulling strategic fuses in a vehicle to exhibit acute symptoms.
- Covertly drop a tailgate on a truck backing up.
- Long zip ties attached to driveshaft.
- Use a rack to lift a large tool box high off the ground.
These next ones should NOT be performed by anyone, but have been documented as “Impractical Jokes”
- Brake clean torch
- Air bag discharge
- Acetylene contained in a bag or balloon. (cant say how it works, or how to do it)
- Use silicone to adhere tires to the ground.
- Baby oil in washer solvent tank.
- Detaching an automatic transmission’s linkage.
- Open cans of tuna under a cars seat.
- Disconnect inner door handle linkage on vehicle.
- Remove schrader valves from tires or fuel system.
- Baby powder in air vents.
It should be assumed that retaliation would be acceptable if you perform any of these against your peers. Be warned that payback is a Bi#ch.
Do you have any practical jokes, if so please comment.
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Shop Music, Line in The Sand? Will Streaming Music Make Things Easier?
If you have ever visited an independent shop or dealer’s garage and heard faint sounds of a familiar local FM station playing, bet your self someone in that building HATES it. The choice in music is personal and can be the most important detail to the days productivity. I have found no other single object that exists in a shop that is more sensitive to altercation than the radio.
Most shops now have a wide spectrum of technicians ranging from late teens to late 60’s. Settling on a station that satisfies the whole rowdy group IS an impossibility. I am from St Louis Missouri and bias to the variety we have here. The rural areas of this beautiful country may have fewer options to contend with.
OLDIES – Rock and Classics – 1960-1990 (MOST COMMON)
Oldies rock seems to be the least intrusive on listeners with easy instrumentals and words everyone knows. However an oldies rock station is very repetitive, because there cannot be any new old hits. After about a four week period of this redundant commercial ridden rock opera, the technicians may need a change of pace. A brave soul will comb the FM band for something new, eventually landing on an alternative rock station.
ALTERNATIVE ROCK – Metal, Emo, Grunge, Punk, Party Hits – 1991-Current
Alternative Rock in a shop environment has a faster pace and is easily adopted after the oldies have played out. The rhythm of alternative rock generally keeps things moving in the shop. A station like this will play for as long as there isn’t TOO much heavy metal in succession, this will get the station changed to country music faster than the speed of sound.
Country – 1960 – Current
The twangy sounds of country music can be uplifting and widely accepted into most skilled trade environments. Soft melodies and a slower tempo allows for clarity of thought and attention to detail. This type of music is relatively inert and the least capable of causing an argument with fellow technicians, but will be changed none the less.
When the trend of “radio station retaliation” appears in a shop, you can bet its going to end on a Rap or Pop station before the radio magically breaks and works no longer.
The point is music is very personal to the listener, and can expose emotions of distaste towards others choice in melody. The internet now offers a wide variety of streaming music providers with an infinite combination of songs. Using abilities like “disliking” a song will ban it from playing indefinitely, and “liking” a song will ensure you will hear it more often. From this platform a group of individuals, who ever they are can come up with a playlist that will hopefully narrow the gap between background music fans. Or ignite a structure fire.
Is your work radio bickered over? What is the “Line in the Sand” for you?
Don Harbaugh
STL Diesel
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IS Your Used Truck Tuned? NO! How Can You Be Sure?
Joe decides one day to trade in his 2005 Dodge Ram Cummins for a sweet new ride. Joe enjoyed the power and performance gains his tuner gave him for many years. The hardware Joe had put away to tune his truck was lost in his last divorce.
Lets take a ride to the imaginary used car lot for a bit. John the salesman takes the truck in on trade. The dash has no warning lights and the truck runs very well, should have no problem selling it.
Now you are you, and you find a truck that fits your needs perfectly. It has a fair price and you buy the truck.
Some time after, an engine light appears and generates codes that no one can seem to decipher. Any knowledgeable shop would probably see the weird malfunction and recommend a replacement PCM. This will fix the problem when the new PCM has been programmed with stock software. No one will know why it’s fixed, just that it is.
You pick the truck up and feel the truck isn’t right, its now under powered and gets poor fuel mileage. An automatic response to a new symptom occurring after an official repair is to blame the shop for doing something wrong. A return trip will prove nothing out of the ordinary exists and are sent back on your way.
This mysterious dragon syndrome occurs often, and the correct response is to tune over the corrupt tune file, or re-flash the PCM to stock and then tune over the stock file.