Attempted Vehicular Homicide

In 1983 Steven King wrote the novel Chistine, about a car that was possessed. A vehicle that was, in essence, evil.  I now realize that Mr. King, more than likely, owned at one point a vehicle much like my 96 Ford F-150.  Like some people, some vehicles just seem to be born bad.  Ford trucks as a rule are pretty solid investments, but this one. . .  This one is evil.

We have new brakes, new ball joints, a new exhaust system, power steering repairs, a rebuilt new transmission, and just now found out that there’s a hole in the oil pan that will cost close to a grand to fix.

To top it off, this automotive Mephistopheles tried to kill me on Friday. I was behind the wheel of this lemon, despite the oil leak, because my wife’s car was in the shop and she was using my relatively angelic Buick Century. I got to the day job in one piece, but on the return that afternoon I drove less than two blocks, started slowing down for a stop sign at a major intersection and I have the sickening sensation of the brake pedal going all the way to the floor without the truck stopping. I crunch the bumper of the car ahead of me, and the rest of my day is shot to hell.

Turns out the truck’s brake line just fell apart. In the pauses between dealing with cops and insurance and AAA, I tried filling the reservoir with a spare bottle of brake fluid, which ALL emptied onto the street below the truck.

This truck is evil. And it will be punished.