Golf Cart Catastrophes

Saturday morning - Oct. 30, 2010--The big community garage sale is on. One of my favorite things. It is here in the complex and there are so many that it makes one's heart beat fast. Started at 7 am. We (meaning Pudge, me, John & Shannon) had a plan of attack that we had put together the week before. We were going to take both of our golf carts. The girls in one and the guys in the other. That way everybody would be happy because the guys don't shop quite like we do.

So it started out an absolutely (once again) gorgeous morning. J & S were here at 6:45. I was busy getting money in a pouch to wear around my neck so it would be convenient. 7 am we are on our carts and down the road we went to the first one. Oh Boy!!!! Lots of treasures to be found.

An hour into it and I was driving our new golf cart. It started to smell hot. Mentioned it to the guys and we switched carts. Pudge seemed to think that it was smelling because of being broken in. We parted ways. An hour and a half later phone rings. It is Pudge. He says "come get us at our condo--the golf cart started on fire." OUR BRAND NEW GOLF CART!!! Can't think about it too much though--there were still too many garage sales to hit. We picked them up. They said they were going from sale to sale and from the back of the seat flames started to appear. Someone came up with a bottle of water and poured on it. A home owner got his hose and put it out. There is very little visible damage. A little soot on the seat but the plastic is still on and it can be wiped off. The cart still runs well but needless to say we are not running it until we find out what the matter is.

OK--onto the evening. Pudge & I took off about 4 pm to explore some of the places near here. Then we went out to dinner. Coming back from dinner phone rings and it is John. He proceeds to tell us that he wrecked his golf cart and we needed to stop over. He was upset. Upon first look at the cart it didn't look too bad but upon closer inspection it was. The story behind it was that they were at our condo to deliver a patio umbrella that I had bought and dropped off at their place to make more room for our other treasures. In attempting to remove the umbrella to leave at our place it somehow got wedged, hit the gas pedal and away it went. Ran over John's foot and knocked him down (thank God he did not get hurt). He told Shannon to run to catch cart. She said there was no way she could have caught it. So they watched it going down the road at full speed until it hit a tree and tipped over. They managed to get it upright and back to their garage but there will be no moving it until it gets fixed. Broken axle, chunks of wind shield are out, batteries in disarray, flat and damaged tire, canopy frame bent. John visibly upset. Shannon is thankful that it did not hit a car, house or go into the pond.

Right now as I am writing this the 2 guys are talking to the golf cart repair man here in our complex about both of the carts.

I need to say--that stupid umbrella. Even before this happened I was not happy about it. I paid too much money for it. I should know better. What was I thinking? Throughout the day I was seeing so many of them that were a third the price I paid for this one which was making me more and more mad--and now this happened. STUPID UMBRELLA!!! It also got bent up in the mishap so we are trying to pound it and straighten it. Well--enough said about that.

Now we just have to wait and see what is said about the golf carts from Jim (repair man)


John's cart with the batteries all messed up.

Broken axle and damaged tire.