True tale.
It was about 0200 hours, 70~80 kilometres south of Wycliffe Well. I had loaded three trailers with
Opal petrol, at Birkenhead, for delivery and storage in the Queensland Gulf.
I noticed flashing, amber lights in the distance and prepared to stop, not knowing what happening, roadworks, prang, hijack??
As I approached the fiasco a saw a large Mercedes van with headlights and hazard lights ablaze and an old XD Falcon with caravan, in darkness.
Once stopped, I was asked if I would swap batteries with the Falcon, as his was flat. Apart from the physical impossibility of that, my truck was mere months old, IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN!
Making enquiries I established that the young couple and toddler were German tourists, on the way to Adelaide airport, where they intended to abandon car and caravan, to fly back to Europe. The older fellow in the van had stopped to help the broken down family.
I had jump leads and offered to jump start the Ford. Then it was revealed that the alternator had failed and the car driven until the battery died.
I explained that even with a new battery, without an alternator they wouldn't make Adelaide and the best option would be for me to tow them to Wycliffe Well, where a second hand alternator would be easily sourced.
The van man and I turned the Falcon and caravan around with the Benz and I tied it to the back of my last trailer. The German bloke seemed to be totally lacking in any practical skills.
Doing a final check to make sure everything was as safe s possible, the German chap approached me,asking if his wife and daughter could ride in the cab with me, as he had just noticed the petrol placard on the trailer and was concerned that if he crashed into the trailer, it might explode with his car. I agreed without telling him that if he took out the back trailer, the other two, the prime mover and everything for a few hundred metres would be toast.
I got him safely, to as close as possible to the workshop and had a short conversation with him, as I untied his car. He opened his wallet, revealing the biggest wad of cash I'd seen for quite some time and asked how much I wanted. Tempting as it was, I told him we didn't work like that in Australia. Just doing my bit for Australia's reputation and tourism industry.
He also revealed that he was an electrical engineer!
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