Hey peeps, another end to another long week. Going to actually get my window tints on my car over this weekend and do a lot of chill. I damaged myself today, working on a shitty mercedes, doing brake pads and discs, anyway was removing the caliper and bolts were seized to high heaven. Using a big bar putting my whole weight to loosen the bolts it slipped off. Yeah kinda hurt, I hit my arm and leg and jolted my back and hit my head all at the same time. So in a bit of pain and aching like a fucker.

It’s not the worst one I’ve ever done, I mean if i shaved my head proper bald I’d be covered in scars. I was once checking out an ABS (anti-lock breaking system) on a trailer and rushing around I was in and out the pit and like a dickhead I lifted my head too early one time and while running the rear bumper made contact. It was on a fuel tanker, but that steel don’t budge. I literally split my head open wide, something like a 2 or 3 inch gash. As you can probably tell there was blood and once I got out the pit the other lad that was there heard it from across the workshop, he shouted “what the fuck was ….. oh shit Rob what the fuck”, yep face covered in blood and dripping everywhere. I had to have stiches, like the butterfly one I think and glue. There was another time I was changing a trailer shutter cable, back when they were manual not air assisted. I pulled the shutter down as I was climbing out, slipped (fridge trailer) and landed on my feet and put hand on the trailer to steady myself, all went fast but I forgot I was holding the strap and as you can tell I pulled the shutter with me. Yeah they fucking heavy, so it landed on my middle fingers on my left hand. The shutter bounced back up half way, I said a few choice words, I finally looked at the damage on my hand and saw the nails had ripped out the bed, later found both out both finger bones were damaged like cracked in a few places. Had it operated on and told I’d loose the nails. I got the scars still on my fingers. But the nails fell off after some time but they grew back.

I once sliced into my leg with a stanley blade all the way to the hilt, into muscle, I was cutting a pipe on my leg (yes in dumb) and thought nothing of it until I thought I’d pissed myself, went to check whatbthe fuck was going on and leg covered in blood. Had to see the 1st aider, yes I pulled my trousers all way down so bulge in her face the lot. The look on her face was priceless as she was like oh shit you need hospital (yeah i know what you was thinking she was professional) that had stitches.

So yeah thats only a few, so don’t ever think mechanics have it easy. We get battered, bruised and sliced to keep your food on the shelves (not a guilt trip I promise) so yeah us mechanics suffer some damage, sometimes oit of stupidity, sometimes out of shitty vehicles. That also brings me onto the fact that we also work on some shit, and I mean horrible shitty HGVs, yes of course some deal with some nasty stuff. Personally I think some nasty stuff trucks should be cleaned throughly before they come in for a service, not always possible when truck breakdown, but they should make it law due to the fact we have to work on them and it’s disgusting at times. But mostly it’s fun and the pride I for one feel when a truck is fixed and driving out that gate and transporting goods for everyone in the country (sometimes internationally) a certain satisfaction and pride. We deal with shit off customers at times and shitty drivers but they don’t realise nothing takes 5 minutes, and if we need to wait for parts it can take some time sometimes days. Also a truck can come in for a service one day and breakdown at anytime as we cannot predict the future. We can’t see parts internally or what state they are in, we can only see whats in front of us there and then. Like a starter motor can work perfect as we are checking the truck over and we can start the truck like 5 times, and the driver can try starting next time he stops off at a shop on way back to his/her yard and the started motor can fuck up then. It happens but we can’t predict that’ll happen if the fault is internal, and many drivers and customers don’t realise that. All you get sometimes is “thats just been in for service/check up, dumb mechanics”, it’s just like your kettle at home you can make a cuppa at 7.30am then you make another cuppa at 7.45am just before work and it doesn’t turn on. Shit happens people and can’t be avoided.

That being said I will say there are some shit mechanics out there, and lazy and cocky thinking they know everything but know fuck all, i know a few of them during my 18 year career in the job. That’s for another blog. All i can say is no matter how good you are there’s always someone better round the corner, and you can be the best mechanic in the world and you will always always be learning something new. So if you ever want to become one or are one of these cocky fuckers then try this, you can learn from your fellow mechanic you will mever know it all. Also help to be helped work as a team and life will be so much sweeter for you and your colleagues.

THANK YOU FOR READING PEEPS

THEPLAINANDSIMPLEGUY

Categories:Rob's Blog