My mechanic has advised me to not drive the car out of town, For now, I'm keeping my driving to short drives to and from work and shopping, less than 10 miles a trip. I'm also topping off the fluid levels constantly to keep the transmission from going dry.
My mechanic says that with care, I could get a few more weeks of driving, perhaps with luck a few more months, but sooner or later the transmission will lock up and quit, likely with little or no notice.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FIXING THIS PROBLEM:
I work as a substitute teacher in the city of Salinas. I work for five different school districts and I could be at any one or two of about 30 schools on any one day. Sometimes I will spend the morning at one school and spend the afternoon at a school across town.
Public transportation sucks in Salinas, and depending on the local bus system would make getting to and/or from most Salinas schools from my East Salinas home very difficult or even impossible.
If my car were to suddenly quit, as it is likely to do sooner or later, I would suddenly be unable to get to most jobs, and my income would suddenly and drastically fall, and I would be facing homelessness.
In addition, not being able to drive out of town means that I must forgo accepting substitute teaching jobs in outlying communities, such as Gonzales, where the per-day salaries are substantially higher.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN?
The goal of this campaign is to raise $4000.
This will cover the cost of installing a new transmission, the GoFundMe fees, and a bit more to install a new heater in the car, which has not had a functioning heater nor defroster for several years. The heater is a bonus, but when my car is covered with frost on a cold morning and my hands are numb, a heater would sure be nice, and increase my safety in being able to see out the windshield
Below is a written estimate from my mechanic for the replacement of the transmission.
//-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-\\
\\-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-//
OTHER OPTIONS:
I have been asked about other options, some of which I shall address here:
• Why not buy a new car?
Buying a new car often means buying someone else’s problems, which may be as bad as, or even worse that what I have. This car recently had a lot of engine work done about a year ago, and the engine is in good shape. I pretty much know that with a new transmission, I could get many years more use out of it. With a used car, I could be broken down again within months, or even weeks. This is not an idol speculation, as it has happened to be before. When I was in the Coast Guard, I bought a used car that broke down about three weeks after I bought it, and I was stuck with it.
• Why not simply get a used transmission
This may be an option if I can’t raise enough to get a new transmission, however, as with a used car, I could be buying someone else’s problems. A new transmission comes with a substantially larger warranty and thus more reliability. A new transmission could mean another ten years of driving, whereas a used transmission could mean only 2-4 years of driving. I am thinking in the longer term because I must. I am planning on doing a lot of activities which require a reliable transportation, specifically video production. Going for less than a new transmission may mean in the near future I’d be in this same situation.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT and/or HELP ME?
This is a good question. Why should you care about me, or bother to help me?
Well, first of all, I am a fellow human being in need.
Not enough? OK, that’s understandable.
Do you know me? Have you known me in person? Did we ever go to the same school, work in the same place, join the same club or organization? Did/do you value my input and efforts?
Whether or not if you know me IRL (In Real Life), do you ever read the essays I post online? What about the various art I make and post? Do I ever make you smile and/or go "hmmm"?
What about the things I do to help other people and my community? Do you value that I am out making a difference in our community?
.
Let's consider my work as a substitute teacher. In my community, there is a deep shortage of substitute teachers, and I am good at it. I often have students telling me that I am their favorite teacher ever; not just a favorite substitute teacher, but a favorite teacher. That's just from a day or two here and there. I feel I have been making, and can continue to make, a huge difference in the lives of young students. I can talk more about my experiences as a substitute teacher if there are any questions.
.
.
.
.
.
I spent 15 years caring for my elderly and disabled father after he spent three months in a coma in 2000. To make a long story short, Dad was not expected to survive, but I refused to allow his life support to be turned off in spite of great pressure, being told by hospital personnel that I was "being selfish" for not "letting go", and ultimately Dad did survive. Mentally he recovered, but he required a lot of physical support for the rest of his life until he died recently. Taking care of Dad was a full-time endeavor, and when he died, I found it difficult to get employed as many employers did not consider 15 years of caregiving to be a legitimate work history. Finally, I put my multiple college degrees to work as a substitute teacher. I can tell you much more about this later if there's interest here.
.
I have been a member of the Dkos community since 2005. I have made many posts and comments in that time, and I feel I’ve made a substantial if minor, contribution to the community over the years. I’ve only made the rec-list once, maybe twice, but I keep at it.
I am a progressive liberal democrat, and I have been active in local and California state democratic politics for years. I have recently been elected to be the secretary of the Monterey County Democratic Central Committee, where I will be a member of the eboard, helping to make strategy for our local party for the next four years.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I have been hanging out with the Dkos PWB Peeps, sharing my photos of my various Pooties and woozles. They have helped me a lot recently and they have a great deal of my gratitude. I might be homeless today and my dear dog Delight would be dead without their previous timely help and support.
I am, of course, only asking for help from those who can afford to help. If you can't give, that's OK. If you can only afford $10, that's great because enough $10 contributions will add up. If you can afford to cover the whole cost of replacing this transmission, that's fantastic.
If you have read through all that, you have my gratitude. Please post any questions you may have.
.
Thank you,
James Thomas Green
aka #jtg
(-: • • • • • • • • • • • • • :-)
PLEASE HELP ME FIX MY CAR’S TRANSMISSION
If you want to send a check via Postal Mail, KosMail me and I’ll send my address