TAMI’S RIDESHARE

As we said in yesterday's blog, we're going to be sharing some of our favorite memories of our dad throughout the years. We'll start with one of my favorite travel show memories.

It was about two years ago, coming back from the Summer Chicago show — one of my dad's favorite shows. He loved seeing the Midwest dealers, along with some of the friends he'd made over the years on the show circuit.

The Breakdown

This happened on the way back. It was late on a Sunday night, maybe 10 PM, and we were on our way to a hotel in Indiana — about half an hour out. All of a sudden, we smelled something burning. My first reaction was, "Oh, that must be someone else." My dad said, "There's no one else on the road." Just as he said that, the car started to smoke.

Luckily, we were right by an exit. My dad took it and pulled into a gas station that had an engine repair garage attached — but of course, it was 10 PM on a Sunday, so they were closed.

Adam stayed back to look at the van while my dad and I went inside to see if anyone could help. My dad was always cool in any situation. So, very calmly, we talked through our options once we found the garage was closed. We landed on an idea: take the back roads to the hotel. It would add maybe ten minutes to the drive, but he figured going 20 mph instead of 60 would be a lot easier on the engine. We bought a fire extinguisher, hopped back in the van, and made our way there. Meanwhile, Adam called Enterprise and left a message — we were going to need a new van.

We made it to the hotel safely.

The Rescue

The next morning, Adam worked out the details with Enterprise. They were sending a tow truck to the hotel to pick up the van and drop us off at the closest Enterprise location, about an hour away.

When the tow truck driver pulled up and saw the three of us, he asked which one of us was coming with him — he only had one extra seat. Adam hopped in, and my dad and I stayed behind to figure out how to get a car to Enterprise ourselves.

Uber and Lyft had no rides available — we were in the middle of nowhere. The hotel had a list of local cab companies, so we started calling. One guy said he could be there in three hours for about $400. Another never picked up. Then we called Tami's Rideshare.

A woman answered who sounded like she'd smoked ten packs of cigarettes a day. She was extremely nice and said she had a car on the way.

Tami's Rideshare

My dad and I went out front to wait. A few cars pulled in — a Honda Civic, a Tesla, a Ford F-150. Then a Dodge Caravan came rolling up, rust running up the side, doors that didn't match. My dad looked at me and said, "Yup, that must be for us." Sure enough, it pulled right up next to us.

Two women sat up front who looked like they might have lived through the last World War. They rolled down the window and asked, "Ride for Joe?" My dad and I looked at each other — I think we had the exact same thought. This could be the end of the road for us, but what do we have to lose? I answered with a "Yes, ma'am," and we climbed in the side door. I cleared some debris off one of the seats to make sure we had somewhere to sit. Tami's mom peered back and apologized — she said she didn't realize there were two of us. "No problem," I said. We buckled up, and she pulled away.

I wish I'd saved the texts I sent Adam during that ride. Something along the lines of: if we don't make it, carry on the business in honor of us.

The conversation on the way was something else. They asked where we were from, and told us how big of fans they were of the show Wahlburgers — how they'd always wanted to come to Boston to see it for themselves. Turned out the driver was Tami's mom, and Tami herself was in the hospital. Tami's mom drove like it too — a bit of a wild ride — but we didn't get sick, and we didn't get into an accident. She did drop us off at the wrong spot, but the half-mile walk to Enterprise from there was a lot better than the alternative of asking to get back in the van.

What He Taught Me

My dad taught me a lot of lessons over the years, but one of the things I admire most is the way he treated people. He never looked down on anyone. I think he truly believed we're all just out here trying our best to make it.

Before we said goodbye, he gave Tami's mom an extra $50 — for "saving" the day for us.