Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

Fathers Day and Hurricanes

hurricane-driving-tips

Fathers Day and Hurricanes

June brings great days of importance to most people; after all it is the month for brides and weddings. It has Flag Day and is the anniversary month of the greatest tactical invasion the world has ever seen, D Day. It is also the month set aside to honor all fathers of the world and last it is the beginning of Hurricane season in S.W. Florida.

What is the correlation between all of the events and why is it in an automotive article? The answer is simple Flag Day and the Anniversary of D Day are lost on this generation, and I feel that they should be reminded of our history. Father’s Day and the opening of Hurricane Season run in a significant course.

Being a father puts a male in a very precarious position. First time fathers are on the job training. Crying babies and bumps and bruises come and go and it’s always Dad that deals with it. In my generation the most common phrase was “Just wait until your Father gets home”. Errant children wait in fear and Dads were blindsided as they walked in the door by rightfully tired Moms that just needed a little relief and help.

This is not to say that Mom’s didn’t go through all of the same trials and tribulations, it just doesn’t fit in this story.

So it’s a given point that a father has to be prepared for any or everything that life throws at them. This is how we need to look at Hurricane Season. Being “prepared” means having enough supplies to survive when a storm hits, or making sure that all of the preventive maintenance on your vehicle or generator has been performed. Mother Nature is not known for playing by the rules, and she loves to throw little road blocks up in front of us.

Consider this in you planning, what if the truck in front of you in the evacuation drops a box of nails and you get not one but two flats. Having a good spare will not help you. Do you have a tire plug kit and a 12volt compressor for your vehicle? Let’s say that you left your lights on or worse the guy in front of you left his lights on and killed his battery, could you jump start yourself or him? What about your cell phones?

Do you have a backup battery source to recharge them? How about having a solar charger to charge your phone chargers, if we have nothing else in Florida we do have sunlight. If your generator at home fails to start or fouls a plug could you change it? Do you have the tools to do this?

You may not have the ability to do a lot of these things but chances are if you have the tools or kits that someone else would be able to help you.

Father’s Day is coming and fathers don’t need another neck tie, or socks, or even a dinner out. Hidden in the text are real viable and practical gifts for Dad. Tire repair kits, and small compact tool kits with a few wrenches or a socket set. How about a small compact tire inflator? I have seen, actually I own a small but powerful 12 volt battery jump box that can not only jump start a vehicle, charge or power up cell phones or laptops.

This is so compact that it can fit in your glove compartment, definitely in your trunk, or even under a seat. It also has a small but bright LED flashlight. Spare belts or hoses to keep in the trunk. A spare spark plug for your generator, or a couple quarts of oil. Maybe a Princess phone for when the cell towers go down, a couple of battery powered lanterns. How about some MRI meals.

So if you really looking for the best Father’s day gift, forget about the ties and socks, buy Dad something that will help him be prepared to protect his family or his neighbor. Because that’s what Dads do best!

To all of our vets and fathers out there have a happy June, remember those that we have lost and honor them and honor all of those Dads out there.



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Gregg’s Automotive Maintenance & Repair Center

236 S. Tamiami Tr.
Punta Gorda, Fl. 33950
941-575-8868
www.greggsauto.net
Auto Repair, A/C Repair, Oil Change, Brake Repair & Transmission Services

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