FORD TRUCK ENTHUSIASTS - Order of the BLUE MAX

[Greywolf]

This is something I've been thinking about for a while.

-Ever stop and put a plug in a tire for someone who had NO CLUE AT ALL, thereby saving them "ROAD SERVICE" (if they even had it)?

It is SO COOL to see the way people look at you when you just fix a tire that had a nail in it, WITHOUT EVEN TAKING THE TIRE OFF.

And then I tell them I'm a member of FORD TRUCK ENTHUSIASTS, and to just get the stuff I showed them how to use, and help someone else out if they get the chance and think it is safe...

IE: Pass it on, as truckers and wagon drivers did in the old days.

"BLUE MAX" was an east coast trucker (EIGHTEEN WHEEL) who did that before he retired, he was famous even though annonymous in the seventies. He became famous for pulling his rig off and just plain helping hundreds of people, and then he just drove on... When people asked him who he was, he just gave his CB Handle: "BLUE MAX"

I propose we bring the LEGACY BACK.

If you help someone out, post here. That automatically makes you a member of the "FTE ORDER of the BLUE MAX".

I done plugged some tires for some stuck folk tonight, and I still wonder why people don't just have a plugging kit and a 12 volt compressor with them...

I still think back to what they said once upon a time on the wagon trails: "Them what has, is got to he'p out them what don't..." It was just like that - way back when.

We do the same and more for our own, don't we? This is a potential good thing.

We are FORD BLUE. DO THAT and you are FORD BLUE TO THE MAX!!!

~Wolfie

[blue beast]

It is hard to find people with tools in their cars anymore let alone an operable flashlight
and I try to get everyone I know to carry a "light" tool kit that has a basic arsenal of
tools of course first is a Flashlight with batteries, screwdrivers, big vice grips, small
needle nose vice grips, channel locks, adjustable wrench or two, a plug kit (only $4.00
and can save alot of dough) a can of fix a flat since if it is just losing a bit of air I
would rather have them blast it full real quick and get off the side of the road, since
every minute the odds are stacking against them (crashed into, assaulted, etc!!)
I tell them call me first and I have helped quite a few people right over the phone if
they had a basic tool kit if they didn't have it I can't help you!!
I once chased a lady through a few stop lights she wouldn't look at me and thought
I must have been trying to hit on her, finally I got next to her and got her to pull over
She had a strip of her fan belt coming off and it was starting to tear the rad hose and
it was leaking coolant, I cut off the offending belt edge and trimmed the rad hose and
luckily it was long enough to clamp it!! Of course I carry at least 2 gallons of water
and she drove happily off after a good laugh about trying to get her attention.

[Toyman]

I stop to help people all the time.

The best one I can remember happened a few years ago, I worked for EZ GO as a mobil repair man. Basically I would go the golf course and make repairs on the broken golf carts. The truck was setup with a ton of tools, air compressor, etc. There was a Michigan state trooper that had a flat tire and was waiting for a wrecker to come fix him up, he stated that he had been there a while. Long story short, I took out a jack, fired up the compressor and had his tire changed in about 2 minutes.

The latest was this past January, I heard a trucker on the CB asking where the closest fuel stop was then asking if anyone could spare few gallons of diesel to help. I have a 100 gal transfer tank in my truck to fill the equipment with at the jobsites. I found out where he was and put about 15 gallons into his tank, made sure that he fired up and headed down the highway.

Toyman

[Snowbunny]

When my son was a baby, I was driving down the freeway, through the "bad" side of town, and passed a car with a woman and three little kids sitting along the side of the road. A mile later, I came upon a man rolling a tire. I pulled over and asked him if he would like a ride, and proceeded to put the baby seat in the back. He hesitated and said, "But you have a baby,,, Are you sure?" I said, "Are you going to hurt me and my baby?" He said, "Well, no."

I said, "Wasn't that your car back there, with your wife and kids in it?" he said it was. I mentioned that they are in way more danger than I am, and he better get in so we can go get the tire fixed and get him back to his family!

I drove him to a gas station, waited for them to fix the tire and drove him back to his car. He was very grateful, and I was relieved to find his family safe when we got back to his car!! I truly believe in karma,, I know what goes around comes around!!

[NumberDummy]

Ach du lieber!

How about The Order of the Blue Oval instead of the Blue Max.

The Blue Max (Blauer Max) was an informal name for the Pour le Merite, the highest military decoration a member of the German Military could attain prior to 1919.

Herman Goring, Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) and Erwin Rommel were among those awarded a Blue Max.

[Greywolf]

Originally Posted by NumberDummy

Ach du lieber!

How about The Order of the Blue Oval instead of the Blue Max.

The Blue Max (Blauer Max) was an informal name for the Pour le Merite, the highest military decoration a member of the German Military could attain prior to 1919.

Herman Goring, Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron) and Erwin Rommel were among those awarded a Blue Max.

I'm well aware of that - but this is a different Max. Maybe "BLUE OVAL MAX"? I dunno, I kinda like the original. In my mind I see a trucker back in the seventies waving to some very relieved people from his big rig.

[Mil1ion]

Beats Maximillion or MaxiMil1ion Schell

[Greywolf]

I figured it out - I know what's wrong with it.

THE Blue Max is the NAZI medal.
"Blue Max" is the guy.

So it should be "OF Blue Max", not "of THE Blue Max".


It also should not be an "ORDER", rather it ought to be a SORORITY or FRATERNITY (according to GENDER).

THUS: "FTE Fraternity of Blue Max" in my case. "FTE Sorority of Blue Max" in Snowbunnies case....

Sound right?

I'd say use the smallest type option (so as not to stick out like a big brag), the color blue, and if you can manage it - a link to this thread on it.
-Which will make it blue anyway...

We just do it, it ain't no big thing.

But I still think THAT TRUCKER deserves to be remembered for what he did.


"MONGO only small COG in great wheel of universe..."

[bigrigfixer]

Do I need to include details? I've stopped for a couple car accidents, using my Ranger to block traffic for accident victims. There's a couple other times I just can't think of right now...

[NumberDummy]

Originally Posted by Greywolf

THE Blue Max is the NAZI medal.

The Blue Max was never a Nazi medal, or any kind of medal at all.

It was officially refered to as an Order.

The Order of the Pour le Merite (Blue Max) was originated by King Frederick II of Prussia in 1740.

It became extinct on November 9, 1918 when Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated and was never awarded again as a military order.
The Nazi Party (NSDAP-National Socialist German Workers Party) was founded in 1919.

It didn't come to power until Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg in 1933.

Hindenburg died in 1934, and Hitler then combined the offices of Chancellor and President into one.

[rebocardo]

> If you help someone out, post here

That would not be in the Blue Max spirit for me ;-)

When I drove a larger truck I always had an air compressor, tire repair kit, and floor jack with me. I still keep a full toobox usually, one time I let the AAA guy borrow tools to help someone

I do keep an air compressor in the wife's car though.

[Bdox]

It is a testimony to the higher quality and reliability of cars, trucks and tires that you see far fewer cars stranded by the road.

These days, most of the vehicles I see on the roadside are stopped for reasons other than breakdowns and flats.

In the seventies, I worked as a technician, had a 25 mile commute on southern interstate 5. Then, I think that I was helping a minimum of three stranded motorists per week.

I think that, (when was it, 1978 or so?) electronic ignition took over, vehicles became far more reliable. People would drive their cars until the points failed or closed up and that might be a yearly event, superceded by solid state ignition. Discounting flat tires, I think that old fashioned ignition was the greatest source of failures.

But now with GPS you don't see as many people pulled over to read maps. And with cell phones (assuming they have reception,) people are able to get help on their own.

I think that most of the breakdowns I see these days is not flats, but overheating. But then I live in the mountains.

[Mil1ion]

I have helped so many people on the road, It could be called:

The "Out of the Blue Spirit Group"

[F350-6]

I pulled a garbage truck that had run out of fuel to the gas station today. Does that count? Actually I've helped several folks out over the years with flats, a short tow, loaning tools, etc., but the best story is when I told my daughter (now 19) that I wouldn't let here get her license until she could drive a stick, check her tires, change her oil, and change a flat by herself. Of course she thought it was all stupid until 6 months later when a boy at school had a flat and couldn't figure out how to change his own tire. She walked up and said get out of my way, and proceeded to change his tire for him (at the only high school in a town of 1200). That poor boy still gets made fun of and I've never been more proud.

[Greywolf]

That must have been a heckkuvva sight! A gigantic boilerplate dinosaur being pulled by a powerstroke with 245K miles on it's clock...

THAT is Ford Tough!!!