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So you're getting ready to leave for work, not looking forward to biding your time in traffic and possibly thinking of an excuse to tell your boss while you're late.
You swing the key in the ignition and nothing happens. You try again a second time, it shows signs of life but then splutters to a stop. The cause could be a variety of things but at that point you need your car fixed as soon as possible, and you have no money to do so.
No charge
Cars can force an extra expense when maintenance or repairs are required and, depending on the severity of the problem, can leave you eating crackers until payday comes around again.
READ | 5 top tips for choosing a mechanic that won’t let you down
At this point you wished a mechanic friend owed you a favour or knew someone that would fix your car, and not refuse to take any payment. Unheard of right?
Meet Adam Ely - a former army veteran and helicopter mechanic who fixes cars at no charge and does all the work out of his driveway.
Do you know someone in the same mould as Adam? Email us, we'd like to hear about it.
He is the mechanic of Hard Luck Automotive Services, a nonprofit car repair service started by himself and his wife, Toni Ely, in the Oklahoma City area. According to the Washington Post, they came up with the idea for the shop after putting up a notice on Facebook.
Adam served in Afghanistan for four years and as a result of that stint, he developed asthma, hearing loss, and post-traumatic stress syndrome. He hasn't let that stopped him living his life and uses the skill set he learnt to help others without asking for anything in return.
It wasn't long before word of Adam's services got out. A parts store near his home offered discounts on parts for the client's cars Adam was working on, as well as TV personality Mike Rowe offering to pay to rent an auto garage for a year so that Ely wouldn’t have to make house calls in his truck, the Washington Post reported.
Dealerships in particular tend to charges arms and legs to diagnose and repair vehicles even for something minor. With Adam, the middleman is removed and his aim is to get the lowest price possible with the best workmanship.
Wouldn't it be great to have someone like Adam in South Africa?
Read the original article here.
Compiled by: Robin Classen
