Conshohocken, PA—I Vote it the Best Place to Break Down in a Car

There I was, driving down the Penn turnpike, dodging trucks and thinking, "wow, this trip is truly uneventful so far," when the gods-of-travel decided to make me eat my words.

That ended me up on the side of the road, calling for help and after towage-- paying 300 dollars for an alternator.

All in all, a pain in the ass, but not the worst thing in the world because I got to hang out with the lovely men of Coshohocken, PA (at the Conshohocken Exxon ServiceCenter) for sic hours.

George. Older man. Hangs out at the gas station/garage where my car was getting worked on. For two hours he talked to me. He worked at the Pentagon during the war (not sure which one was). Made a fortune. Lost a fortune. Married for twelve years. She walked out. He refers to the owner of the station and his son as Bill and “The Boy”.

Bill Ivens: Nicest man ever. But gets seriously wigged out when a woman cries. Seriously. I think he got a little freaked. But a classic alpha male in that if you ask him how the work is going, he'll tell you the truth.

Me, “How’s it going?”
Bill, “Not well.”
Me, “What?!”
Bill, “Would you rather I lie?”

How do you answer that? What I really wanted was to not have asked the question. After I started crying, I think Bill felt much the same way.

The Boy: Also known as Raymond. Good kid and a total cutie. Doesn’t drink because he thinks woman wont want a man that drinks. Ray—you’re right. Women do not like drunks. But learning wine is always a good thing.

Also told me that George checks the pay phone when he leaves. Does it everyday. I love details like that.

And I love small towns. This one is worth checking out. Especially if your car breaks down.