A Change is Gonna Come
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 7:57AM by Annie Vieira
Sometimes I fear that Brooks and Kent may have been in a beer-happy state when they hired me. I have spent countless hours scrapping ideas, editing, re-writing, and self-consciously criticizing each word I commit to paper. When I first started writing for Double Decker PDX, I was given very little direction. Brooks and Kent had always intended to keep a chronicle of their progress, but planned on writing it themselves and had little idea of where or even how to begin. Then, after that fateful beer-laden evening when I stepped in as their writer, it became me that had little idea of where or even how to begin. Just as Brooks and Kent had to structure and develop the company with cursory experience and only a vague, hopeful vision to guide them, I similarly had never written a blog before––moreover, I had never really written anything of consequence before and certainly nothing that could effect much beyond my own immediate reality. Writing for Double Decker PDX is a task I do not take lightly. While I was raised to approach any job with the proper reverence and hard work, this situation is augmented by the fact that Brooks and Kent are two of my dearest friends. I have an emotional stake in the future of this business that stems from the unassuming desire to simply see the people you love succeed in what they love. I wanted this blog to be about more than merely a business or a bus––I wanted the world to know my friends, to truly believe in the people steering the (literal and figurative) Double Decker PDX wheel, and to root for their success as much as I will continue to do.
My first objective for the blog was to introduce Brooks and Kent as co-owners as well as people and individuals. I had no idea how to describe my friends or where I should begin, until one day I walked to a coffee shop, bought myself a latte, and told myself to just sit down and write whatever came to mind. Some of what I wrote that afternoon ended up in the blog and some of it will remain nothing more than barely legible thoughts jotted down in a notebook; however, what that exercise did was force me to really consider my friends in a way one doesn’t normally appraise their buddies. I thought about how I saw Brooks and Kent after years of knowing them, but also how someone else might see them––be it a client, a vendor, a financier, or even another employee. It occurred to me that not everyone would see them through my eyes, as hard-workers, loyal friends, and as two people with genuinely good hearts and the best of intentions. It is an unfortunate truth but we live in society where each of is susceptible to judgment and scrutiny based on little more than our appearance. As reprehensible as this may sound, we are all guilty of it and no one is impervious to it––including Brooks and Kent.
Allow me to paint you a picture to illustrate my point. Imagine, for a moment, that you are a hard-laboring, long-hour working auto-mechanic, your capable hands are protectively sheathed with an indelible layer of calluses, you have dirt under your nails, your boots are worn, and your pants are covered in grease. You are sweating under the hood of whatever car you have been diligently working on all morning when in walk Brooks Thompson and Kent Metcalf. You look at them with their young faces and confident smiles. “What can I do for you?” you ask, and they launch into some long-winded story about doing a full restoration and renovation of a double decker bus. These spoiled kids have no clue the amount of Daddy’s money this will cost and how many hours I would have to invest into their little hobby, you think as they ramble through their list of ideas. “You guys are in way over your heads,” you tell them with zero effort to disguise the contempt in your voice, “I think you boys are in the wrong place.”
Now take that scene and replay it––in some variation––about 12 times over and you might have a small idea of what Brooks and Kent experienced in their search for a mechanic. From workman to investors to clients, the effort to appear professional but not pretentious, young and fun but not naive, and innovative but not untrustworthy, could render even the most experienced businessmen rather ineffectual in the endeavor to please everybody. It wasn’t long before Brooks and Kent registered this inescapable fact and quickly realized that if they were to succeed as professionals all they could do was remain committed to the values, image, and standards they decided upon for themselves––the rest, they hoped, would follow as fate intended.
After returning from Boise and seeing a double decker bus up close and in person, they had a clearer picture of what work their bus would ultimately require and a stronger vision of what they, in turn, wanted to do. Their initial plan was to maintain as much of the original bus as possible. Through online searches they came into contact with Mark Golding, the head of the British Bus Club, who advised them to use the original engine with new modern brakes––an avenue which seemed most economical and was really the only way they knew how to get the bus into working condition. Time and again, the boys would find a mechanic who sounded encouraging on the phone, then visit the shop a few days later where said mechanic would take one look at these two young men, hear the copious amount of work they wanted done and the time frame they wanted it done in, and waste no time sending them on their way with an explicit and resolute “no.” Each time they entered a shop it seemed as though the decision had already been made. Few mechanics were willing to give them the 5 minutes to hear their pitch, much less the 5 months it would take to do the actual work. As to why they were continuously turned away, I can only speculate; however, words like entitled or yuppies come to mind. Whether it was indeed the result of an underlying prejudice toward their age and fictitious perception based on their customary attire or people truly just did not have the time, one thing was clear––if the world of Portland auto-mechanics was an exclusive club, Brooks and Kent had certainly been blackballed.
Eventually, however, while browsing double decker internet forums, Brooks and Kent found a photo of a bus owned by Mike Hale, owner and founder of Hale’s Ales, a Seattle based brewery and pub. From the picture, Brooks noticed a difference in the wheels and decided to contact Mike for any inventive recommendations. Mike told them that rather than keeping many of the original parts, he instead had done a complete modern conversion of his bus with an International DT466 engine, as well as modern air brakes, axels, and transmission. In the meantime, just when they were acclimating to feelings of rejection, Brooks and Kent finally found a mechanic who’s enthusiastic British ex-business partner encouraged him to take the job. Soon after, the two men met Brooks and Kent at NW Auto Works where the bus was parked at that time. The mechanics toured the vehicle and listened to the alternate approach suggested by Mike Hale. Yet, despite their initial interest, they were quickly intimidated from accepting such a substantial undertaking. “You boys are crazy––that is just way too much work,” they told them. “How about we just rebuild the original motor and then teach you how to drive it?”
Now, while this may sound like a kind offer––if I may interject for a moment––I would like to expound on how this proposal left both Brooks and Kent feeling slightly indignant. Primarily, for those who don’t know him, if I was asked to describe Brooks Thompson, the first things that would likely come to mind are (a) Brooks Thompson could sell ice to an eskimo––granted that eskimo might walk away wondering what the hell hit him, but happily with ice in hand nonetheless. And (b) Brooks Thompson can drive just about anything. Seriously. You could probably put some wheels on a lump of dirt and Brooks would figure out a way to drive it. In other words, Brooks is a maestro of vehicles. Put that man behind the wheel of even the most recalcitrant or temperamental of cars and he will find a way to coerce it into submission. To assume otherwise is akin to the assumption that one could teach Beethoven to play the piano or instruct Vince Carter on how to dunk a basketball... well, maybe not quite... but you get the point.
Kent’s indignation, on the other hand, was precipitated by an entirely different supposition. If I were subsequently asked to describe Kent Metcalf, the first thing that might come to mind are the many ways in which Kent is dad-like. Not only would it not be terribly far-fetched to mistake Kent and Brooks as a babysitter diligently caring for his charge, but the guy also dresses better than any 23 year-old I know. That said, beyond the scruff and the dapper threads, even in spirit Kent seems wiser than most––an old soul perhaps. And the notion that he would allow factors like time and cost to weigh out over safety and reliability, is not only contrary to his very nature but overlooks the crucial fact that providing a service of the safest and highest quality has always been and will continue to be the highest priority for Double Decker PDX.
In the end, Brooks and Kent stood by their principles. They ultimately found a mechanic who specialized in the custom building of cars rather than a standard repair mechanic. Shortly after finding their mechanic John online, Brooks and Kent pulled up to NW Auto Works to find John already crawling under, over, and around every inch of their bus. John embraced the concept of a modern conversion and eagerly welcomed the complexity and hard work it would surly necessitate. Most importantly, he understood the ethos prompting the renovation––that it wasn’t about perverting the heart and soul of the bus, but rather preserving the historic beauty while adding the security and reliability of a newer vehicle. From there, things began to fall into place. Within days, Brooks, Kent, and John drove up to Seattle to take a closer look at Mike Hale’s bus. A week later they purchased a pristine condition International 4700 donor truck that matched perfectly. And now, nearly every day, Brooks and Kent make the drive out to Troutdale where Candy continues to be lovingly renovated by John and his protégé Hilario while patiently awaiting her public debut.
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Reader Comments (4)
Annie, Great writing! I would love to see some pictures of the progress! That in itself could be a great ongoing article!
Annie, I have enjoyed each part of the "story" thus far. Your writing draws me in every time a new entry appears. I can't wait to encounter Candy. I'm curious about changes of the interior of the bus and hope you'll be describing some of those along the way.
Thanks for the good story line. We're hoping for the great success of Candy and her travels. Good luck to all of you!!
Annie, I have enjoyed each part of the "story" thus far. Your writing draws me in every time a new entry appears. I can't wait to encounter Candy. I'm curious about changes of the interior of the bus and hope you'll be describing some of those along the way.
Thanks for the good story line. We're hoping for the great success of Candy and her travels. Good luck to all of you!!
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