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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us December 17, 2004 Rex Bounds, at your service By Lance Pugh For the Tidings The cold winter wind blew through a former Exxon service station, now pumpless and parked full of vehicles in various stages of repair. Off to one side a car covers the torso of a mechanic, wheeling on a "creeper" beneath the front, armed with a few wrenches and screwdrivers. Just as the first drops of rain begin to plop loudly on the metal zoo, a form emerges from under the engine, reaches under the hood for a tweak, then gets behind the wheel for a crank. Rex Bounds has been working on cars in Ashland since 1942, and is still going strong at the former Exxon gas station at the south Ashland interchange. Lance Pugh | For the Tidings The engine coughed once, then thundered to life as one hapless couple with four children beamed broad smiles as Rex Bounds, who has effected a quick repair, closes the hood and wishes this stranded family the best as they pull out and head for the Interstate. It was clear that the family was traveling on a shoestring, their mattress tied to the roof under a flapping tarp. Rex never presented them with a bill, treating them with a quiet dignity. This sort of rescue by Rex has been a regular part of his business, which first opened in April of 1969 as a Phillips 66 station. Some years later, after running as an Independent due to the Federal mandate that Phillips divest, Exxon came along, resulting in Bounds Exxon 66, also a play on Highway 66, which heads East out of Ashland towards Klamath Falls. Rex moved to Ashland from Springfield, Oregon in 1942. He first learned to work on cars in his back yard on Clay Street. His father ran a fleet of produce and logging trucks throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon, which always resulted in some vehicle in need of mechanical assistance. Rex's personal favorite was his Model T, which he repaired and drove to school at the age of 15. After a visit from the Ashland police, Rex stopped driving, but kept his tools handy, which would help him lend assistance to thousands over the years. In the year 2000, Rex stopped pumping gas, this due to an EPA mandate that all underground gas tanks be encased in a vault, the expense of which would have meant selling the station. He also discontinued Bounds Towing, giving him more focus in repairs and the rental of U-Haul trucks and trailers. As good as Rex is, newer cars are becoming so dependent on proprietary computer chips and extreme tolerances that mechanics at dealerships are becoming increasingly specialized, much like the medical profession. A good family practitioner is hard to find, especially one who doesn't instantly refer you to a specialist the first time you hiccup. Rex is like the family doctor of decades ago, that would provide a cure for most ailments and, more importantly, gave you personal attention while taking inventory of your needs and abilities. Service was given first, then, there was the matter of whether you could pay the bill. One day Rex was fixing an alternator for "a guy who looked like he didn't have two nickels to rub together." After the repair was finished the guy said to wait a minute while he got some money. He went into the back seat of his car, dug under a mountain of dirty clothes and pulled out a sock from which he extracted a wad of tightly rolled bills. As Rex explained: "It just goes to show that you can't really tell much by how people look or what they drive. Visually, this guy was down and out. Financially, he was carrying more cash than anyone in town." Over the years Rex has shared in many amusing situations, most at the station but this one near the top of the Siskiyou Pass: "We got a call about a lady in a Cadillac with no brakes. My dad drove up there in a little jeep and 20 feet of chain, planning on hooking up to her from behind and acting as her brakes as she descended into the valley. Dad told her not to go over 50 mph and when she got near the exit to take her foot off the gas and coast up to the exit so he could stop her. "Well, she took off down the hill and was soon going 75 mph, with dad flashing his lights, honking his horn and waiving his hands for her to get off the gas. She was going like mad when she came up to the exit. Dad had both feet on the brakes and his tires were smoking, looking like she'd pull them both into speeding cross traffic. By the time they pulled into the station dad was white as a sheet ... saying that he'd never try that thing again." As we spoke about the many changes that have taken place since he opened the station, Rex listed the many mills in Ashland that closed and how every square inch of downtown is being squeezed for maximum density. He could only shake his head with the mention of all the "redevelopment" going on downtown. Every square foot is being morphed into underground parking, retail, low-income apartments crowned by million-dollar condos. Such a grand business plan, such little attachment to the roots of our local business community. The disappearance of Harrison Auto Parts strikes Rex right in the gut. "I've been working with them all my life. It was Ashland's last link to the working man. Now it's gone, paving the way for more shops and downtown condos. A whole way of life has left our town while the wealthy build mansions and drive cars that can't easily be repaired by anyone except highly specialized mechanics at the dealerships. They, in turn, can't even fix their own cars without going to another dealership, another highly specialized and schooled mechanic. Parts are no longer repaired, they are simply swapped out." Though he works 60 hours a week, Rex enjoys the occasional trip to the coast, working in the yard and regular family reunions with his three daughters and a son who all live and work in the valley. I asked Rex what his plans might be for retirement. His eyes grew misty, his voice quavered, then he said: "A lot of people come to see me every day, needing help. As long as I can still get them back on the road every day will be busy, new and challenging." 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