On using someone else's sewing machine

[macabre-grrl.livejournal.com]

Things I have noticed while using sewing machines (secondhand in any form, of any age):

No one ever has the right manual, ever.
The extra feet are often missing.
The zipper foot is almost definitely missing.
The bobbin always falls out of its spot.
The thread tensioner has been fucked with mercilessly.
The stitch length thingy usually won't stay where you set it.

By and large though, the first two are always the problem. I so need that zipper foot, but NO!!!!! It's nowhere to be found.