Truth is Stranger than Fiction
Posted by John W. on Monday, February 23, 2009
I was puttering along one Sunday mornin last November about 3AM happy that I'd made $140 driving drunks around in my cab until then when I heard a loud bang.Since I was passing by the local jail lockup,I didn't think much of it.Ten more miles up the road and I found out it was my 95 Toyota PU that made the bang.It quit running soon as I crossed the bridge leaving New Hanover County into Pender County on Holly Shelter Road,not one of the busiesthighways at that time of day!
My cell was in a dead zone,so I wrapped up in one of the wife's wraps while shivering and waiting for a rescue.At 3:30AM another pickup came roaring by about 70mph.I didn't much blame them for not stopping on this desolate stretch of country road,but hoped he would at least call 911 and get me rescued.Long about AM another pickup flew by.Little did I know,the wife was calling 911 by then and being told to check the local hospitals etc.I guess the dispatchers often got calls from worried wives at that time of day!
Well long about 4:30 NC Sate Trooper Hankins arrived for the rescue.He was a great big broadchested man.He and I pushed my PU off onto the shoulder out of the highway then sat in his nice warm cruiser waiting for the wrecker he called.I asked him how he had the guts to pull someone over in the wee hours of the day and walk up to their car window.He said he asked for God's protection everyday when he got in the car.Then he asked me what I did for a living.When I told him I was a Cabby,he let out a roar of laughter and asked me how I had the guts to do that.I told him the same thing he told me!Lots of prayers!
Well the wrecker arrived and rode me and truck the rest of the way home-Surf City,$80 poorer.The mechanic got the rest next day.So the night was a loser,as was the night before.Little did I know then my cabbing days were over.Driving days too shortly!
My cell was in a dead zone,so I wrapped up in one of the wife's wraps while shivering and waiting for a rescue.At 3:30AM another pickup came roaring by about 70mph.I didn't much blame them for not stopping on this desolate stretch of country road,but hoped he would at least call 911 and get me rescued.Long about AM another pickup flew by.Little did I know,the wife was calling 911 by then and being told to check the local hospitals etc.I guess the dispatchers often got calls from worried wives at that time of day!
Well long about 4:30 NC Sate Trooper Hankins arrived for the rescue.He was a great big broadchested man.He and I pushed my PU off onto the shoulder out of the highway then sat in his nice warm cruiser waiting for the wrecker he called.I asked him how he had the guts to pull someone over in the wee hours of the day and walk up to their car window.He said he asked for God's protection everyday when he got in the car.Then he asked me what I did for a living.When I told him I was a Cabby,he let out a roar of laughter and asked me how I had the guts to do that.I told him the same thing he told me!Lots of prayers!
Well the wrecker arrived and rode me and truck the rest of the way home-Surf City,$80 poorer.The mechanic got the rest next day.So the night was a loser,as was the night before.Little did I know then my cabbing days were over.Driving days too shortly!