A favorite truck
1950 Chevy pickup, Nephew Ted painted it black for me.
Now:
I am still a licensed General Contractor, but I never left off being a carpenter. My favorite thing in that life was driving nails. Carpenters compete driving nails on break. What we call a nail about 3” long is 16 penny or a ‘sinker’. A nail about 2 ½ inches is an 8 penny nail. A great carpenter can sink a #16 nail with a tap to set and a hit to send it home into Canadian Pine. I never succeeded with the 16 (I used two hits) but I could do the one hit with a #8. On the job, I didn’t mind being the sawyer, but I much preferred driving nails.
The first house I built I actually did not know the lumber yard would deliver my lumber at no charge, so I hauled it all myself to save money. (Yeah, I always learned the hard way it seemed, besides being cheap).
So over the years if I really needed supplies I hauled them vs waiting to fit their schedule. So one day the crew needed some vinyl siding. I jumped in my pickup and headed for Charlotte to get some. With it loaded I headed for the job. I never locked my doors and the windows were open since I did not have A/C. At the first stop sign, a BIG DUDE opened the passenger door and got in. There was no threat other than the surprise and his size. “Y’all will take me down the road to McDonalds, won’t you.”
I am sure I stuttered, but I did say, “Yeah Hop in.” Of course he was already in and the door closed.
Needless to say that 2 miles seemed a long ways.
“You can drop me off up there,” he pointed at the McDonalds Arches. After he got out he called back, “I’ll send you a couple bucks for gas.”
He was out of the truck, so by now I felt a little cocky and asked, “Where you gonna sent it?”
“Never worry, I 'gets' your address, no problem.”
There was never a verbal or physical threat but the message was conveyed…………….. From that day on in Charlotte, my truck doors were locked.
Any scary moments in your life?
Nite Shipslog
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7 comments:
Oh my, that would be scary. I've never had anything like that happen but do always keep my doors locked Scary things happen to others every day and I'm just wise enough to head others warnings. Better safe tha sorry and it only takes a moment to lock up the doors. I don't even like to roll my windows down all the way and like it best when they are 3/4 the way up. So glad you were safe and there was no problems other than the scare of your life. Good warning for all. Thanks !
That was scary! I'm sure you were kept safe by the prayers Sherry had prayed for you through the years and probably even that same day! I haven't had anything like that happen. My hubby has taught me to remember to lock my car doors manually when I get back into them. Our car doors don't automatically lock until we're going about 15-20 miles an hour. So now when I sit down in the car, I immediately lock the doors manually. We just got to be careful out there.
betty
AT a young age my dad always told me lock your doors. The only problem you will have is if you happen to lock your keys in too! Once when our kids were small, we worked opposite each other so we could be with the kids. My mother-in-law had given my hubby her Big old Plymouth and it was hot and we locked our doors but a homeless man approached the car at a red light. zhe wanted a ride to the social security office. It happened that in Denver there is an office right across the rode from where we were. I wished him well and he walked across the street. A few weeks later on a Saturday morning, we were working and who should walk in? That homeless man with his Zee Zee Topp beard. Actually they probably copied him. I worked in Admissions in the UCHSC and he had been burned. Fell asleep with a cigarette and caught himself on fire. He was an pout patient burn patient so we got him safely to his destination. My girlfriend chuckled. He had told us he parked cars at a lot downtown and he reeked of whiskey. Sharon said it was probably good for him to work but he should cut back the whiskey. He was very kind to us and we told him we would pray for him during his treatment. I Love that truck you have. My father-in-law had a mint green Dodge truck similar in age and style. My late BIL inherited it and who knows who he sold it too. Breaks my hubbys heart as he loved that truck.We were not certain of the year but it was such a beauty. My neighbor up the road has a big ole CHevy truck in a pale aqua blue color. But I think it is from the 1960's. Ah.....memories. Thank you for sharing and glad you were safe that day. HUGS to both you and your sweet sherry.
Wow. I'm sure it was easier to take him to McDonalds than to tell him no, right?
I have had some really scary moments in my first marriage that make me wonder how I'm even still alive but I never picked up a hitch hiker.
Keep your doors locked and gun cocked.
Lisa
Good grief, Jack!?! That's too bizarre to even contemplate the logic! So much personal-privileged information floating around these days. I used to keep an address book, but anymore I just Google someone's name and ask for an address. 9 times out of 10, it's all there on my screen in just seconds.
Me? Too many to share here, but you may have given me another good idea for a future post.
LOVE THAT TRUCK!!!! LOVE OLD CHEVY TRUCKS, no matter what.! So glad things worked out with the hitch-hiker that just helped himself into your truck. Scary stuff. The big scare I had was self inflicted during divorce...I drove like a maniac going 'way' too fast.......Jesus took the wheel because as I slowed down praying for my kids, I couldn't even see through the tears. God sure works in mysterious ways. I'm still thanking Him.
love n' hugs from up north where we got rained on today. The gardens were pretty dry
Oh my that had to be scary - did he send you the money?
When we first lived here - i was trying to merge on an expressway - they do not know what merging is here by the way. Well I got on the expressway to go to the mall finally and I did yell, "Have you ever heard of merging?. Well they followed me to the mall. I was with my mom and young Kelly. Needless to say we lost them and didn't shop that mall.
I will always remember that.
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