This is a true story that happened to a left handed employee where I work. This was his second day driving an 18-wheel truck to pick up waste tires to be recycled.

As I said it was Gerald’s second day working for the tire recycler, one of his duties is to pick up trailers loaded with old tires from the various landfills in the area and drop off empty ones. He was given some basic directions to the Enoree County landfill. The directions do not mention a sharp bend in the road immediately before the entrance.

Gerald missed the entrance, but saw a place to turn around a couple hundred feet up. Can you guess how much room a truck tractor and a 53 foot trailer need to spin 180 degrees? Gerald could not. We are talking the tractor in a five foot ditch on one side, the trailer back end in a deep ditch on the other, and the landing gear stuck on the road in the middle. He was stuck- completely and totally stuck! The time is 12:50pm, this will be important later.

He called the office, called the tow company, informed the sheriff’s office, and waited. And waited. And waited. Now, as you have probably figured out, the road is completely blocked. Unless you have a four wheel drive truck with really big tires you cannot make it though the ditch and around the truck. The tow truck was called at 12:58pm, by their records.

Now every town has a cut through, that is a road with nothing to slow you down, that connects the main population areas, and that you don’t hear about until you have lived there for several years. This road was the county’s cut through. The locals were not pleased to have their favorite stretch of road blocked. They yelled, cussed, hand gestured, and such things. Many just shook their heads and laughed.

After the second hour of waiting, the tow truck had a ways to go to get to him, let alone through the traffic jam Gerald had created, Gerald noticed some of the same people for the second, third or even the fourth time. He decided that they were showing the accident to their friends, family, and neighbors. At this point a Department of Transportation road maintenance crew started doing some road work right at the same spot as the truck. They made it even harder for the trucks to go around; more hand gestures and ugly words.

By the third hour, Gerald and the road crew were on a first name basis. They had started waving to the repeat visitors and the more obnoxious drivers. The road crew was taking a break, leaning against the truck with Gerald, all of them having a high old good time. 		A car drives up. A young man driving. The young man acts upset and impatient. Gerald tells the boy to turn around, that his car will never make it through the ditch. The boy thought he was smarter than the man that could not turn around. He was not smarter. His car gets stuck in the ditch. To which Joe (did I tell you that Gerald was now friends with the road crew?) asked Gerald, “Didn’t you tell that boy Not to try that? “Yep. Yep, I did.”

The boy is still pondering his options, when Gerald’s tow arrives. The tow truck has to move the boy’s car to get Gerald out. The time is now 3:15pm. Boy’s free, and he did not have to own up to Mom, and it did cost him a thing. The boy drives off. It takes an hour, but finally Gerald is loose also. The time is now 4:45pm.

Before Gerald even gets free, an irate female calls, about 3:45pm, asking for the manager. One of our trucks just jackknifed in front of her son, forcing him off the road. Larry, the Manager, asks the lady when and where did this happen. It was possible that another driver had problems, and had not had a chance to notify us. “Just a few minutes ago on Garner Cayce Rd. next to the landfill. Now what are you going to do about the car?”

“Did he call the police?”

“No, he had to get home. Just tell me who insures your trucks. And I do not like your attitude.”

“Ma’am, that truck wrecked almost three hours ago. It has not moved since lunch time.”

“Are you calling my son a liar? He has a witness to the whole thing!”

“Ma’am there is no attitude. I am simply giving you the facts. That truck was not moving at the time your son said he wrecked.”

“I can’t believe you are calling my son and daughter (a.k.a. The Witness) liars. I can’t believe you are not going to do anything about my son’s car!”

“I’m not calling anyone a liar, but I’m not paying for anything on your son’s car.”

“Well. You WILL hear from my lawyer!”

I would hate to be those children! Who you do you think got in worse trouble, the one that wrecked and lied or the one that lied to help cover everything up? I bet neither one had to worry about driving or even sitting for a long time. And we have yet to hear from her lawyer, two months later.