“Just get to the point,” my wife often tells me. She doesn’t like my longwinded
setups that I feel are necessary to a story. Too wordy, she says. My computer
sometimes agrees with her. With that in mind, I’ll try to keep this short.
When I was a kid, during one of our family’s many travels, we saw a bum
or, vagrant if you prefer, who had caught a ride inside a brand new car being
transported by truck—a car hauler. Or, as truck drivers call them, a portable
parking lot. A modern-day hobo who’d traded riding the rails for more luxurious
accommodations. The guy seemed quite content; dry and comfortable on his
journey to wherever he was going. At the time we thought it was odd but later I
learned that this happened quite a bit due to the cars being left unlocked
during transport— a practice that has since been changed. Apparently, the car
companies didn’t like the idea of new cars showing up at the dealership with
that lived-in look.
I’ve hauled cars a few times in my illustrious trucking career, and
mindful of the possibility, I always made sure to check the vehicles for
unwanted passengers anytime I had stopped. Like the car companies, I’m not in
to giving out free rides. I never had the “pleasure” of finding any passengers,
although I have seen a few from my lofty perch in the cab of my truck.
These days, with the electronic locks and advanced alarms, stowaways on
car haulers aren’t much of a problem. Sure, these sophisticated systems can
easily be defeated provided you have the right equipment but the typical
vagrant seeking a cheap fare doesn’t usually carry an RF transmitter capable of
accessing the Remote Keyless Entry. And even if they did, I’m pretty sure they
wouldn’t have the technological knowledge to use it.
Consequently, it’s been several years since I’ve seen anyone bumming a
ride in a portable parking lot. That is, until this past week. I was passing a
car hauler and glanced over just in time to see the guy—stretched out in the
back seat of a Dodge Charger.
And the point of all of this? (I hear my wife asking). Nothing really.
Just something to ponder as you make your next vehicle purchase.
______________________________________
Current Read
Inside Room 913
Bruce A. Borders
SPOTLIGHT Author
Kathryn Treat
Allergic To Life
_________________________________
Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books,
including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage
Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett
Series. Available in ebook and paperback on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords, or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com.
Amazon Profile - http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS
Bruce A. Borders also serves as the Vice President of Rave Reviews Book Club http://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com
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