[at-l] northbounder

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley7)]

At 07:18 AM 4/9/01 -0400, Mark Hudson wrote:\
>And to top the weekend off, I arrived back at the parking lot to find that
>the car door had quite closed all the way, and the dome light had been on
>all weekend :  (.    Couldn't push the car through the mud and slush in the
>parking lot, or I would have roll started in down the hill, so I had to
>call a tow truck for a jump start... oh well...

Oh Skeeter.....bummer.....but it coulda been worse....
There once was a hiker who was an absolutely perfect partner until he replaced his ooold
ford truck with a fancy new car and became sooooo concerned about his car it not only 
disturbed his hike but anyone in the woods at the same time.  He'd lay mothballs around
it and still crawl under it to make sure the porky's hadn't gotten to it.  He worried that
someone would  hit it or break into it or steal it.    And he worried that he'd lose his keys.  
A slight exaggeration would be to say he'd get his keys out to check that he still had them at 
least six times a day.  I showed him the cord around my neck which keeps my keys, but
he  said that would be too much of a bother....HA!

One day, uncharacteristically, I was the one to start up trail first.  He didn't pass
me for a good half hour but I didn't ask what had delayed him.  The next two
days went fairly normally and very characteristically, he beat me back to the
car by a good hour.  When I hit the lot, I found him slumped. lumplike against his
car.  The rear passenger window was broken in and he was in tears.  Looked
like his fears had come true...someone broke into the car.  All the times he 
meticulously stripped everything from the car, even opening the glove box so prospective
thieves would see there was nothing to steal.....and some jerk had busted in anyway.

I didn't know what to say.......finally muttering "jerks...what freakin jerks".  He just shook
his head and I thought he mummered "No" through his tears.  I was trying to be 
supportive, but was a little concerned about getting him on his feet and hopefully 
in the car, with us on our way home.  Finally he looked up at me through teary eyes and said.
"I did it".

He continued " I lost the keys...I don't know where.  You know I had them this morning when
we broke camp.  I had them at my first break too, I think, but I don't have them now."  

"OK,"  I offered, "so you had to break your window to get to the spares...bummer..but it could have
happened to anyone."

"No spares in there" he said softly.  "I was afraid someone would break in and get the
spares and steal the car"

Beginning to worry I said, "So we have no spare?"

"Oh we have spares" he said, pointing to the wheel behind his back.  "I was afraid someone might 
be watching me hide the spares in the woods so I laid them on the ground and parked the car on them."

Poor guy.....having driven a 1960 era truck for so many years, he never noticed that newer cars
lock up the transmission and steering when you pull out the keys so he thought he only need to 
pop a window to put the car in gear and push it off the keys....

And i guess he never considered the the people watchnininthe woods could see him drive onto
his keys as well as they could see him hide the keys in the woods.  I'm proud that I never
pointed that out to him.  <g>  Fear can make you stupid sometimes.

Loooong roadwalk......................