Nostalgia: Two True Stories

We were watching the storm coverage tonight [as if there is anything else on] and a reporter was detailing the wreck of a snow plow into a tunnel. Seems Mr. Snow Plow Driver had left the bed of his truck up and attempting to enter the tunnel decimated it. The tunnel is now closed. Indefinitely.

Which made me remember my days of being married to a man [SR] who worked for a trucking company who just so happened to have the contract for plowing snow in our local 'burb.

My first husband was in charge of dispatching and keeping track of his band of snow plow drivers when they were sent out - and there were quite a few snowfalls during our marriage. Plowing snow is a boring, tedious and lonnnnnnnnnnng process. They can be out for 8, 12 or 14 hours at a time to handle large amounts of snow. This is important. :D

I have many funny and harrowing tales of the escapades of the plow drivers, but two always come to mind when I see something like on tonight's news.

- A plow driver has been out most of the night, diligently doing his job when suddenly he is pulled over by local law enforcement for, apparently, not plowing too straight. Upon questioning the plow driver the police officer smells alcohol and asks the driver to please step out of the truck. Opening the door to the truck the officer notices an empty bottle of Jack Daniels tumble out from under the driver's seat. He asks the plow driver "Can you explain this?" and the driver slurs "Oh, yeah. That. I was using that to come down off of all the cocaine I took earlier."

Nice.

- One very seasoned and well liked snow plow driver seemed to have a slight problem with his next door neighbor. No one knew this as well they shouldn't - since it was an off work kind of thing, but my husband inadvertently dispatched this nice driver to plow his own neighborhood thinking he could pop in and get a bite to eat and see his family [as I said these were long days/nights]. Well, plow driver man didn't stop for a bite to eat or even a wave. Instead he decided it would be a good idea to plow all of the snow from his street into his neighbor's driveway. All of it. FEET of it. It all ended up on his neighbor's property, basically blocking the drive, the yard and the mailbox. This was going to take a long time to melt let's just say. The only problem with the driver's diabolical plan? He didn't realize his neighbor was the Chief of Police for their city. Yep.

Duh.

I have more, but those two are my favorite. Please understand that 95% of the drivers were great, well respected, hard working family men - but as in any profession you get a couple of crazies.