There was a funny story that happened coming back from a trip to North Carolina this weekend. I was driving back, and Kevin and Lyida Zinn were with me. We had gotten lost looking for a turn-off around the TN/NC/VA border, and so we pulled off at a convenience store to ask for directions. We were needing to get headed to Johnson City.
Kevin had talked to the person at the counter for directions, and then he started walking over to get a map and started looking at it. I had come in, and we were looking at the map together. A couple of other guys came in, sort-of rough looking, with dirty teeth. One a young guy, the other older. By that time, the woman had finished up with what she was doing behind the counter, and she came over to where we were looking at the map and gave some more detailed directions. The guys asked where we were going, and we said, "through Johnson City to Knoxville." One of the guys answered, "We're going to Knoxville too. Got to make a stop in Elizabethton first." "Oh yeah?" I asked, "Going to Knoxville?" The young one piped in, "Well, actually to California. We're going there and coming back . . Taking our truck out there", nodding his head in the direction of his vehicle.
Kevin and I were looking out and seeing the truck that was at the pumps. It was a pickup with big mud tires and was hauling two racing-style go-carts on a trailer. My first thought was "You delivering those out to the buyer in California?" But that sort-of Ebay thought sounded stupid to me so I tried to think of some other question to get the comprehension ball rolling. I tentatively offered, "Are you going racing?" Look of incomprehension. "No, we're hauling coat hangers . . . plastic coat hangers . . just went out there to California last week . . " You have to imagine my surprise. I'm looking out and seeing a truck with an open bed, clearly not hauling any big loads back there, with two go-carts that are open on the tops and on the sides. And I'm thinking, "Is this guy serious? Where's he putting the coat hangers? This seems like a pretty stupid endeavor, hauling 50 coat hangers out to California" I am wrestling with the absurdity of this idea and also wondering if "hauling coat hangers" is some sort of code sign for hauling drugs or some sort of illegal activity. Kevin told me he was thinking the same thing, "Ah yeah. (Wink, wink). Coat hangers? I got you. whisper - We won't tell anyone." Or maybe that coat hangers meant they were transporting illegal aliens.
Finally, we realize he is referencing the truck behind, and we see a standard tractor trailer truck that would clearly make hauling out a load of coat hangers a more serious proposition. When we got back into the car, we were just howling with laughter, talking about what we were thinking while the conversation was going on and now that we knew, all the comedic possibilities of this situation. We pondered the hilarious gap between our understanding and theirs. We imagined the other guys talking in their truck and having the same conversation. "Racing?! Did he think we were going racing in a tractor trailer truck?" We thought to ourselves, "What city people we are." Of course Lydia let us know that she saw the truck all the time, which was even funnier. Classic example of women knowing what's going on and men having no clue.
Oh my!
Kevin had talked to the person at the counter for directions, and then he started walking over to get a map and started looking at it. I had come in, and we were looking at the map together. A couple of other guys came in, sort-of rough looking, with dirty teeth. One a young guy, the other older. By that time, the woman had finished up with what she was doing behind the counter, and she came over to where we were looking at the map and gave some more detailed directions. The guys asked where we were going, and we said, "through Johnson City to Knoxville." One of the guys answered, "We're going to Knoxville too. Got to make a stop in Elizabethton first." "Oh yeah?" I asked, "Going to Knoxville?" The young one piped in, "Well, actually to California. We're going there and coming back . . Taking our truck out there", nodding his head in the direction of his vehicle.
Kevin and I were looking out and seeing the truck that was at the pumps. It was a pickup with big mud tires and was hauling two racing-style go-carts on a trailer. My first thought was "You delivering those out to the buyer in California?" But that sort-of Ebay thought sounded stupid to me so I tried to think of some other question to get the comprehension ball rolling. I tentatively offered, "Are you going racing?" Look of incomprehension. "No, we're hauling coat hangers . . . plastic coat hangers . . just went out there to California last week . . " You have to imagine my surprise. I'm looking out and seeing a truck with an open bed, clearly not hauling any big loads back there, with two go-carts that are open on the tops and on the sides. And I'm thinking, "Is this guy serious? Where's he putting the coat hangers? This seems like a pretty stupid endeavor, hauling 50 coat hangers out to California" I am wrestling with the absurdity of this idea and also wondering if "hauling coat hangers" is some sort of code sign for hauling drugs or some sort of illegal activity. Kevin told me he was thinking the same thing, "Ah yeah. (Wink, wink). Coat hangers? I got you. whisper - We won't tell anyone." Or maybe that coat hangers meant they were transporting illegal aliens.
Finally, we realize he is referencing the truck behind, and we see a standard tractor trailer truck that would clearly make hauling out a load of coat hangers a more serious proposition. When we got back into the car, we were just howling with laughter, talking about what we were thinking while the conversation was going on and now that we knew, all the comedic possibilities of this situation. We pondered the hilarious gap between our understanding and theirs. We imagined the other guys talking in their truck and having the same conversation. "Racing?! Did he think we were going racing in a tractor trailer truck?" We thought to ourselves, "What city people we are." Of course Lydia let us know that she saw the truck all the time, which was even funnier. Classic example of women knowing what's going on and men having no clue.
Oh my!
posted by David at 3:30 PM
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