Saturday, October 28, 2017

I was winning

After driving a four cylinder GMC Sonoma truck for a while, our son Randy bought himself a full size Chevy pickup with a V-8 engine. This was a pretty fast truck and the power behind that V-8 engine was the reason he always “accidentally” spun his tires when taking off from the stop sign at the end of our street. I had a talk with Randy about the black marks at the stop sign, and he just gave me a little grin while he promised to be more careful.

Our son Randy standing on walkway in front of chainlink fence with red Chevrolet pickup sitting behind him.
Randy with his red Chevy sitting behind him
There was a local Mom and Pop grocery store a couple of miles away from our house where all four of our boys had bagged groceries, S&S actually was an excellent store to shop in. At the time Randy was working in the Produce department and my son Scotty from my first marriage was a stocker, he and Randy worked a lot of hours together.

Scott was driving a black Chevy Camaro at the time and after Randy bought his truck the games began. Randy and Scott were prone to giving each other a hard time anyway, but throw in a couple of fast vehicles and the challenges between them were inevitable.

Cindy overheard the boys once while she was shopping for groceries at S&S. Scotty was insulting Randy’s truck talking about how slow it had to be, and Randy was throwing back statements like “My truck can "Smoke" that Camaro any time and anyplace” everyone knew the boys and laughed at these ongoing comments, thinking them as just good fun between siblings.

S&S closed at 9 pm every night, and this particular night both Randy and Scott were scheduled to work until closing time. At 9:05 pm we got a phone call from a neighbor saying that she had just heard Randy’s name on the police scanner, it came across in a BOLO (Be on the look out for) along with the description of his truck, Cindy immediately picked up the phone and called Randy’s cell phone.

When he finally answered the conversation was short like this:

Randy: Mom can’t talk now.

Cindy: Why Not?

Randy: Got pulled over, talking to cops.

Cindy: What did you do?

Randy: Racing, Gotta go, be right there.

Cindy hangs up the phone and says He got pulled over for racing! Really, I replied, there isn’t anywhere he could have been racing between here and S&S. Cindy just glared at me and said I bet it was Scotty!

Scotty? How in the world did Scotty get involved in this? I asked her. Cindy tells me, I just know he was racing with Scotty! I argued that I really didn’t think so. But at the time I hadn’t heard about all the challenges between the boys.

Cindy was filling me in on all the details of the boys’ challenges to each other at work, while she was pacing up and down the sidewalk. A set of headlights flashed around the curve and we see Randy’s truck coming slowly down the street followed closely by a City Police car, Randy stops in front of our house, and the Police Officer following him waves to us as he drives by, I suppose he knew that we already had Randy’s number.

Randy jumps out of his truck and immediately says. Don’t worry Mom, I’ll pay for everything, this won’t cost you a dime. He had gotten himself three tickets, one for Defective Equipment, another for Reckless Driving, and the biggie that cost him the most Drag Racing, we later found out that Scotty got the same tickets minus the Defective Equipment.

Now for the details of the incident:

S & S Grocery sits on one end of a strip mall type parking lot, and on the complete opposite end there is a small movie theater. At closing time the parking lot is completely empty, Randy and Scott have been harassing one another all day long about who has the fastest vehicle. So like any red blooded American boy would do, rather than use his brain and go to the country for a quick race, they simply lined up right then and there.

A black Chevrolet Camaro spinning it's rear wheels doing a burnout at the beginning of a drag race.
An impressive burnout I was told.
They say the burnout was pretty impressive, and that the boys were evenly matched, running door to door when the lights lit up on top of the police car they passed that was sitting next to the movie theater watching them.

Randy slid to a stop and the police car pulled up behind him; Scotty made a left hand turn onto the street and continued down the road. Because Scotty didn’t stop the police car pulled around Randy and went after Scott, and rather than sit and wait like he should have, Randy thought he had a free pass and made a right hand turn and headed for home.

About half way home Randy noticed that the dash lights on his truck were not working, this meant that his taillights were out also. Rather than break the law and drive with no taillights he pulled into a church parking lot about two blocks from home to check the fuse.

Two police cars with light bars lit up in red and blue flashing lights

Large police officer standing with thumbs hooked onto belt at his hips, very serious look on his face.
While he was squatted down looking into the fuse box with a flashlight, he heard a voice behind him. You really didn’t think you were going to get away with it did you son.

Randy said he dropped his head, and said No Sir. Then he turned around to see a large police officer silhouetted by the flashing lights of several police cars sitting behind him, and that’s when Cindy had called him.

Jumping out of his truck and saying, I will pay for everything, this won’t cost you a dime, was not the smartest way to begin explaining this to his mom. Cindy answered something like, You are #*%& right you will be paying for it, just who were you racing with? When he gave the name of the other offender as “Scotty” Cindy turned and gave me that old I told you so look, right then and there I knew it was going to be a long night.

Both Randy and Scotty had their day in court, they both received a serious tongue lashing from the judge, had hefty fines levied against them, lost points on their licenses and paid their debt to society so to say. And still to this day when they see one another they smile and say, “You know I was winning”

My advice is that if you think you are going to drag race in a parking lot, it’s not really a good idea. If you are just hell bent to do it, then you either need to take it out into the country or better yet to a sanctioned drag strip instead.

And if you decide to line up in that parking lot anyway, make sure you look around to see exactly who is in the audience and be prepared to pay the price.

42 comments:

  1. In their defense, they didn't hurt anyone or put anyone in danger. :I was winning" is a classic comment that will never be forgotten.

    Don't tell Randy, but my money would be on the Camaro.

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    1. Hey Joe, Very true they didn't hurt anyone and no one was in danger, the local police got to do a very short BOLO since our address wasn't too far away and Scott only made it to the red light. But both boys got to claim bragging rights and equal punishments.

      I guess I'm too close to pick who I thought would've won though ;)

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  2. I can't say much. I did mange to get fair mount of tickets when I was young.

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    1. Hello Dora, I think a lot of us actually did this exact same thing.

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  3. Even the country is not a safe place to drag race. A friend of my brother's hit a deer doing that and both cars ended up crashing into each other. The joke about cats having nine lives but I think the same could be said for teenage boys.

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    1. Hello Jean, I think the danger of the cars crashing into one another is possible no matter where they are, in the country the only difference is there are usually no homes or traffic to get in the way of possible bonehead moves made by the racers. I like your comparison of cats and teenage boys having nine lives, I think you are on to something there.

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  4. The joys of raising boys (and girls) and gray hair.

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    1. Hey Sharon, I like to tell the kids that I didn't have gray hair until they became teens.

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  5. I guess in the end they learned their lesson. And great advice indeed. Warm greetings.

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    1. Thank you Sir, I think they both learned more from this experience than they realized.

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  6. Also be prepared to pay for new tyres. Often. Nothing wears down tyre rubber faster than burnouts and drag racing. Your family sounds like fun, but sensible too.

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    1. Hello River, Randy did learn the expense of tires because when his truck tires wore out we made him pay for his own replacements.

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  7. I've seen a few idiots try to race down the biggest street in spartanburg which is reidville road which is essentially our version of Greenville's woodruff road. It always ticks me off as these kids might get someone killed one day.

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    1. Hey Adam, Attempting to race on a busy road like this is idiotic for sure, there have been so many deaths caused by street racing in high traffic areas, I wish more people would use common sense when it comes to racing.

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  8. You really brought this story to life through the power of your words.

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    1. Thank you Stephen, I appreciate it my friend.

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  9. Like Rebecca DeMornay down at the homeless center doesn't want your muffin stumps or toilet books...we people who live in the country don't want your teenage drag-racers! How would you like it if we sent our mailbox baseball players to the city, where they could get more hitting practice?

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    1. Hey Val, I don't think you are in any danger of any teenage drag racers coming out to entertain you on my say so, heck they don't listen to me anyways. Since we are living in the country now and I opened my big mouth they will probably show up on my straight street.

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  10. At least they admitted they were in the wrong for what they did, they took their day in court and they faced the consequences, fines and all. And at the end of the day, they were both still alive and in one place; that in itself is a blessing! Teenage boys!

    betty

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    1. Hello Betty, Laying all jokes aside it is a blessing that nothing happened to the boys and that they were able to live to learn about paying up for breaking the laws they did.

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  11. Jimmy, you are so clever with your writing.... I actually felt I could hear the squeal of wheels while reading and I certainly felt the excitement of the race.

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    1. Good morning Valerie, I am so happy that you enjoyed reading this one, thank you.

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  12. I had two brothers and lived in the country. I know about fast cars, burnouts and drag racing.
    Boys will be boys and nothing gets past mom. They know know when their kids are about to face trouble!
    Lisa

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    1. Hey Lisa, Oh yes Mom always knows what you are up to, I found this out the hard way when I was a teen.

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  13. I blame Grease! although I seem to remember they used a track to race on.

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    1. Hi Liz, A lot of movies like this helped to get everyone excited about racing cars, I think in the movie Grease you are right it was in more of a controlled place, like one of those concrete aqueducts without the water of course ha ha.

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  14. What a fun post. Love this. It's what boys do and it sure is what brothers do.

    I linked this post to Silly Sunday.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. Boys will be Boys for sure Sandee and Brothers are even worse ha ha. Thank you for linking me up with Silly Sunday, I appreciate you my friend.

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  15. Again, I'm glad I only had one son! 😂

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    1. Hello Bijoux, I think they are all a hand full, boys and girls alike ha ha.

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  16. Love the fact that to this day, neither will admit losing. I live on the corner of a side road and main road. Peel outs are common and I usually say," There goes someone who hasn't bought his first set of tires yet."

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    1. Hey Patti, Isn't amazing how quickly the driving styles change once they have paid for a set of tires ;-)

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  17. I have a similar story that relates to yours.
    My youngest brother bought one of those super Ford Mustangs back in his early twenties. Racing tires, big block engine, and all the other bells and whistles that goes with drag racing.

    The fact that he couldn't really afford the car didn't matter to him.

    Long story short, he and his buddies were racing that car on one of the really curvy roads outside of Greenville. He misses a turn, goes off the road, totals the car although no one was hurt.

    My brother called the car in as stolen, the lie is found out by the deputy sheriff, but since they were friends the wreckage and truth is swept away in paperwork.

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    1. Your brother really got lucky to have not seriously hurt or killed himself, I know a lot of those roads are really curvy and those curves will sneak up on you.

      Funny thing is those deputies and police officers usually figure out the stories long before we are finished making them up. Glad your brother was OK.

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  18. Jimmy,

    Boys can be hot headed and foolish. With that being said, at least these kids weren't hurt or no one got hurt. Hopefully, they learned a lesson and will never do something like this again.

    I'm visiting from Sunday Sillies. Have a funtastic week!

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    1. Hello Cathy, Boys can be hot headed for sure, as far as I know nothing like this ever happened again, at least if it did they never got caught and haven't told us yet.

      Glad to have you stop by, you are welcome anytime.

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  19. I heard that line, "Don't worry Mom, I'll pay for everything" a million times. Sadly he did not. Did Randy and Scotty?

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    1. Hi Annie, We stuck to our guns on this one and didn't give them a dime for anything, they both had jobs and I felt that they should be the ones to pay for their actions...although we did pay for many other things ha ha.

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  20. Well, a serious tongue lashing and a hefty fine might have smarted for a while, but they are lucky it didn't end up being something more serious. Boys!

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    1. You are so right, I still can't believe they raced across that parking lot, that seriously could have ended badly.

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  21. I can completely understand the concern of Cindy for the boys ,Comments between them show that no matter how old they siblings get the argumental time past is always there as being mom o f two youngers 1 14 and other 12 i know that how tough time they give when they are in same room .

    young blood wants to take risks and enjoys the thrill out of it .
    i am glad that no one was hurt and hopefully they will be careful next time

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    1. Hello Baili, The good thing is that our boys are now grown and hopefully have outgrown such things as this, at 12 and 14 I know what you are going through with your boys because it doesn't seem that long ago that ours were that age.

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