Murphy's World

Backed up with a load of port-o-potties

I was dispatched to deliver 5,000 pounds of Port-o-Potties to Port Republic, MD. Dispatch provided neither phone numbers nor bills.
     I looked on the map, planned my trip out and got to the area. I followed the arrows and signs until one pointed to turn left. So I turned left. No sign of a town, but there were houses and cars parked on both sides. Then the road dead-ended into a lake.
     It was 2 a.m. and there was no place to turn around, so I backed out for two miles. I found a parking lot, pulled in and went to sleep.
     Four hours later, I woke up and headed off to find a phone book and a phone to call the customer. The only place I could find that had a phone and a phone book was a liquor/general store. When they asked me who I was looking for, they got on the phone and made the call themselves.
     I thought I would have to find the customer and sleep in their yard until they came in the next morning, but, as it turned out, they came out and escorted me to their place.

     Coastie
     Elberton, GA

Dear Coastie,
Port Republic, MD is a small, rural town. Fortunately, in Small Town, USA, people still help each other out, so count your blessings that you ended up where you did when things went from bad to worse. I know that flies in the face of the usual Murphy story, but work with me on this.
     In this day and age, the thought that you are driving around without a cell phone is scary. The thought that you found a place with a dial-up phone and a phone book is even scarier. The thought that the proprietor of the place would make the call for you is scariest of all. Finally, the thought that the customer would come out at 6 a.m. and personally escort you to the delivery location is unbelievable. Like we said earlier, thank God for small towns and good people.
     That leaves us with just two questions: 1. How in the world do you back down two miles of road in a big rig at 2 o’clock in the morning, and 2. Why in the world would they need 5,000 pounds of port-o-potties in Port Republic, MD?

Regards,

Murphy and Lucky Dog