Murphy's World

Big guy runs into big problems

Dear Murphy,

I pulled into a truck stop and noticed a truck parked right in front of a no-parking sign. What struck me was that the lot attendant was out there banging on the door to the truck. I assumed that he was going to tell this illiterate driver to move, and I didn’t give it much thought.

As I was trying to figure out what to have for breakfast, I heard over the PA system a message for the driver of truck 1234 with company XYZ to please move his truck as it was parked in a no-parking zone. No response. This message was repeated several times, finally warning that the truck would be towed if not moved in the next two minutes. Still no response.

Sure enough, a road service wrecker was soon hooking up to the offending truck.

Within seconds, a driver who had to weigh 500 pounds came charging out the door and started running after his truck on the back of the wrecker.. Even from inside the restaurant, you could hear his snorts as he attempted to catch up with his truck.

As they rounded the corner of the building and out of sight, I was left wondering if the next thing we would see would be the EMTs resuscitating the driver who was as red as a fire engine and sputtering like a Miami trash hauler.

Jim Heaton

Mattoon, IL

Dear Jim,

I know we’re not supposed to laugh at someone else’s misfortune, but the thought of a 500-pound guy bursting out of the restaurant, running after his truck as it’s being hauled off—all the while huffing and puffing like a steam engine—cracks me up.

Now we come to the “what-was-he-thinking” portion of the story. Maybe the big guy didn’t see the no-parking sign. Maybe he saw the sign, but didn’t believe they would call his bluff. Maybe he wouldn’t put down his knife and fork. Maybe he couldn’t get out of the booth. Maybe he was in the men’s room when the announcement came over the PA.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is Murphy’s Law came down hard on the poor guy, and you were there to witness it and share it with the rest of us.

Regards,

Murphy and Lucky Dog