Setting
around the house with time on my hand brings back memories....
Back in the
day, or in this case the fall of 1956, wannbe Aviation Technician Strikers went
to Airman Prep school in Norman, OK before going on to “A” school at NATTC, Millington.
(Memphis, TN.)
Outside of
basic electricity, hand tools, safety and surviving the Navy’s attempt at drowning us while learning how to get out of a parachute harness when landing in the
water; we also learned how to play snooker
and that sailors had zero chance with
the girls at the University of Oklahoma who were mostly looking for young men who
drove convertibles and whose daddies owned oil wells.
So, we
looked towards Oklahoma City.
There was a bus
to ride to downtown and there were taxis. But we needed a car. Lo and behold we found a 1936 Chevrolet that
had been hand painted, with a brush, a beautiful British racing green. The body
was in remarkably good shape, it started and ran well, but the brakes were so bad that stopping at a designated spot required a strong leg, depth perception
and good planning. It didn’t have a muffler, but did have a straight pipe. The owner wanted $50. He was graduating and doubted
that it could make it to Millington, so a buddy and I formed a partnership and
made an investment.
Liberty became
an adventure. We had friends who would find a dollar or so towards gas and oil
and discovered that part of the stopping sequence required down shifting was
part of the braking process. Doing so also let the car, with the straight pipe
muffler, emit a very satisfying loud rumble when downshifting or accelerating. It was so satisfying we developed
a need to do this frequently, even when not needed to help us stop or start, In fact, we
would drive around the city enjoying ourselves.
Oklahoma City,
unknown to us, had a noise ordinance. Two
weeks or so before graduation disaster struck. A local policeman pulled us
over, determined that the registration had expired, and the noise it made was unacceptable.
I don’t remember
all the details but we were not arrested per se, but summoned immediately to court.
The judge looked us over, mentioned that he was a veteran and didn’t want to
fine us and that if we would promise to register the car and
fix the muffler we could go in peace.
Yes sir, yes
sir, yes sir. Just let us out of here.
We had good
intentions. But we couldn’t
get off base during the hours when state offices were open and the price to
fix the muffler was beyond our modest financial resources.
Now an older
and wiser pair would have left the car parked outside the base and stayed on base the
weekend before following graduation day. We weren’t all that much older and we
were not wiser. Dumb and dumber? Yes.
You can
guess what happened. We were pulled over again, took back to the same court and
in front of the same judge. And the judge was unhappy. He mentioned a large
fine, which we couldn't pay, or we could spend some time in the local lock up. I
was scared spitless. I could see my Navy career evaporating as I was prosecuted for missing movement and other assorted charges. Both of us explained to the
judge about our forthcoming graduation and pledged to leave the state if he
would just let us go.
So, he did. He had us take the car to the city impound lot
where we left it. And took the first bus back to Norman where we didn’t leave
the base until we had our orders in our hands and a bus ticket to Memphis.
And I have
never been back in 63 years and counting.
"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them." - Karl Popper “
