Our First Real Date

Day 6 of 57 - a funny (and true) story

So most of you know how Billy and I met... MTSU 1996 Band of Blue Marching Band Camp... Well, we were friends for quite some time before we really dated. And back then Murfreesboro had one movie theater and it was (for lack of a better word) crap. So, if you wanted to see a movie in digital sound or whatever, you had to drive about an hour up the road to Franklin. Well, back then the main highway wasn't built yet, so the only real way to get to Franklin was on a road called Hwy 96. A two lane twisty curvy insane country road. So one night in the beginning of our relationship we set off for Franklin for dinner and a movie. Don't even remember what we saw. But on the way home... wow... that's something neither of us will ever forget. Billy was driving his tee-niney little Ford Festiva and we decided to stop at a gas station on the way home. So before we start down the scary Hwy 96, we stop off at the little Kwiky Mart. As we pull off, I hear a clinking sound. It kept getting faster and faster as the car sped up. So, I made Billy pull over into the nearest parking lot which just so happened to be Food Lion grocery store. Sure enough, we examine the tires and there is a MONSTER nail sticking out of the rear tire. After much discussion, we decided that we should not drive that thing down 96 - a road that if you had a blow out, you'd be gone forever. So....... we try to put the spare on. But first we had to get the bad tire off. Mind you... at this point in the evening it is closing in on 1 am since we went to the late movie. Anyway, we could NOT get the tire off at all. I was even standing on the stick thingy (yeah i know... but lug nut turner sound stupid too) and it would not turn. Decided the only thing to do is call a tow truck and get him to haul us back home. Two broke as heck college kids needing to be towed back home which is an hour away. Nice, right? Call a tow truck. Also... this is before cell phones so we had to go inside Food Lion and beg the night crew to let us use the phone. After waiting a while, the tow truck guy came. He asked us what the trouble was and then said he'd change the tire for us. AMEN! We were thrilled to have someone help us. This 250 pound professional wrestler type tow truck driver could not get the tire off. UGH! So, he offered to tow us back. DINGALINGALING! He gets a call on his radio. Emergency wreck on the interstate and he needed to go right away. So, this nice burly man tells us to stay put and he's going to send us another tow truck. So, we stay put. For an hour we stay put. Closing in on 2 am. We're tired and frustrated and thinking we should have just taken our chances on 96 with a tire on the brink of death. But low and behold here comes tow truck driver number 2. He pulls in the parking lot, backs up to the Festiva and starts cranking it up onto his flat bed truck. He never said a word to us. Once the car was all locked into place he looks at us and says, "well get in already." I am guessing he hasn't been having the best night. Little did he know it was about to get a lot worse.
Driving down 96. In a tow truck. With a really scary not-so-nice and apparently very angry tow truck driver. Festiva tied to the back. Driving no less than 80 miles an hour. I kid you not. I know we took flight a couple times. Boy howdy! Billy and I were clinging to each other like we were on the Titanic or something. Really thinking we should have chanced the blowout. So half way between Franklin and Murfreesboro is a tiny little town with a stop sign - Triune. At this stop sign (which I was surprised he even stopped at it) he puts the truck in park and gets out. Billy and I were just a little freaked out. He's gone for a couple minutes and when he gets back in he says, "car came loose" and we took off again. Billy and I were holding hands so tight I am pretty sure we did some nerve damage.
Ok... now back in 1996 - Murfreesboro kinda ended at Thompson Lane. Traveling on 96 from Franklin, you knew you were in Murfreesboro once you crossed Thompson Lane. (stay with me here) It's like the city ended and the country began at this intersection of Hwy 96 and Thompson Lane. Well, as we get closer to town I'm seeing city lights. Good news. We are almost there. Making record time no less. But as we get a little closer the city lights seemed a little more blue than usual. OHH. that's because there are a dozen cop cars with their lights on waiting at the edge of town. Apparently waiting for us. So what does Grumpy Gus Tow Truck Driver do? He turns left down Thompson Lane, speeds up, and tries to out run the friggin cops. OH. MY. GOD! Ever see that maneuver in movies where the cop car cuts the criminal off by driving them into the side of the road. We got to LIVE that! Grumpy Gus finally stops. And we are immediately swarmed with more police cars and officers shining flashlights into the cab of the truck. They ask the driver to please exit the vehicle with his hands up. And there we are sitting there thinking WHAT THE CRAP is going on?? Cop comes to the passenger side of the car and shines his light on us. Asked for our ID's and then wanted to know what we were doing. We explained the whole situation to him and he asked us to please go sit in the back of his cruiser. 3 am sitting in the back of a police cruiser while we watch our tow truck driver being patted down and then hand cuffed and apparently being arrested. Cop came back to us and had some more questions for us. "Did you know this man?" "Did he say anything to you?" "How was he driving?" etc etc etc... Ok... so turns out when he stopped at Triune  to "fix the loose car", he was angry that the car behind him had her bright lights on or traveling too close or something and got out and verablly assaulted her. To which she called the Mufreesboro Police dept and said that a maniac just treatened her and is driving a bit too fast and erratcially. Once they got the tow truck driver out they discover pot inside the cab of the truck and found out that there was an outstanding warrant on the man. Guess who didn't have to pay for the tow??
Best Date Night. EVER!!!
Oh and the next day we got the tire patched for ten bucks. = )