Sandy Supposes....

Canoe Versus Garbage Truck

Prompt: The Sunday News! Pick a weird, funny, or interesting story from your local news and share it with us. Tell us how it makes you feel, what you think about it, or share a relatable story from your own life.

          Well, local news has been a wee bit bizarre lately. This particular weirdness happened early Wednesday morning, outside my kitchen window.

         Canoe and Garbage Truck Collide I was awakened by a sudden, screeching, crumpling sound, and a diesel engine rumbling. The idling engine didn't fade into the distance like it usually does on garbage pick-up morning. It lingered and resonated. Curious , I peeked out my kitchen window just as raised voices began an argument. A woman was waving her arms, yelling, "Didn't you see me backing up?" A man clad in a bright orange safety vest and steel-toed boots, shouted back, Lady, didn't you see or hear me? This is a huge truck. I have the right of way. This is a road." Gesturing to the bright red canoe hanging out over her pick-up truck's box, the woman screamed, "You broke my canoe. I was backing up. Why did you hit me?"Shaking his he,ad, the garbageman repeated, "You backed into me."

         Over the course of an hour, the female driver phoned for he supporters/reinforcements. They gathered 'round her in a protective circle. Each time someone new arrived, she'd point at the garbage truck, and claim it had cut her off as she backed up. She and her posse snapped plenty of pics of the damaged canoe. The garbageman had retreated to the cab of his rig.

         Finally, a police officer arrived, and the first thing he did was to tell the woman to wait her turn. Oh, she had tried to bend the ear of this officer first, even as he was climbing from his car. He explained that the garbageman had been delayed long enough, and he still had a route to visit. She was not happy, but she had sent for this peace officer.

         So, the garbage truck driver was interviewed, and sent on his way. In vain, the woman driver attempted to persuade the policeman that she had been wronged. She was still arguing, " He could see I was backing up, and he hit me. Look at my canoe." She didn't appear to be too pleased when she was given a piece of paper torn from a ticket book. She was consistent, and stubborn. She was sure the accident was not her fault.

         I can imagine the official report, and the insurance companies' skepticism. It may well be a first. How many canoe versus garbage truck collisions can there be?