Thursday, June 21, 2007

They did what????

I was thinking about fishing stories today and remembered some of the high jinks at the boat ramp. In the summer you can get a cooler a lawn chair and a sunshade, go to the boat ramp morning or night, and see enough idiocy to cackle till you puke.

There is the odd boat dropped on the ramp, the forlorn looking fisherman as his pride and joy drifts away. Then there are the real wieners.

In the Seventies the Feds gave special status to South East Asian Refugees. No taxes, assistance with jobs, and that's just the beginning. The result was groups of tiny people who lived ten or so to a house, ate fish heads and rice, and saved every dime. They somehow found themselves with extra money and decided to move up in the world. The first purchase is of course a car, something big, in this case a Caprice. Then to save money on fish, a boat.

We all know catching fish to save money doesn't even pay for the gas. These hard working immigrants obviously felt differently.

The lakes around home were all fairly deep, as the hills around them were steep. The average might be fifty to sixty feet. The steep hills along the rivers also make for steep boat ramps. The brain trust in question showed up at the ramp with their car, boat and four or five adult men the size of children. They all got out and went to the ramp to survey the situation, all looked and pointed, they chattered like chipmunks on speed. Their expression, because we couldn't understand a word, sought Divine assistance. None was forthcoming. Finally after much debate, arm waving, and pointing, the lot of them went to the back of the car and unhooked the trailer.(?)

In my neck of the woods we try to mind our own business, but I like to think that if we could have understood their intent, some one would have intervened, but no one did.

Those miniature men proceeded to attempt to hand guide the trailer, and a thousand pound boat, down a thirty degree incline.

Brother, let me tell you, it went.....Like a bat released from the gates of hell, into the water and with momentum and the wind, right out into the channel and sank.

That will happen every time you leave the boat strapped to the trailer and the plug out.

1 comment:

HollyB said...

And if you had tried to offer assistance...would it have been heeded? or would they have become angry and resentful at the nosy, interferring, Americans?