Oh, What a Day + I was Hijacked + Got Any Nails

Good Morning from New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island

It has been hot and humid on the Island these last few days. I am so happy our tiny Island is a collection of wonderful beaches and great water for swimming in.

In last week's blog, I shared how I managed to earn my driver's licence. I mentioned my first car was an MG Mini and the first weekend with it was another adventure I have vivid memories of.

The car was a green 1970 MG Midget. Much like the one below. The only thing missing from the photo is a chrome roll bar behind the seats.

I bought the used car in New Brunswick. As soon as I had it licensed and insured, I headed to Prince Edward Island.

I needed to show the car off to some friends.

It was a beautiful, sunny July first weekend.

I drove with the top down and the wind in my hair. The only things missing were the leather driving gloves, the goggles and the scarf.

Near the ferry, I picked up a hitchhiker—a young guy around my age of 19.

Getting close to the ferry terminal, he mentioned he didn't have any money for the ferry. So I pulled over and said, "no problem."

"Get in the trunk."

He did.

I pulled up the ticket booth to pay. The ticket seller told me the price for the car and two passengers. I was a bit puzzled about how he knew, but he did. I paid.

( I figure a responsible citizen told the booth attendant after seeing two kids on the side of the highway. One getting into the trunk.)

About to pull away from the booth, he said, "it must be a bit cramped for him to travel in the trunk."

I said, "yes, but he is funny that way."

We drove into the compound, I opened the trunk, and he unfolded himself out.

I don't remember if he continued for the drive or not.

The ferry crossed the 9 mile stretch of water in its usual 45 minutes.

I was back on the road driving through the Island's glorious countryside.

Now, on my way to a friend's cottage in Rosebank, located across the harbour from Charlottetown. To get there, I had to cross the Hillsborough Bridge.

On the way, I took a narrow road behind the Belvedere Golf Course, One of Canada's oldest golf courses.

Taking this road enabled me to bypass all the city traffic.

Driving through the woods and after coming around a blind corner, a man is standing in the middle of the road waving his arms frantically.

I could run him over, or I could stop.

Just because I folded a guy into my trunk doesn't mean I don't have a conscience. I had to stop.

He grabbed the roll bar, the windshield and hopped himself into the passenger seat.

Screams at me, "DRIVE."

"Sure, I said, you escaped for the day, did you?"

On my left through the deep woods was Hillsborough Hospital. A facility for those dealing with mental illness. On my right, the woods filled with lost golf balls.

"Shut your !#*#ing mouth and take me the bridge!"

We have a three-minute drive to the bridge.

He is very agitated.

When we arrive at the bridge, he screams, "HERE. I want out here."

It was the middle of the two-lane bridge, it was July weekend, and traffic was heavy.

I stopped to let him out.

He stood up on the seat, grabbed the windshield and the roll bar to jump out.

Something rare on Prince Edward Island is the sound of a car horn; not this day. So the drivers leaned on their car horns and started a cacophony of loud sounds.

The only thing he had on was wearing red Harvey Woods bikini underwear. And he looked like a bodybuilder.

I imagine the drivers thought it was two bozos pulling pranks.

I worked for a menswear store, and I recognized the white brand tag on the hip.

He jumped back into the car, "you !#*#ing tricked me,"

I barked back at him; you told me "here."

"Drive this under the bridge," he demanded.

I said, "I can't do that!"

"Do it, or I am going to !#*#ing kill you. Drive to the end of the bridge now!"

HERE, HERE turn here!

At the end of the bridge, on the left, there was a service lane. I turned left.

The clearance of my car was 6 inches. The difference between the main road and the service lane was at least 12 inches. Driving from one part of the road to the other, I heard a loud scraping noise.

The service lane was for dump trucks, not MG Midgets.

Heading down to the area under the bridge, I noticed a blue Ford Maverick and a guy leaning against it.

On the way down, the bottom of my car kept hitting large rocks jutting out of the lane.

When we got to the end of the lane, he jumped out of the car, looked up and starting yelling at someone. I looked up to see two guys painting the bridge with 6-inch paintbrushes.

It seemed the guy leaning against the car was the foreman.

I got out of my car, pointing to my bikini-clad passenger, asking the foreman, who is this guy?"

Suddenly, my bikini-clad passenger came running towards me.

He jumped onto the hood of my car.

While jumping up and down, he screamed, "get out of here, or I am going to kill you."

I jumped into my car and tried to put it in gear. It wouldn't go.

While he was still jumping on my hood, I kicked the stick shift, jamming it into third gear.

After denting the engine bonnet, he jumped off and ran back under the bridge.

With lots of gas and a little clutch, the car hobbled up the lane.

There was a service station near the end of the bridge; I headed there. I took a quarter out and called the RCMP.

I asked if someone had escaped from Hillsborough. He wondered why I was asking. Finally, I told him what had happened.

He asked, "was wearing jeans and a baseball cap?"

I said, "no, he is only wearing red Harvey Woods bikini underwear."

Silence for a moment, then the officers' laughter came loud and clear through the receiver.

I said, "Sir, this is not funny."

To this day, I am amazed at the speed at which they responded to the call.

By the time I hung up the phone, sirens were coming from three different directions. And one of them came right to me.

The officer talked to me and, while admiring my car, asked, "how fast will it go?"

"Right now, sir, it will not go very fast at all."

I was not happy.

Next week, I will share what happened next. The insurance companies, MG service depot, job transfer and car parts.

Wishing you all the best this weekend. 

Take care of each other. 

With love from Prince Edward Island

Bruce + Mille

ps. Your Morning Smile

A duck walks into a bar and asks, “Got any grapes?"

‘No this is a bar and we don’t serve ducks, now get out of here.”

Next day the duck comes back, “Got any grapes?"

No I do not and if you come here a gain I’m going to nail your feet to the floor.”

Next day the duck comes back again and asks, “Got any nails?”

“No,”

“Ok, got any grapes?”