(This was submitted to our www.midstatemower.com web site’s new section entitled “it happened to me”
June 1998. One Sunday Morning when I was just out of high school and mowing lawns to work my way through college. I finished the first lawn of the day & got ready to load up, I realized I locked my keys in the truck. I called 2 locksmiths both of which were closed (Sunday).
After some thought, I developed a plan. I would go to an auto parts store in town and buy the tool set that opens car doors. Since the store was a couple miles away, I decided to drive the mower. I filled the gas tank & off I went. The first store did not have the kit.
So on down the road I went on my trusty mower.
At the second store, They had the kit. That is when I realized I did not have my wallet, it was locked in the truck!
A deal was struck with the manager. $300 worth of lawn maintenance for a $49 kit. Not so good on my end
but I got the kit.
Wait! it gets worse. After the trip to 2 stores, guess who’s low on fuel.
$60.00 worth of mowing for $9 in gas from the station next to the auto part store.
Off I go. The first mile or so was great. Then after pulling onto Hwy 23 I got stopped by a Sheriffs Deputy, questioned, and even given a Sobriety test!
Eventualy I did make it back to the truck. It only took me about an hour & a half to figure out how to use the tool kit to open the truck door.
So, all said and done, I wasted 1 day, $360.00 in free labor, put 7 miles on the lawn mower and I’m sure I was the laughing stock of the Sheriffs’ office.
