Читать книгу Further Adventures of "Dirty Joe" Callihan - Joe Callihan - Страница 7

(An episode from CHIPS?)

This story made me feel like I was participating in an episode from the popular 70s hit T.V. show, CHIPS. I had bought a nice Honda Scooter to ride to work on. I kept it parked just outside the front door of the store. As you already know, my department was the Appliances Department. I was in the stockroom getting items need for restocking, when I heard the call over the intercom. “Code five and a half to the front of the store!” the young lady at the front checkouts anxiously shouted into the P.A.

This was the code announcing all male employees were to go to wherever the code had called for. 99% of the time, it was to help catch a shoplifter, or help stop a fight with one. This time as I later learned, it was to catch a guy who had used my being in the stock room to go behind the counter and steal a $119.00 phone answering system. As I ran toward the front door, I was joined by my friend, Bill Wilson.

Now in our forties, Bill and I were the two oldest of the men chasing after the shoplifter. When we got outside, I immediately noticed my Scooter sitting there. Reaching for the key I said to Bill, “Hey Bill! Hop on! Why run when you can ride?” Bill got on the back seat and I started up the 250 ccs of power, and away we went.

Now here’s where it gets funny. The guy was one of those types often referred to as a string bean. He was thin, and long on legs at around 6’4”. He had run across busy 34^th St. N. and into the trailer park called Conner’s. He had a good lead on our guys who were chasing him. So I decided the best thing to do would be drive in through a back road to Conner’s.

As we did, looking straight ahead there was our guy, clinging closely to a lawn building while looking toward the front, where our guys were making their way down. He did not at first see us coming, but as he turned his head around we were only about five feet away. I yelled, “SURPRISE!” A look of shock and disbelief came on his face, as he immediately began trying to run away from us. I told Bill to stay on the Scooter, telling him this is going to be fun.

Long legs ran between trailers, and as we were on a scooter and not in a car, I was able to easily follow. He ran, and he ran, and he ran, with me staying just three feet away, allowing him to lead. I called out to him and announced: “You let us know when you get tired.” After having run for around two city blocks, long legs finally stopped, saying between breaths, “O.K. I quit. I’m tired.” At this Bill hopped off the Scooter and placed the cuffs on Daddy Long Legs. What a FUN Adventure and fond memory!