Need a few good yarns

Gratitude.
Most of us just do our work as expected without looking for extra reward.
Picked up a 21 year old horse from West Gippsland, a family pet, to go to
Banora Heights in from Tweed Heads. Bit of a milk run, others to pick up
and drop off through Victoria and New South Wales. Break in Sydney with
horses stabled off the truck, then on via the Upper Hunter, Glen Innes,
down to Grafton and up the Paciific to the border. Found his new home ok,
then on to Southport and Doomben with the others.
Some weeks later, given a letter posted to our office thanking me for looking
after the old pet and delivering him in good shape.

Another trip loaded out of Sydney area, last pick up at Mascot a Racehorse in
work straight off a New Zealand flight, with his jockey as well. Got out of town
and on the way down the highway, find out the bloke has no Aussie cash.
Shared my smokes until we stopped for a break and feed. Gave him $20 so he
could buy his own stuff and be comfortable. Never thought about it again until
a thank you letter complete with $20 arrived at the office.

Thoughtful acts like these were real highlights of the job.

PaulFH,
Yes, there a few decent people left in the world.
1. Some years ago, I was involved with the Olde Time Festivals, centred around Puffing Billy Tourist Railway in the Dandenongs outside Melbourne. The leader of the team read us out a letter received from a man in USA. The letter was addressed to "Puffing Billies." The man explained than on a recent visit to Australia, his host had got him to walk in to a station along the railway and just step onto a train and avoid paying the fare. The letter said "but that is not my way" and contained slightly more money than the fare.

2. I don't usually "blow my own trumpet" but a few years ago a man in Port Augusta, South Australia, replied to my advertising Morris Commercial parts for sale. I asked who from the Melbourne branch of the HCVCA was going through Pt. Augusta on his way to a run by the South Australian branch. One of the Johnston brothers was and agreed to take a front bumper and a wheel. He refused payment when he delivered them and I did not charge for the parts. I learned some months later that the man who needed the parts was very seriously ill with what is probably a terminal illness and may not live to complete his restoration.

Following on from your above comment Morris
Was at the White Muster in Kerang a few years ago and was given some White 9000 cuff links he to was not travelling to well and think he was aware of his situation I tried to refuse but wanted me to have them as he thought i would appreciate them I still open the box and look at them:)

Shifting tack from good guy stories, due to recent events and interactions with some members of the public and the Police, yesterday I was asked what I thought the lack of respect between certain members and the Police was down to and if the Police got support from the courts.

I did recall a certain Magistrate in a Courthouse unnamed, who was hearing a case of "Carry Unlicensed Pistol" against a local thug with a long record of violence. He was found guilty and sentenced to 6 months gaol. Everyone happy but the offender.

After the was led away, the Magistrate called the Detective in charge to the bench and was heard to say, quote "Good case Seargent, but a word of advice. That is the third time in twelve months that pistol has been here. I suggest you up-date it."

The Billy Goat.
Carted various other animals in the horse floats. Usually with brood mares, ponies etc.
Owners and trainers preferred racing horses in work to travel as directly as possible.
Carried alpacas, ostriches, stud rams, stud boars and a few dogs.
These were left for a trip with more pick ups and drops, or a milk run.
Load sheet for the trip had - 1 Goat, Pakenham Racecourse to a home in Blacktown NSW.
Get a call from another driver, quite upset. " Don't take it Paul, will stink the truck out. "
Turns out he had brought it down for stud work. Told him not to worry, had gloves and
pineoclean to wash out with. Not fully loaded so could put it down the back on its own.
Down to pick it up, poor thing all wrapped up in feed sacks tied with twine. New pair of
gloves for me too. Other driver had phoned the consigner and given all these instructions.
Big black and yellow goat but quiet, so put some bedding straw down and loaded him into
the outside bay in the back compartment. Bucket each of water and feed on the floor.
Horses up front never knew he was there. Travelled well and his owner happy to see him.
Apparently got sent all over the place to service the nannies - great life.

In December '94 I was in Egypt on my first 'Nile Safari'. I know this because Mum kept every letter I sent and I've since had them typed up and formatted with photos and stuff to an A4 book of memories. Anways, in Egypt at that time to travel between major centres you had to be escorted by the security forces as there had been some naughty boys running around killing visitors so you form up at a checkpoint and wait, and wait, along with the coaches and other vehicles. When the starter gives the ok everyone puts foot to their destination. Posted speed limits are ignored as was the well being of myself and the group I had as the 1617 Merc I had didn't giddy-up as fast as the coaches and I was left to my own devices. Every 'convoy' I had to use was the same story- wait and wait and get no protection after the starter's whistle. Namibia was the same- had to use a military escorted convoy along the Caprivi Strip and the military would get to the end before those they were meant to protect from those naughty boys from Angola. Same story different country when entering Kenya from Ethiopia- form up at daybreak in Moyale and wait. This time we get a bloke sitting in the back of the truck with the fans who all took turns photographing themselves with his gatt. At the first stop about 80 km south the armed guard jumps ship- I drive too slow. The only time I wasn't ignored was a week or so earlier at the Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia- there are checkpoints at each end of the bridge and BIG signs saying NO PHOTOS. One of the pax had her camera out and that's all it took- we were now enemies of the state and got a military escort to Addis- Tojo Landcruisers front and rear with big gatts mounted on the tray body. Took a bit of work by some consular officials to set us free. In Addis, you can buy postcards of the bridge over the Blue Nile Gorge so I bought up a heap to send to HQ in London to give to the next driver doing that trip so that they would hopefully not have to go through all the bullshit that I did. Thankfully the naughty boys left us alone.

Overlander,
I was on Dragoman trip up the west coast of Africa in 1993. We were up from Abidjan on the Ivory Coast, I flew in a week before our truck arrived, on my own, no knowledge of French, nearly got scammed and arrested for smuggling.. Scared? Yep!
On our way through Mali the road got a bit 'busy" with people, it wasn't until the truck (a 1617 Benz too!) got hit with rocks and a window smashed, and we saw the road being blocked with buring tyres that we realised we'd blundered in to some sort of protest...
We ended up flying out of Noadibou in Mauretania to Morocco, as the border to Western Sahara was closed due to the ongoing war- Actually, the border was open, but it had been laid with land mines - and no one knew where the mines were!!!
Maretania was pretty wild... Probably still is today. The airport simply defied description, obviously once apon a time when the French built it it must have been OK, but now it was like a bomb had gone off and blown everything apart.
There was hundreds of ships all in various stages of sinking all around the coast and harbour. Apparently the world sends it's fishing fleet there to (over)fish the place, and when they are done they just walk away and leave the ships to sink. It was truly amazing. (if you are interested google "mauretania shipwrecks) I think there are a few photos on there.
Bloody amazing place, but gee, a hard hard country where life is very cheap......

Prodrive- I trust you felt robbed when you had to buy a SMERT permit in Mali. SMERT- sleazy Malian enterprise to Rip off Tourists- simply a piece of paper that allows you take photos. I crossed twice through Mali and by then a bloke understands what 'give me money' sounds like in French. Dragoman were a good firm- good gear, good crew, a lot of women drivers as George reckoned they're easier on the trucks- well- they'll have to change a spring if they break one. I ran parallel with a Drago through Sudan and we helped each other out with info as we didn't have trip notes. Boss told me to stay at the Blue Nile Yacht Club in Khartoum- It's where Kitchener's boat is beached so I told the Drago crew that's where I'll be staying but there wasn't a lot of room to park 2 trucks and 20 plus tents so the Guvna got in a front end loader and pushed a heap of UN-seaworthy boats into the Nile. Problem solved for parking. When crossing the Sahara through Algeria became too dangerous thanks to Toureg bandits trucks had to cross though Mauritania running the land mine stretch along the beach at low tide but a Drago truck come to grief hitting a land mine- no one was hurt and they got the truck out eventually. One of the boss's trucks took two high tides after getting bogged- they eventually got that one out aswell. Ahhh, the fun times in Africa- don't ya miss it??. Every day a new adventure and your understanding of French would have improved by the time you got your flight out.

During my working life, I've had more jobs than Centrelink and have enjoyed most of them. Jobs have varied from a time in the Navy to being a mechanic, a Cop, RTA Inspector and Accident Investigator, business manager, owning several small businesses, truck and bus driver, both local and interstate, machinery and plant operator, a very short time in an abattoirs, to working for Silvers Circus. Many of these have been worked at 2 or more at a time. The longest time I've been unemployed is 4 hours. I've often told our kids that if I should fall off my perch tomorrow, I can't complain as I've had a great and full life.

However, compared to Prodrive, Overlander and Lang, I now think I've lived the protected life of an accountant. Thanks for making me feel cheated! Truly guys, I envy you all and thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

wee-allis wrote: compared to Prodrive, Overlander and Lang, I now think I've lived the protected life of an accountant. Thanks for making me feel cheated! Truly guys, I envy you all and thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

So very true, Im starting to feel the same way :silly: :silly: :silly: :silly:

Funny thing is the Princess thinks it's time I slowed, it is very clear after reading some of these yarns that I've hardly been trying :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

There's always next year

Paul