Originally Posted By: Pat Marr
I had a similar experience in Florida around 1972. Some musician buddies and I were traveling from Pa to Fla to meet some friends, and our old Dodge van broke down. In those pre-Southern rock days you didn't see a lot of long hair in florida, so we definitely looked like we weren't "from around heah"

Tow truck took us to a garage in a little town named Monticello, which was closed for the weekend (the garage, not the town). My two buddies hitch hiked back to Tallahassee to see the sights, but I stayed behind to sleep in the van.

Local sheriff woke me up and ordered me out of the van, after which he threw everything out into the parking lot expecting to find drugs. He didn't. The other thing he didn't was put my stuff back in the van.

Pat, this is getting far afield from music but you reminded me of my Army time in Fort Hood, Texas. The State put Vehicle Safety Inspections in the hands of selected, local Service Stations (aka Gas Stations). Since annual renewal of one's license tags required passing said inspection, it became a license to steal on the part of less scrumptious gas stations. One would dare not send the wife in to have the Safety Inspection because they would condemn the tires; wipers; exhaust system; master cylinder; front end alignment; and anything else they could get away with.

It was every fraud depicted in the movies tenfold. Hopefully, they've changed that since.

Donny

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