Driving in Town
I
started learning to drive when I was only fourteen. Daddy
would take me out on a country road and let me practice .
There were plenty of country roads to practice on. After I
gained a little proficiency, I was allowed to drive alone
in town. There was a city policeman but he seldom ticketed
anyone he knew, even for being under age unless they
exhibited recklessness. My parents let me drive anywhere in
the county but I was told not to exceed 35 miles per hour
at any time. I treasured driving so much that I was always
obedient. I never made long trips, just ran errands and
such.
One night when I was on the high school basketball team we
were to play Jonesboro High. A school bus was transporting
us to the game from our school. I got Daddy to agree for me
to use the car to pick up a girl friend, one of the
cheerleaders who lived out in the county, and bring her to
meet the bus. It was also agreed that I could take her home
after returning to our school.
I was only fifteen at the time and no other boy in my class
had ever had a car date. I was feeling special. That night
as I arrived in sight of the school, after picking up the
girl, I saw the bus leaving. It’s hard to make connections
when driving only 35 miles per hour. I ran to a pay phone
and called my daddy. I explained my dilemma and begged to
continue driving to Jonesboro. But there was no way he
would agree to that. I had to drive to our house and let
Daddy take us to the game. It would not have been so bad if
I had not been such a show off about having a car date.
After Highway 85 was paved to Columbus much more out of
town traffic came through town, few county citizens were
ever stopped for traffic violations, but this was not true
for those from out of town.
One day a large Cadillac Sedan driven by a small lady was
stopped for speeding. The police officer approached the car
with ticket book in hand.
“Do you realize that you were exceeding the speed limit?”
the officer asked in a corrective tone of voice.
At that time a man sleeping on the back seat of the car
raised up and asked, “What’s the matter, honey?”
It was Paul Anderson!! He was a Georgian known at that time
by all as the strongest man in the world.
The police officer quickly continued, “When you come back
through here, ma’am, could you go a little
slower?”