| My partner and I owned a car rental | | | | available to assist other drivers with |
| company located in South Florida. This | | | | pertinent information. You could count |
| was in the late 60s and early 70s. A | | | | on me if I saw a Smokey or a traffic |
| significant portion of our business was | | | | problem. And I welcomed receiving the |
| from travel agents. We each made trips | | | | same information. My handle was Brain |
| twice a year to personally visit and | | | | Damage which was my defense if I said |
| thank these agents for their support. My | | | | something stupid. |
| area was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin over | | | | Besides the usual banter once in a while |
| to Cleveland, Ohio down to Cincinnati, | | | | there was some humor. One day I had an |
| Ohio and everything in between. | | | | hour drive along the interstate in Ohio |
| Having the need to give out a lot of | | | | and listened in on two drivers. After |
| brochures and not with standing the fact | | | | about 10 minutes of them going back and |
| that we couldn't afford to fly we used | | | | forth one says, and we'll call him Young |
| our rental cars. These were equipped | | | | Dude, "Hey good Buddy give me a 10-36." |
| with AM radios for entertainment. | | | | Now don't beat up on me but after 35 |
| Everyone that has traveled over the open | | | | years I think 10-36 is the code for |
| road knows that using this medium for | | | | "what is the time." |
| entertainment is at best, frustrating. | | | | The other guy, Older Guy, "Ain't you the |
| Having a sense of humor and to amuse | | | | young Dude in the blue rig that passed |
| myself I would tell myself the punch | | | | me about 10 miles ago?" |
| line of a joke I knew. I probably had | | | | Young Dude, "Thanks for the compliment. |
| told the joke a hundred times before and | | | | Yeh that's me." |
| if I laughed at the punch line I then | | | | Older Guy, "No I ain't going to give you |
| told myself the entire joke. This was my | | | | a 10-36." |
| entertainment during the long drive. | | | | In disbelief the Young Dude asks, "Well |
| Now I should mention that my wife at the | | | | why not?" |
| time didn't mind me being gone for the | | | | Older Guy, "Well if I give you the time |
| week as long as we went out Saturday | | | | we are going to get friendly. You're |
| night. Which we did and getting home | | | | going to want to stop and get coffee at |
| about 10 in the evening I would change | | | | the next truck stop. I'm going to get |
| my clothes, throw my suitcase in the car | | | | friendly and talk about my family. I'll |
| and proceed to drive 18 to 20 hours non | | | | even show you some pictures. You'll see |
| stop to the furthest city on my travel | | | | that I have two young good looking |
| plans. I would arrive Sunday afternoon | | | | daughters. You probably will want to |
| ready to see my first travel agent early | | | | date one of them. Maybe even get |
| Monday AM. | | | | married." |
| In light of the above one can imagine | | | | Young Dude, "Sounds good to me. What's |
| how boring the drive was especially in | | | | wrong with that." |
| the dead of the night. Then I heard | | | | Older Guy, " Well I don't want a |
| about Citizen Band radios. I can't tell | | | | son-in-law who can't afford a watch." |
| you how my world changed and for the | | | | I didn't run off the road but that made |
| better. Not that I had a "motor mouth," | | | | my day. |
| loved the expressions, but I was always | | | | |