Page 192 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

Rundle’s own lorry was away for the whole day and the
client had made an urgent request for his auger to be delivered
post haste. If I remember correctly, it over hung the truck by
about eight feet at the front and eight feet at the back; in which
case it must have been about 25 feet long. The front end was
pointing upwards and the bottom end complete with its motor,
towards the ground. The back had a huge flag attached and I
was not going very far, just to the other side of Boston, about
20 miles.
My auger nearly didn’t make it to its destination.

THE JOURNEY
For mile after mile I watched to the front meticulously but
there was never anything in my way. Arriving at the town
(Boston) I watched the buildings in all the streets to make sure
the auger did not go through any windows or catch any lamp
standards. Just by the Odeon Cinema, I arrived at some traffic
lights; as I was slowing gradually, eyes in all directions at once,
someone hooted their horn.
My eyes were diverted for just a second or two and in that
instant a double decked bus had decided to stop directly in
front!
Rapid stamping on my brakes resulted in my truck dipping
forwards and the two steel support rods of the auger ending
poked through the back of the double deck bus just below the
rotary sign that tells you where it is going!
I did manage to stop before the rods went in too far; that is
into the seats! As the truck rocked back on its suspension, the
two rods reappeared and left two “staring eyes” dead centre in
the bus body just a short distance below that signboard.
The driver appeared and looked somewhat bewildered.
“well I never did!” he exclaimed, “nothing like this has ever
happened before.” Or words to that effect!
The auger did not seem to have sustained any damage and
the bus driver was somewhat amused.

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