DON'T CHASE CARS
BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted December 15, 2005)
I read in the Minneapolis Star Tribune last week about a woman run over by her own car.
She had left the engine running while she stepped into a shop, and when she came out, a thief was in the process of driving away in her car.
The woman jumped in front of the vehicle, shouting for the thief to stop.... but instead, she was hit by the car, and the thief drove away.
The next day, the car was found.... but the woman was in critical condition in the hospital.... and the thief is still at large.
I immediately flashed back more than 40 years to my hometown of Augusta, Georgia.
The main street in Augusta is Broad Street, so named because it is incredibly broad. (see attached photo)
In fact, next to Canal Street in New Orleans, I've always heard that Augusta has the broadest Broad Street (or main street) anywhere in the U.S.
It was five lanes wide in each direction, with the outside and inside lanes used for angled parking, and the three center lanes used for traffic.
On a hot summer day in 1963, I had parked my white Nash Rambler in the center parking while I went into a store.
When I came out -- whoa! -- I spotted my white Rambler being driven away down the middle lane of Broad Street.
I chased after it. Running straight down the center lane, yelling, "hey, stop, hold on"....
Traffic was heavy in downtown Augusta that day, and the car was soon forced to stop in a line behind other cars at a traffic light.
As I ran up behind the car, I quickly realized -- thanks to a sticker on the bumper -- that it was not my car after all, but a close match.
I stopped.... stood there in the middle of traffic for a moment.... ran my hand through my hair.... tried to look as nonchalant as possible.... quietly whistled as I walked across traffic over to the sidewalk, hoping no one had noticed a tall, skinny, maniacal man running down the middle of the street waving his arms.
Here's Dan's friendly tip for the day:
Don't chase cars!
Leave that to the dogs -- and let police handle things if your car is stolen.
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