THE FORD AND THE FIRECRACKERS
A prankster learns his lesson.
The guys from Trevose Fire Company in Pennsylvania were headed home from a fire and rescue competition when we stopped off at a fireworks shop called South of the Border to stock up on cherry bombs, strings of twenty 2-inchers, bottle rockets—the works.
Known as pranksters, we spent the next few months finding ways to use the fireworks to surprise the older guys in the firehouse. They never saw the humor in our fun and were glad when our supply began to dwindle.
But one fall day, with my last stash of 2-inchers beside me on the front seat of my 1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria, I drove to the firehouse. My car, only 3 years old, was in mint condition and super quiet, so no one turned around when I drove up. Pushing in my cigarette lighter, I lit the fuse on a firecracker and tossed it out my window, and it landed directly behind my best friend.
When I heard a hissing sound, I realized that the lit fuse had come
off and landed in the middle of the remaining string of 2-inchers on my front seat. I quickly jumped out of my car and slammed the door shut.
Meanwhile, all my buddies turned around in time to see the string of firecrackers exploding inside my beloved automobile.
At first, they were shocked as they watched my car fill with blue smoke. Then they noticed the unexploded firecracker at their feet and knew what had happened.
When the laughter and smoke subsided, I walked to the car to assess the damage. On the upside, my car didn’t catch fire. That would have been the ultimate embarrassment— a firefighter burning up his own vehicle. Still, the entire interior had to be replaced due to smoke damage.
With my friends still smiling, I shook my head and made a mental note never to play a practical joke again. Or at least not one that involved firecrackers.
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