Spooky Halloween Tales
from GPS Insight
Halloween creeps closer and neighborhoods prepare for witches, ghouls, goblins, reality TV stars and more to descend upon them, striking fear and demanding candy from frightened homeowners under threat of dreaded tricks (eggs, shaving cream, toilet paper, etc.).
During this most haunted season, we want to shine the light on tales of fear, wonderment and woe that the brave men and women of the fleet and field service industries, their clients and observers have experienced. So, buckle up!
Here are their stories:
1. Ross Jennings, Canaima, CA.
I am a family physician in Canaima, a small seaside town near San Luis Obispo. My wife, son and I left San Francisco for Canaima after the town’s elderly general practitioner, Dr. Sam Metcalf, announced he would soon retire.
Upon my arrival in 1990, several strange deaths occurred, including old but healthy Margaret Collins, high school football player Todd Miller and even poor Dr. Sam, of mysterious causes. With the help of some dogged entomologists, I soon deduced all three deaths were linked to a deadly new invasive spider. My son and I both suffer from Arachnophobia and knew we needed professional help to deal with this deadly threat.
We called no-nonsense exterminator Delbert McClintock of Bugs-B-Gone Extermination Co. He went above and beyond the call of duty in stopping a deadly infestation that threatened the lives of the good people of Canaima and, possibly, the entire world.
I will never forget Delbert’s effective, if sometimes unorthodox, methods that helped us eliminate several massive nests of the deadly spiders, including one in my own barn.
Review: ***** Would recommend Bugs-B-Gone
2. Roy Neary, Electric Lineman, Muncie Power Company
I was working as an electric lineman in Muncie, IN when one night changed my life. One quiet summer evening, all hell broke loose across Muncie and much of eastern Indiana when a major power outage of unidentified origin plunged the area into darkness. Every available lineman in the tri-county area was called out to help repair the as-yet unforeseen damage. On route, my work truck inexplicably stalled just feet from the railroad tracks, and all communication with the management team went dead. I had no telematic data to diagnose the problem. I know it sounds crazy, but a bright light then enveloped my truck and shook me to-and-fro. After a few harrowing moments, the light disappeared, and I saw what appeared to be a UFO drift away. Just then, my truck turned on as if nothing had happened.
Unfortunately, my theory on what caused the area outages was dismissed. Though this Close Encounter wrecked my career and brought hardship to me and my family, I did develop a new love of sculpting landscapes of famous American landmarks and traveling to distant places.
3. William “Bill” Robinson, Check-Out Employee, Dixie Boy Truck Stop, Wilmington, NC
In the fleet industry, the push for autonomous vehicles has reached Maximum Overdrive. I know from experience that, as with all new technology, human oversight is still needed before autonomous fleet vehicles are safe for the road.
4. P.W. Herman, bicycling enthusiast and travel lover, Santa Monica, CA
It was a day much like today, on a road very much like this one where my big adventure began. In complete darkness and a dense fog, I was hitchhiking to recover stolen property in San Antonio, Texas. I will admit, I was very scared until a very helpful truck driver, Large Marge, stopped to give me a lift. She then told me a terrible tale…
5. Christopher J. Hastings, Mechanic, Phelps Garage, Eureka, IL Halloween
On what was to be my last day working in Eureka before moving with my wife and daughter to Chicago to be closer to her family, I received a dispatch job for Phelps Garage. It was the day before Halloween and I was tasked to repair a vehicle near Smith’s Grove Sanitarium on Highway 24 outside of Haddonfield, IL. Mr. Phelps offered me an extra $50 and I needed the money for our move, so I took the job. Besides, I had grown up in Haddonfield with the love of my life, Sylvia Robinson, and thought the trip would allow me to relive some cherished memories.
