THE SHORTEST JOY RIDE

Many summers ago I was pumping gas at a service station when a woman in an old beat up Chevy pulled up to the self service pumps. She was finished putting her few dollars of gas in while I was still pumping gas. As she walked toward the store to pay for her gas I noticed she had four children in their tweens sitting in her car. Before I could say anything the oldest boy started the car and put it in reverse as he floored the gas pedal. As the car raced backwards all four doors popped open. I started to yell, "No don't get out of the car" but all four kids had bailed out by the time I said car. I don't know how one of the kids wasn't clipped by the car doors as the car was running in reverse. As the children ran past me to get the woman in the store I heard three of the kids yell, "He did It, he did it". I stopped pumping gas as I watched the car gain speed as it turned without a driver towards the above ground gas tank. By the time I thought about running, the car had crashed into the the concrete filled yellow steel post that protected the tank. Other than the single steel post there was a three foot high cinder block wall around the big gas tank. I don't think the car could have got past that little wall but I'm glad I didn't have to find out. The car was still running with one rear wheel spinning in the gravel and the other rear wheel hanging in the air. I walked over to the running car and turned the engine off. The car fell to the ground with a thud as the one spinning wheel was holding the other wheel up against the post. Then the woman and the children came out of the store. The woman couldn't quit thanking me. I told her she didn't have anything to thank me for as all I did was turn her car off but she just kept on thanking me. Looking back on it I think the kids told her I told them to jump out of the car instead of staying in it. I told her all the thanks I wanted was for her never leave kids or keys in a car again. As she drove off with the four kids all I could think was that was a short joy ride.