A friend that worked in a local bookstore, one of my old haunts, had a spate, of unfortunate, driving incidents. I stopped by the store, after one of the accidents, and saw that the right, rear tail light, of her car, was broken out. The red lens was broken, as was the light bulb, with the metal base of the bulb still in the socket.
I offered to fix it and was turned down. I was told that I could hurt myself removing the broken bulb, and that it was no big deal, as it would get repaired.
The book store was one of my regular stops when I was in town. I would be away, on the road, one to two weeks but, but returning to the store, was always a high priority when returning home.
On my return, some days later, I found my friends tail light in the same condition, she had not had it repaired. Broken tail lights are a pet peeve of mine while driving. Not knowing if someone is signaling a turn or being blinded by a bright light, where a red lens should be, is annoying to say the least.
This time, while visiting the store, I was using the company service truck, and it was stocked with tools, and parts. I couldn’t stand the sight of the broken tail light any longer.
I removed some of the broken section of red lens, and removed the broken bulb, with a set of needle nose pliers. A new bulb was installed, and clear, red, plastic tape, made a new tail light lens.
I went in to the store without saying anything about the tail light. I often made long visits, looking through the book shelves, and shooting the breeze other customers, and the folks that worked there. It was fun for me knowing that the light was temporarily repaired and my friend didn’t have a clue.
I have been known to be something of a notorious, practical joker, and a prankster, well, infamous, really. The payoff on this “prank” came on my next visit to the store. I enjoyed finding out how my friend had been driving around, with a working tail light, and didn’t know it. She told me how another friend had brought it to her attention by saying “I thought that tail light wasn’t working.”
I never confessed to my good deed, merely, enjoying the fun of it. Over the years I have been in on, and the author of, a number of pranks, some of them dangerous, but this one, was on the top of my list as the most fun. It had the same payoff as a prank, because, the person on the receiving end, didn’t have a clue. I also received the enjoyment, and satisfaction, of helping a friend, and keeping her out of trouble with the law.
This was a change for me, as most of my pranks were good for getting someone else into trouble.
