When Gary in Neenah started the first sled thread it brought back a lot of funny memories from my youth on a snowmobile so I'm starting this one to hear other stories.
In 1979 the Chicago area got hit with pretty big snowstorm that closed a lot down including schools, so I made the best of it on my snowmobile. I was in high school but did not have a driver's license yet. I lived in Niles, IL. which is the first suburb north of Chicago and my dad was a fireman in Morton Grove IL which is just north of Niles. One night I told my mom that I was going to visit my dad and hang out at the firehouse for a while. She asked how I was getting there, and I told her I was taking the sled. She wasn't thrilled about the idea but did not stop me. I suit up and take off on the sled and realize there's not a lot of gas in it. I ride side streets to a major intersection that has a gas station on the corner and pull up to the pump, gas it up, pull out, and sit at a red light. There were very few cars on the road because plows were struggling to clear all of the snow. While sitting at the light, a cop pulls up next to me, rolls down the window and starts yelling at me to pull over. I recognized him as one of my dad's friends. I had a helmet on with a dark shield, so he did not recognize me. The light changes to green and I give him the finger and hit the throttle. All he could do was spin his tires and watch my taillight disappear up the road. I ditched him down a couple of side streets and made it to the firehouse. I go in and tell my dad and all of the guys in the firehouse what happened and that made their night. During all of the laughter the cop comes into the firehouse ranting and raving that some S.O.B. on a snowmobile just flipped him the bird and ditched him. Now the laughter turned into a roar and my dad pointed at me. The cop looked at me and all I could do was give him the bird again. After he thumped me a little bit, he had to join in the laughter but told me he would get me when I had a driver's license. Years later when I was a cop, I was training a new recruit and we got hit with a pretty good snowstorm. Of course, some guy on a snowmobile takes his sled out on the streets and goes for a ride. My rookie sees him and wants to pursue. All I could do was laugh and tell him absolutely NOT. We would lose that chase.
In 1979 the Chicago area got hit with pretty big snowstorm that closed a lot down including schools, so I made the best of it on my snowmobile. I was in high school but did not have a driver's license yet. I lived in Niles, IL. which is the first suburb north of Chicago and my dad was a fireman in Morton Grove IL which is just north of Niles. One night I told my mom that I was going to visit my dad and hang out at the firehouse for a while. She asked how I was getting there, and I told her I was taking the sled. She wasn't thrilled about the idea but did not stop me. I suit up and take off on the sled and realize there's not a lot of gas in it. I ride side streets to a major intersection that has a gas station on the corner and pull up to the pump, gas it up, pull out, and sit at a red light. There were very few cars on the road because plows were struggling to clear all of the snow. While sitting at the light, a cop pulls up next to me, rolls down the window and starts yelling at me to pull over. I recognized him as one of my dad's friends. I had a helmet on with a dark shield, so he did not recognize me. The light changes to green and I give him the finger and hit the throttle. All he could do was spin his tires and watch my taillight disappear up the road. I ditched him down a couple of side streets and made it to the firehouse. I go in and tell my dad and all of the guys in the firehouse what happened and that made their night. During all of the laughter the cop comes into the firehouse ranting and raving that some S.O.B. on a snowmobile just flipped him the bird and ditched him. Now the laughter turned into a roar and my dad pointed at me. The cop looked at me and all I could do was give him the bird again. After he thumped me a little bit, he had to join in the laughter but told me he would get me when I had a driver's license. Years later when I was a cop, I was training a new recruit and we got hit with a pretty good snowstorm. Of course, some guy on a snowmobile takes his sled out on the streets and goes for a ride. My rookie sees him and wants to pursue. All I could do was laugh and tell him absolutely NOT. We would lose that chase.
