“Go Cart #2”. On June 19, I posted about my go cart #1 and the “smallest parade float ever” that was built around it in 1948. Later, in 1949, I built go cart #2 which used some of the #1 parts but otherwise much improved. It had four wheels instead of three, a steel frame instead of wood, two speed shift, differential rear chain drive axle, brake pedal, clutch pedal, gas pedal, headlight and tail lights, and was painted fire engine red with white sidewalls. It would go about 30 mph and I drove it everywhere. I worked in Shell gas stations then, and I drove it to work regularly, even to one of these stations that was way out on N. Wenatchee Ave near the old Wenatchee river bridge (burned down 1949). This go cart was not “street legal”, of course, and I was just plain lucky not to have been stopped by the police. My luck ran out, however, in the summer of 1949. Our family had a cherry orchard on Cherry St, but we also raised chickens and sold eggs to regular customers in town. My parents had gone out of town and left me with the task of collecting and delivering eggs to the customers on our egg route, but since I couldn’t drive yet, I rigged up a box on the go cart for the eggs and off I went. I was just finishing up delivering eggs on N. Franklin Ave when I heard a siren behind me. The policeman had a hard time holding back a laugh, but he had to do his duty. He instructed me to drive my go cart to the police station and he would follow. Since he didn’t specify a route to take, I decided to make it all worthwhile by taking the longest route possible. So, down 5th st. to Wenatchee ave. I got in the inside lane close to the centerline and proceeded slowly down the Ave with the police car lights flashing behind me. At intersections, I went right on through regardless of the signal light color because, after all, I had a police escort. When the light was red, the policeman felt obligated to also turn on his siren which only brought more attention. Spectators were cheering and clapping and cars were honking their horns and everyone was enjoying this spectacle, especially me. I waved back and I felt like this was a private parade just for me. However, I’m not sure that the policeman was all that happy with it all. When I got to Yakima St, or whatever street the police station was on then, I turned up and pulled into the police parking lot. Lots of folks came out to examine the trophy that the policeman had brought in, only to smile and go back to work. I explained the situation to police chief who acted like this was all a waste of his time. They called my older brother at home to come down to pick me up “under his custody” until my parents got home. Meanwhile, they confiscated my go cart as evidence, I guess. Actually, I think they just wanted to drive it around themselves in the parking lot. When my parents returned home, we went down and retrieved the go cart (now out of gas), and received only a verbal reprimand. I continued to drive my go cart around town but took as many side roads and alleys as possible. Also, I knew that the police had been severely embarrassed and they probably wouldn’t risk stopping me again. None of this episode ever appeared in the Daily World or on the radio, so I suspect it was covered up. I don’t know what happened to the police officer who stopped me, but I hope they weren’t too hard on him because he was only doing his duty.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 19:00:10 +0000
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