Kenworth, The Praying Mantis and the Battery Box Cover

Started the day #1 on the dispatch board. At 11:06 dispatch calls with a local run from Hebron to Chillicothe. You don't loose your board position when the run is local, so I figured what the heck and took it. Got paid for all the deadhead miles.

As I get in the truck, I notice a praying mantis on the right front fender. I hate these bugs so I don't mess with it figuring that the wind will blow it off. Start driving on the freeway and the mantis does a pretty good impression of a surfer and slides onto the windshield. So here I am trucking down the highway at 70 MPH with a praying mantis doing obscene things to my windshield. I couldn't believe it, but the wind is not blowing him off.

His backside doubles back over itself and I thought, OOOOHHH that's got to hurt!!!! Nothing. He's still there doubled over butt and all. I get to the pick up in Hebron, still there. Does he take the opportunity to bail while the truck is stopped??? Noooo, not this guy.

The "load" is a 25lb. box with a battery box cover in it for Kenworth in Chillicothe. I figure Kenworth is just as buggy as my passenger to pay this kind of money to have a battery box cover delivered. What the heck, not my problem.

So, I take off. I considered knocking my passenger off the windshield, but I thought "no I want to see how this plays out." I take the back roads towards Chillicothe, and decide to give my buddy a name. "Evel Bugevel" He's still there bent butt and all, but he's inching up the windshield towards the top of the truck. The last I see of him is his leg as he makes it to the body of the truck over the windshield.

I arrive at Kenworth. After signing in at the guard shack and getting my security pass (I considered asking for one for EB) I check the front of the truck. HE'S GONE. WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?????? IS HE OK????

With a heavy heart I deliver my "HOT" battery box cover and head towards home crestfallen that EB left me to carry on alone.

I arrive home and the dogs and I hold a small but tasteful memorial service for EB just in case he's splattered all over a windshield somewhere, but I prefer to think that he just moved on to his next stunt. So if anyone is travelling in Ohio and you all of a sudden have a bent butt praying mantis doing obscene things to your windshield, tell EB I said hi and to please write home.