…after falling into a pit full of grape jelly
The Doclopedia #3,271
Mistakes Were Made: The Bad Road Screwup
Like many men, Karl Brodine did not ask for directions when he was driving somewhere. He relied on his instincts and an old map book or two.
So, in June of 1965, he and his wife, Nancy, loaded up their 4 kids into the station wagon and set out for Wilbersly, Idaho, to visit his brother, Ted. The first day of the trip went pretty well, since it was interstate highways all the way to Boise, where they spent the night. The next day, refreshed from a good night’s sleep and a fine breakfast, Karl and family set out on the finalleg of the trip.
Now, Wilbersly was a small town way off the interstate and way up in the mountains. There were a couple of roads that would get you there. Karl, sadly, chose the wrong one. Oh, it started out okay, nice and well paved. Soon, though, the road begain to get rougher and all signs of civilization faded away. Nancy wondered if they should turn back. The kids agreed with her. Karl, however, nixed the idea and pressed on, even as the road narrowed, turned to gravel, and ran up the sides of steep mountains. Karl just kept saying that they would get to Wilbersly any time now.
5 hours, 4 crying kids, one angry wife, 1 flat tire (and 3 barely useable), a cracked windshield, a near empty gas tank, and a big dent in the drivers side front door from a falling rock, Karl limped the car into Wilbersly and his brother’s house.
His brother then informed him that the other road would have gotten them there in about 45 minutes. Nancy would remind Karl of this for the remaining 40 years of his life.
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