The Great Prankster

[Mumbleypeg]

My cousin was an outstanding athlete, drafted out of high school by the Yankees as a pitcher but instead accepted a scholarship to play college football. After college he had a long career as a “land man” whose job was to negotiate and purchase right-of-way for public utilities, like power lines, telephone, cable, pipelines, cell towers, windmill turbines, etc. My cousin died of leukemia several years ago, in his early 60s. Throughout his life he was a great prankster. This story was one of several told by co-workers at his funeral eulogy.

On large jobs a group of “land men” would work an area where an infrastructure project was to be built, negotiating with landowners to obtain rights to construct whatever necessary on their property. Typically they all stayed in the same centrally located motel, sometimes for days. Each morning going their separate ways to their assigned areas. Every evening they would return to the motel, meeting together to review progress and map out the next day’s activities.

On this occasion several guys were working a project in rural west Texas, all staying in a motel. The speaker said he noticed when he returned to his room after the first day, his room had not been made up. Thinking they just missed his room that day, he thought nothing of it. But the next day when he returned, again his room had not been cleaned. He thought to himself, the motel owner knows we’re staying several days and gave us a good rate, so maybe daily housekeeping is not part of the deal. He made up his own room. The next evening, when his room was not cleaned again he commented about it to his co-workers. They told him their rooms were being cleaned and made up daily.

He went to the office and complained. The person working the desk apologized, saying he would tell housekeeping to be sure to clean his room. The next evening when he returned, his room still had not been cleaned. He asked his co-workers and again they told him their rooms were being cleaned daily. He complained again, and was assured it would be pointed out to the head housekeeper when she arrived the next day. The next evening, same thing again, his room was not made up.

He decided he would come back to the motel mid-morning and talk to the housekeeper himself. When he pulled into the parking space in front of his room, it was then that he knew why his room was not being cleaned. There was a sign taped to his door that had not been there when he left in the mornings, nor when he returned every evening, In my cousin’s handwriting it said in large letters

“BEWARE OF DOG!”

Ken

[Old Folder]

Good one Ken

Dan

[dlr110]

Great story Ken. Your cousin sounds like someone that really enjoyed life.

[philco]

I love a good ole harmless prank like that.

[Colonel26]

That’s awesome Ken. Your cousin sounds like a guy I would have loved to have known.

[Stanwade]

Great story, Ken.. I've been known to pull a good prank from time to time .. sounds like your cousin enjoyed life..

[Mumbleypeg]

He did indeed enjoy life. Wherever he was, it was a party. He was 14 months older than me, and the closest to a brother I ever had (I have two sisters). While growing up we spent a lot of time together. I was sometimes the victim of his pranks, and other times I was a co-conspirator. Being older, he put me up to a lot of mischief. And if we got caught I was usually the fall guy.

Ken