You meet the strangest people in motorway services.
One day, many years ago, whilst driving back down from Ravenscraig with two slabs for delivery to Llanwern, I was sat in Tebay Truck services, enjoying a cup of coffee while I had my 45-min break.
As I sat sipping my coffee, a young, very attractive, blond woman sat down next to me.
After a little while, she turned to me, looked me straight in the eyes, smiled, and asked, ‘Are you a real lorry driver?’
I replied, ‘Well, I’ve spent my whole working life driving lorries, or trucks as they are sometimes known as nowadays.’
‘I’ve driven a ‘68 Atkinson Borderer, Leyland Mandators, Volvo’s, Scania’s, all sorts.
When I was in my twenties, I delivered toilet pans to Teheran, oil pipes to Qatar, generators to Jeddah, and loaded melons straight from the field in Patras.
But now, I spend my days driving between Cardiff and Scotland delivering steel coils.’
‘That’s my truck there,’ I said pointing proudly to my gleaming MAN F90 16.332 sat waiting for me just outside the Tebay Services window.
‘So yes, I guess I am a lorry driver – what about you?’ I asked.
She said, well I’m not a trucker, … I’m a lesbian.
I spend my whole day thinking about naked women.
As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women.
When I shower, I think about naked women.
When I watch TV, I think about naked women.
It seems everything makes me think of naked women.’
‘Are you thinking of naked women right now?’ I asked. Well, ‘yes, she said, as a matter of fact I am’
That took me a bit by surprise, and we just sat finishing our coffees in silence, before she got up and said goodbye.
A little while later, a young lad, sat down on the other side of me and asked, ‘Are you a real truck driver?’
- Spoiler: show
- I replied, ‘Well, I always thought I was until a few minutes ago, … but I just found out I’m a lesbian.’