HONKY-TONK

Scotty and I

have continued

our relationship

with a honk

and a wave

A couple of years ago, a guy rode up on his bike at the Old Town Transit Center and threw it onto the racks; nothing new about this.   But, it was the big smile and greeting, as he hopped on board, that demonstrated something might be different.

Scotty works as the maintenance man/overseer at a do-it-yourself car wash on University Ave.  He has been employed there, and at other associated locations, for more than a dozen years.  The owner apparently has numerous facilities spread throughout the central San Diego area, and Scotty is his main go-to guy

Scotty is also an avid bike-rider.  Originally from the Northeast, he has not only ridden his bike up and down the East coast, but most of the way across country.  He has also had his fair share of crash-&-burns, and is a little worse for the wear.  When I first met him, he had just received a $175 ticket for blowing through a stoplight, a ticket awarded him by the same cop that had warned him on a previous occasion.  He owned up to the fact that he earned it, but still bemoaned the fact that he had better uses for the money.

I had Scotty on my beach-run, once a week for three months, a couple of years ago; I have since to have him on the bus.  The continuation of our friendship has been relegated to drive-by status, where, as I pass by his carwash once a week, I send out an identifiable horn-cadence from the bus, which always gets his attention, and is responded to by a high-wave and a big smile, something I used to enjoy closer up.

For the last couple of years, our relationship has been perpetuated honky-tonk style.