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Each year around this time, I remember a bizarre experience I had in 2001, christmas night.
Me and some friends used to go to new orleans every year from the 25th through new years, and I would usually leave christmas night to get there on the 26th from chicagoland.
Around 3 am, I needed gas around southern illinois, and remembered there was a gas station/hotel/diner in cairo that was pretty good.
I push the remaining gas to the limit in order to get there, turn off of 57, and lo and behold, the place is gone.
Cairo had been a dying town for quite some time, and the pace had accelerated.
With less than an 8th of a tank, I continued east on the road I had exited on to for a couple miles (or at least it felt that far) and saw some lights of an amoco.
i pull up to the pumps, and it is the old school dials. No debit cards of course.
I walk towards the building- and old school service center that was mostly 4 large garage doors with a tiny little area as an "office". The windows and glass door were 100% covered with old local announcements- rummage sales, carnivals, hand written baby sitting flyers.
I open the door, walk in, and behind the counter sits a large black man in a red silk evening gown (complete with gloves), caked on makeup, a large flowery hat, and a very unkempt blonde wig.
I ask for 30 bucks on pump whatever, h does his thing, I thank him and say merry christmas, happy new year... and he says "hold on".
With dread, I hold.
He says "my friend sells sunglasses and we do not get a lot of people through here any more. Can you at least look at some and buy some if you see something you like?"
Touched by his concern, I say "of course, where are they" and look around the shop.
The guy behind the counter points to the door and says "he will set up by his van".
I go out, start the gas flowing (slow as molasses) and sure enough, there was a van in the lot and a fellow walks around the side, opens the back, and starts setting up a folding table.
When my gas was done an eternity later, I wander on over. By this time he has the table set up, a chair set up, and there he sits at the table- a sign proclaimed "all sunglasses 5 dollars" and a stunning variety of 4 pairs, each one broken.
I purchased a gold set of Elvis shades that had only 1 arm, and that pair of shades sits on my curio cabinet to this day.
As I walk off, the guy offers to gift wrap them for 2 dollars. I say "no thank you, but here is a 2 dollar tip since it is christmas."
Dude folds up his chair and table, and hops back in the van.
I simultaneously felt terrible for them and slightly uneasy that I was going to be murdered and dumped in the big muddy river.
Turns out, My mom told me there was a mental hospital/facility there that shut its doors and all the residents were just left to their own devices... that there is a high population of people with emotional/mental problems still there as residents that could not get back to where they had come from.
So- anyone else have any good crazy stories?
Me and some friends used to go to new orleans every year from the 25th through new years, and I would usually leave christmas night to get there on the 26th from chicagoland.
Around 3 am, I needed gas around southern illinois, and remembered there was a gas station/hotel/diner in cairo that was pretty good.
I push the remaining gas to the limit in order to get there, turn off of 57, and lo and behold, the place is gone.
Cairo had been a dying town for quite some time, and the pace had accelerated.
With less than an 8th of a tank, I continued east on the road I had exited on to for a couple miles (or at least it felt that far) and saw some lights of an amoco.
i pull up to the pumps, and it is the old school dials. No debit cards of course.
I walk towards the building- and old school service center that was mostly 4 large garage doors with a tiny little area as an "office". The windows and glass door were 100% covered with old local announcements- rummage sales, carnivals, hand written baby sitting flyers.
I open the door, walk in, and behind the counter sits a large black man in a red silk evening gown (complete with gloves), caked on makeup, a large flowery hat, and a very unkempt blonde wig.
I ask for 30 bucks on pump whatever, h does his thing, I thank him and say merry christmas, happy new year... and he says "hold on".
With dread, I hold.
He says "my friend sells sunglasses and we do not get a lot of people through here any more. Can you at least look at some and buy some if you see something you like?"
Touched by his concern, I say "of course, where are they" and look around the shop.
The guy behind the counter points to the door and says "he will set up by his van".
I go out, start the gas flowing (slow as molasses) and sure enough, there was a van in the lot and a fellow walks around the side, opens the back, and starts setting up a folding table.
When my gas was done an eternity later, I wander on over. By this time he has the table set up, a chair set up, and there he sits at the table- a sign proclaimed "all sunglasses 5 dollars" and a stunning variety of 4 pairs, each one broken.
I purchased a gold set of Elvis shades that had only 1 arm, and that pair of shades sits on my curio cabinet to this day.
As I walk off, the guy offers to gift wrap them for 2 dollars. I say "no thank you, but here is a 2 dollar tip since it is christmas."
Dude folds up his chair and table, and hops back in the van.
I simultaneously felt terrible for them and slightly uneasy that I was going to be murdered and dumped in the big muddy river.
Turns out, My mom told me there was a mental hospital/facility there that shut its doors and all the residents were just left to their own devices... that there is a high population of people with emotional/mental problems still there as residents that could not get back to where they had come from.
So- anyone else have any good crazy stories?
