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This is a real story, emailed to us on January 29th,
2007. We're trying not to brag.
From: Hank Hartman
[mailto:pianoguy@gci.net]
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2007 12:29 PM
To: 'Steve Kriesel'
Subject: RE: Torpedo Bags horror story
Steve,
You must read this! It's the real deal.
I am on my way to a gig with my 17 piece Just Playin’ Jazz
youth swing band. I’m the director. It’s Alaska, it's
10 degrees, the back of the pickup is loaded to the top of the camper
shell with gear. On top of the load, my Torpedo Laredo and a PA
system. The latch on the truck cap was not locked, and after a stop,
it opened. My Torpedo Case and PA slide out the back of the truck
and roll into oncoming traffic on a two lane highway. The PA fell
in the soft snow and was not damaged.
Here comes the fun part. My friend Joe and I are trying to get across
this road, dodging traffic, and my trumpet gets run over by a truck.
The truck was going about 45 mph, It was a Dodge 1 Ton HEMI (whatever
the model is). As the truck approached the case, Joe and I just
looked at each other. I said, “This is it, he is going to
kill my MF Admiral Trumpet.” The MF is for Maynard Ferguson,
though I’m sure I used it in others ways at the time. Anyway,
rather than go around it, Dummy in the Dodge hits it head on. As
the Torpedo case hit the front differential, it flipped under the
truck, and then was hit by the rear diff, lifting the tail of the
truck off the ground. Dummy in the Dodge just drove away. I went
to retrieve what was left of my horn, my friend Joe got there first.
I was heartbroken. When I met Joe, he said, “The case looks
good, it’s scarred up, but it’s fine.” I couldn’t
believe it! One nylon latch broke that holds the music bag on the
side. I called my wife and told her to grab my other horn, as I
didn’t know what to expect.
When we got to the gig, I pulled the horn out of the case. Not a
mark! Everything worked!
We have three of the Torpedo bags in our band. After this story,
I’m going to guess there will be more. Other than the usual
scrapes a leather case gets when it is run over by a truck, it’s
mint
I was going to send it back to get the latch replaced. I decided
against it. That’s a “Badge of Honor.”
The Just Playin’ Jazz Band all agrees, “A TORPEDO BAG
IS CHEAP INSURANCE.”
Thanks,
Hank Hartman
©2006 GMP, Inc.
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