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These are unedited photos of a real event.
We're as shocked as you are. Cool, huh?
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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