A couple and their dog, whilst travelling from California to Alaska heard about the races via CKRW "The Rush", but their car was in for repair. Calling a taxi company they asked if they could pay by debit and were assured all the cars were fitted with debit machines. Upon arrival at Drag n Fly kennel they were informed by the driver that his machine was broken, and where was the cash? Negotiations ensued, the young lady got out, the dog slipped its collar and whilst she was getting the dog under control, it appears the driver lost his control and shot off with his other passenger's feet dragging on the road with the door open. Cries of "Help Help! I'm being kidnapped! Call the cops" echoed down the road as the soles of the passengers shoes wore away and quickly heated up. All this in front of a rather stunned twenty-odd Drylanders and volunteers (and their dogs).
Whilst the taxi company and the RCMP were being called, the taxi driver returned (minus a passenger - bundled out somewhere further down the highway) and started to swear at and generally verbally abuse Race Marshall Melanie Bedard. Melanie listened for as long as it took to draw breath and replied with a steady flow of characteristically controlled francophone invective which drove the taxi away (literally).
Everybody was agreeing that Dryland racing really had a lot of excitement going for it when the taxi re-appeared (like something out of a '60s bad B-movie) with the RCMP, which became something else again.
By now the young lady's partner has walked back from where he was dumped, having put out the fire out on the soles of his shoes, and is ......upset....annoyed...angry (I'm sure Mel could put it very well) and proceeds to "talk" to the RCMP, at which point 20 witnesses also want to point out that it ... "...looked a lot like kidnapping, bloody dangerous driving, the driver's an idiot, never using that taxi company..." At this point Mr RCMP apparently sticks out his chest, points at everyone and bellows "Be quiet, or I'll arrest all of you" (shades of Monty Python and the Holy Grail there) - which doesn't go down too well, especially with independently minded people who risk death and mutilation by mother nature every winter. And the dogs were even less impressed - I know 'cos they told me later at the watering hole. Although I do believe everyone did go quiet..... except Susie. I'm not sure what was said, but it caused a lunge, and a grab, and something about drinking alcohol in public - which was again unfortunate as Susie's can was a highly non-toxicating <0.5
At this point (thank goodness) Crown Prosecutor Lee Kirkpatrick and RCMP (Retd) Jim Hajash appear and begin interceding proceedings (erm, legal speak for "calming"); Adam, our male visitor from California is led away to race after telling the RCMP officer "I want to talk to the police, not you, you're an idiot". Adam goes on to take 3rd in the Pet Dog and received a Yukon Agriculture Association T shirt (no, it really was a T-shirt, YAA aren't a brewery).
Mr Taxi left, presumably to terrorise more clients; Mr RCMP also left, alone - I don't think he could have got twenty people and their dogs in his car anyway; and we all got down to the fun business of dog racing.
Which Taxi company was it? Well, we shall wait and see if they wish to make amends by providing the CHT Org a few prizes, before we name and shame :)
Ahhhhh.....so now we know why you had to leave England Jon....you probably turned a croquet or polo match into a blood sport, such as what has happened to the (formerly)respectable sport of dog mushing!!!! I mean really Jon must you resort to such amateur tactics of "Photo shopping" an RCMP officer into a picture as a publicity stunt?? Or was it actually a blow up doll pulling Susie Rogan's arm and you bribed the crowd into silence with some of Yukon Brewings fine product???
ReplyDeleteI see the makings of a good soap opera here "all my sled dogs", possibly???