The Devil Went Down to Summer Avenue

And continuing on my series on Adventures on Summer Avenue...I thought of another one today. For those of you not from Memphis, Summer Ave. is a working class street that runs the length of the city…midtown to the suburbs. I personally see wacky stuff every time I drive that patch of road.

True story. One day a band of demons (AKA teenagers) were driving recklessly weaving in and out of traffic. I don’t think they were drunk, just obnoxious drivers trying to be cool and showing off a la NASCAR. They cut off a Toyota. One of those old 70’s shoebox kind of Toyotas, a beat up, primer paint sort. Upon coming to a red light, Toyota driver, got out of the car.

Now, “got out of the car” is not really what happened. It was more like, took the car off as if he were removing a button-down shirt. He was all of 6’ 4”, over 300 lbs. and covered with tattoos and piercings. You know how Charlie Daniels is sort of scary looking? Picture that but younger and with tattoos. But I digress…I’m gridlocked between vehicles. I’m bracing for gunfire. Before my very eyes Toyota man did all he could to assault their car with his bare hands. It was a Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno flashback. Light turns green nobody moves in the intersection, mouths agape. After he’d terrorized their vehicle (and at one point, I think he even lifted the car up and I’m sure he dented the hood with his fists) he calmly goes back to the Toyota turns around to the rest of us and shrugs his shoulders like, that’s all done, sorry I inconvenienced ya’ll! And that was that.