Gas meter reader guy

So many things had changed: 2 phone party lines: 1 ring was your home, 2 rings was your neighbor’s phone. There was penny candy at the C&W (Curran and Walls) now D&G Deli. Teddy Travis would dress up as Santa Claus every Christmas Eve afternoon and stop at all 8 houses on the street. (Toasting all the way).

Then there was the gas meter reader. No one locked their doors so when he showed up to read the meter he would enter the cellar through the cellar door, read the meter, and then leave. You probably wouldn’t even know he was there.

Mrs. McGrath lived next door to us and she was a lovely lady. She was home one day and decided to do a wash. She filled her laundry basket upstairs and brought it to the cellar where the washing machine was located. She started putting clothes in and noticed a drip on the top of her head from a leaky pipe. She looked around for a hat but the only thing she could find was her son’s football helmet. She placed it on her head. After loading all the clothes she noticed the washer was partly full and decided to take off her house coat and place it inside. At that point the only thing she had on was the helmet. She closed the cover and the moment she hit the start button, the gas meter reader guy walked into the room. He looked at her and she looked at him and he said, “God lady, I hope your team won!”

Good luck Mrs. McGrath wherever you are.

Tom Folan

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Norwood