A hitchhiker's tale.

John Rafferty, a <U1:p<?xml:namespace prefix = u1 /><u1:PlaceName u2:st="on">Dublin</u1:PlaceName> <u1:PlaceType u2:st="on"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...laceType w:st=University</u1:PlaceType></st1:PlaceType> student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a huge storm.

The night was rolling on and no cars went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly, through the gloom, he saw a car very slowly coming towards him and then just stop. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door.. only to realise there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't running!

The car started moving slowly again. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a long sinewy hand appeared through the window and turned the wheel. John, paralysed with terror, watched as the hand repeatedly came through the window, but never touched or harmed him.

Shortly thereafter John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so, gathering strength, he leapt from the car and ran to the front door. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and began telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had.

A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realised he was crying and....wasn't drunk.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two bedraggled old men walked in from the stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Rafferty sobbing at the bar, one said to the other...

"Look Paddy.....there's that bloody idiot that got into the car while we were pushing it!"