Patience....

As the saying goes "patience is a virtue". A virtue that I would jump to live without, but unfortunately every day requires some amount of it. As goes waiting on deadline for some quotes and a picture.

The post below was referring to a story I did for the Laurens County Advertiser about retirees who are a part of the army of "pick-up men" for the local car dealers. Unfortunately these guys were on the go so much that I couldn't track them down for two days...two precious, life threatening days.

But in the end persistence paid off. I had already gone to the Advertiser to turn in my story with out a picture and without a single exciting graph in it. In other words the rule of thumb, as taught by Prof. Larry Timbs, "Why Should I Give A Shit" was not there.

But just as I was walking out the door the call came in that one of the road warriors was back and in Laurens. I rushed over, got the picture and got the anecdote I had been looking for the whole time.

Below is the finished story, which actually turned out okay.


Retirees Travel Road Less Traveled
by Kathleen Brown
For The Advertiser


Always on the move, the handful of men who do pick-ups of new and used cars for several of the car dealerships in town can be hard to reach, much less to persuade to keep their foot off the pedal long enough for a picture.

An “on-the-go” attitude is exactly what Bobby Cook, sales manager for Smith Chevrolet-Cadillac, looks for when hiring a driver, and it is exactly what can be found in the retirees that drive for the dealerships of Laurens County.

The drivers are given a destination, either a dealership or an auction yard where the purchased car awaits their arrival.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - Jerry Pulley, pictured, is a regular driver for Smith Cheverolet-Cadillac in Laurens. "I retired from work, and this way I get to see places I wouldn't ordinarily get to see," Pulley said. His favorite "on the job" memory happened last year while en-route to a car destination in Greensboro, N.C. At a Wendy's restaurant Pulley was reunited with a military comrade he had not seen since 1962. Unexpected people and places is just a part of the job for the pick-up drivers of Laurens.

“Normally we look for people in good health and a clean driving record.” Cook said. “These guys love to drive.”

Joe Leopard, 71, had retired from his job as supervisor at J.P. Watts Plant when he came across a job that required lots of time and a steady foot. Since working for the dealership, Leopard has clocked thousands of miles picking up cars and inspecting them before turning around with them to Laurens.

“One time we went 750 miles in one trip,” Leopard said.

Long trips are not rare, although most of their pick-ups are from North Carolina or Georgia.

Leroy Workman, 68, who drives for Firmin Ford, is used to the road trips. Formerly a tractor-trailer driver, Workman has been doing pick-ups for dealerships around the county for almost five years.

He now makes his trips “locally,” as he calls it, which means stops at Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, or any other number of Southeastern states.

Technology has made it easier for many of the drivers who now rely on their own GPS systems to get from place to place. Although some still rely on maps and an earful of directions.

Dealerships around the state all have similar pick up systems, according to Cook. The “road trip” starts with two drivers in one car provided by the dealer. The pair then makes their way to the car, and then splits up to make the trip home solo.

The goal is to pick up the vehicle and return it, quickly and safely to the dealership, but heavy traffic and unexpected problems can hinder a speedy return. Leopard recalls several times when the car he was supposed to bring back delayed the trip back.

“Sometimes when we pick up the car the tires are flat, or the battery will be dead and we’ve got to get them fixed,” Leopard said.

The thing most of the guys say they enjoy is the open road and a good driving partner.

“We get to meet different people, and riding down together (with other drivers) is good fellowship,” Leopard said.

Jerry Pulley, 69 has been driving for two years and credits the work for taking him all over the southeast as well as reuniting him with an old friend.

On a drive to Greensboro, N.C. for a pick-up, Pulley walked into a Wendy’s for a quick bite to eat before heading back to Laurens. When he walked in he thought he saw a familiar face, but he couldn’t quite remember who the man was.

The stranger turned out to be a close friend he had made in basic training. The two had not seen each other since 1962.

“Before I could place him he was walking right up to me,” Pulley said. “I would have never seen him, had I not been driving.”