Sunday, April 13, 2008

David Murphy Is The Coolest

I never put much thought into what a bus-driver's day might be like. I can clearly imagine the driver filling the gas tank and, you know, taking care business. Pick-ups, drop-offs. Stop back at the garage, clean the bus, shoot the shit with some colleagues. But in those imaginings, I don't see the driver yelling over his shoulder, "Hey, kids, stay cool. I gotta gas up real quick. I'm gonna drop a deuce and get some coffee, too. Anyone need anything?"

It defies reason that a bus-driver (who isn't named Otto) would think it was a good idea to stop for gas while 27 children sat there waiting for him. That demonstrates a lack of judgment, seeing as how it's a violation of not only the law, but common sense. Might as well go all the way and leave the vehicle in idle, too, huh? In Cleveland last week, an event illustrated why that's an all around bad call when that bus started rolling downhill.

The gas station manager watched as some students jumped from the moving bus. He pounded on the bathroom door to alert Bus Driver of the Year, Micheal Weir, that his bus, and his charges, were taking off without him. Instead of being paralyzed by the surreality of the situation, eleven year-old David Murphy saw a an approaching truck and got busy. He first tried the emergency brake and then grabbed the wheel, steering the bus into a pillar supporting an Interstate 90 overpass.

David's twelve year-old brother Patrick was on board, and calls his little brother a hero, of course. I wonder if Patrick was the one that taught his little bro how to drive? Nah. Their mother, Patricia, says God made him do it. Well, whatever the case is, David Murphy is officially the coolest kid in Cleveland until otherwise informed. Congratulations, David: your quick thinking and application of what you learned from watching the movie Speed saved lives. You're awesome.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's a couple of important lessons in this. 1. Action flicks save lives.

Nora said...

Dare I suggest Keanu Reeves had a hand in this miracle?

Mitchell said...

Keanu taught me how to Point Break like a motherfucker!

... whatever that means.

Nora said...

I think Point Break belonged to Swayze, myself.

Ratherto said...

THE star of point break is obviously Gary Busey.

Nora said...

Close, Ratherto. The star of Point Break is obviously Gary Busey's teeth.

Mitchell said...

The real star of Point Break was the Nixon mask.

Ratherto said...

How did we go from talking about a heroic little kid and an idiot bus driver to Gary Busey's teeth? Man, I love blogs!

Nora said...

Poor David Murphy. In the shadow of Busey's grill. As we all are ...

Ratherto said...

I still contend that they took a horse, tore off its face and teeth and made Gary Busey and Sarah Jessica Parker

Nora said...

Like in the Bible?