This morning I’m sitting inside Sambo’s 903 Drive-In.
Yes, that’s the name of this business in 2024 and I swear to God Almighty I’m not making this up.
This morning it’s 25 degrees outside and in these parts that’s cold.
The breakfast crowd is a mixture of South Carolina State Highway workers, Sheriff Deputies, Fire and Rescue personnel, some construction workers and one out of place guy from Charlotte who is a retired investment manager who once ran more than 800 million in pension fund assets at one time. Needless to say, I’m not wearing a suit this morning.
Wrangler Jeans, Carhartt long sleeve t-shirt, fitted Operation Hat Trick hat, two days growth on my face and flannel lined vest and still, I stand out.
An attractive 30 something girl steps inside and yells “Hey Lancaster Fire move your pick-up trucks out of my parking spaces now!”
Two guys jump up and head to the door. Now this might seem odd, fire department guys don’t take lightly to being told to move their trucks. While this baddie is clearly no pushover, she’s got a mother of 3 boys voice, they don’t give her any BS. The inside story is that she’s a deputy’s wife that owns the hair salon next door. Oh, and her customer is Mrs. Cedar.
The boys apologize to her: “Sorry we didn’t know you opened so early”. She gives them a melt their soul smile and says, “I start at 7:00 every day”. To which they reply, “Yes Ma’am”.
I return to my coffee and cellphone. Smile to myself and laugh.
There’s an electrical contractor giving two guys a taking to, because last night they left two work ladders on a job site. There are now in the owner’s pickup truck and not their work truck and he tells them if they don’t mind picking up the breakfast check he’ll forget all about their oversight. Then he pays the entire bill and tip anyways.
Breakfast is soon over the fire guys head out, deputies settle up and move on as well.
I leave a twenty for my coffee and say thank you.
Outside it’s still cold. Carolinas in December shouldn't be like this!
And I think to myself by God this is America and those self-absorbed idiots in Washington don’t have a clue. These are the hard-working American’s congress is supposed to be looking out for, but they are busy debating who the brain-dead president should pardon next, arguing about transgender surgeries for children and giving billions to Africa.
The new administration is proud of themselves because they have identified $500 million that they can save right away while the acting head of the secret service is having a live on national television mental breakdown over 911. Are they even listening to their fellow Americans?
Clearly, Congress has lost touch with America.
Ralph Norman is South Carolina's 5th Congressional District Representative, and I’d bet you he’s never had breakfast at Sambo’s 903 Drive-In.
Well, here’s his invitation. Come around 7 but don’t park in the Salon parking spaces. I'll buy.
2 comments:
Ralph Norman seems like a good guy, but we will find out soon as I sent him a letter this week after speaking with his Rock Hill office on Friday. He is a neighbor of mine in Indian Land, the fastest growing area in South Carolina, as people like me flee the taxes of the Kingdom of Mecklenburg. I don't mind some of the growth, happy to see a Target coming up a few blocks from me.
But for some reason, we do not have our own post office. Our mail comes from the Fort Mill post office just off Hwy 160 in downtown Fort Mill. The building has been there for decades, and the parking lot is tiny. They still operate like grandma is coming in for one stamp, and the line is out the door 15 minutes after they open. Its a good 40 minutes from where I live. We had a contract station inside the BP gas station on 160 at 521. I only need a place to drop off packages, and this one worked fine, if you needed to pay for postage, or get a certified letter, you had to wait until the girl got off the register selling lottery tickets ans scratch off to come over to the post office counter. This past summer, the contract office closed, not sure if the gas station got tired of it, the GSA wasn't paying enough, or why they closed. Three years ago, rumors on the Nextdoor app said they planned on opening a regular post office in the office park behind the Lowes across the street, but the deal fell through when the landlord wanted more money. Now coming from a property management background, and someone who had the US Census Bureau as a tenant in Charlotte, why would anyone turn away a guaranteed government contract that would be there for the next 50-100 years?
And now that deal has fallen through, why has the GSA not located another site in the area? There are literally dozens of retail shopping centers being built in the area. I don't want to drive to Van Wick, where there PO is open 16 hours a week, and never the same. Or drive to Waxhaw, where they are busier than Time Square. Sometimes I drive to the PO in Pineville, but why did they move off of Carmel rd, where they shared a parking lot with a bar, so when the PO was open the bar was empty, and at night the bar was busy and the PO was closed. They move next to a Walmart. Now you have to park a block away and wade through the vagrants sitting outside.
Come on Ralph, light a fire under the GSA and get a post office for your home town.
Spot on Ghoul
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