Hick Is on the Horns of a Dilemma

Hick is not one to shy away from hard work. Unless that hard work is inside the house, and includes picking up after himself. But generally, he's willing to expend effort to help somebody out, even though there may be no benefit in it for himself.

A couple days ago, he was tooling around on his tractor, and stopped to talk to HOS (Hick's Oldest Son) down at the creek by Mailbox Row. HOS was lamenting the recent rains, and how kids waiting for the school bus got soaked.

Back in the day, even though my own kids rode with me in T-Hoe to attend my school, rather than the district we live in...folks were always parked there on both sides of the gravel road, their kids waiting in the car with them until the bus arrived. In fact, it was kind of hard to get out some mornings, due to road blockage. I can't imagine sitting inside my car, while a child stood there getting drenched. I suppose times have changed. Kids must be cautioned not to get in a car with non-family members. Maybe some folks have to get to work on time, and leave the kids waiting for the bus. We are one of the closest houses, and that's almost a mile from the mailboxes.

Anyhoo...HOS said he'd been thinking about making a little bus-waiting shed for the kids. His own son is in 3rd grade this year, and must ride the bus to the next town over, rather than get dropped off at the nearby school beside the bowling alley. Hick has the resources and the skill to build such a shack. If you've ever driven through a rural area, you've no doubt seen these structures at the end of long farm roads. Just four walls and a roof, to keep out rain and wind and snow while the young 'uns wait.

Here's the thing. The Bus Shack would have to be built along the gravel road, on the creek side. The other (wooded) side is private property. This would take up a space where people pull off and park. Which wouldn't upset me in the least, because people who live here do not loiter there, but only use the space for waiting for the morning or afternoon bus. However...those ne'er-do-wells who park there for their up-to-no-good activities, possibly shooting heroin, and for sure drinking and leaving trash, might not take kindly to finding a Bus Shack in their illegal parking spot.

The ne'er-do-wells could be shooting heroin in a warm dry shack during the winter. OR they might vandalize it, draw inappropriate graffiti like the road penis I can't find a link to, or burn it down. It might actually attract more riff-raff.

Hick is not yet sure if a Bus Shack is on his agenda. He's still kind of busy with his road upgrade project. And we know how he's been thanked for that. I think his most recent interaction with a distant neighbor was, "So YOU'RE the infamous Hick Thevictorian doing the roads." Not sure if he's ready to be punished for another good deed.