i also had the privledge of driving in ronald reagan's motorcade in the 1988 election. he was campaining for bush in macomb michigan and my mother was very active in the party at the time so i got asked to do it. (i almost wasnt able to because most of the cars were rentals and i wasnt quite old enough...another guy switched) i was there in the event someone needed a ride along. nobody did. i was like 10 cars back or something, but it was absolutely amazing.
i got checked out and briefed by the secret service the night before and then we picked him up at selfridge the next day. i was that cold miserable late fall drizzly.
the presidential limo was parked right next to my car while they waited for air force one to arrive and i remember the green of the glass vividly. i wasnt raised military so the f-15's and the big hercules parked behind it were pretty awesome i might add.
air force one was beautiful ...showroom polished shine.
then he came out, waved...and we drove.
FAST.
we took the interstate for a part and all along the route the traffic was stopped on the opposite side, which was only divided by concrete dividers. the looks on peoples faces as we passed were priceless. a wholly different view of america from what i had known.
met jack kemp that day too.
anywho. rally is running late and i am supposed to work that night at bennigans (how i got through college...restaraunts). i didnt have a phone (they werent common then, and the secret service let me use the phone from one of their black explorers...looked pretty normal so they must have hid the Sams in the back...maybe it was a low tech one...dunno.)
so i called work. i explained my situation but they were unimpressed and told me that i would be in trouble if i was late. whatever bennigans...whatever.
as we all prepared to exit and follow, the limo drove by us again and there he was, through that thick green glass...waving as he passed us by.
i can see it as if it were this moment.
that was a pretty good moment. not alot of things have been close since...if any.
p.s.-
- ya, i was late. but i was wearing a very nice pin with the seal of the president on it in place of one of thier stupid peices of flair. and i told them where to shove it shortly thereafter.
p.p.s. - my mother has a great picture of the two of them shaking hands. in it they are both laughing. how totally her.
she said that he was funny...and that his hands were very soft...old people soft...but warm
a pretty awesome moment in her life too i'd suspect.
