The “Seven-Man-Station-Wagon” Mission
The bass was still booming in our ears when we stumbled out of the club at four in the morning. The air outside was cool, the mood gigantic, and our ambition to all get home together was… well, sporty.
Our driver (the end boss of the discipline, bone dry and sober) unlocked the station wagon. Actually a spacious car, but just not a regular bus. “It’ll fit,” someone muttered, and then the big Tetris game for advanced players began.
The crew:
Front: Driver and co-pilot (both deeply relaxed).
Back seat: Three guys who already loved each other very much.
Trunk: Two volunteers who settled in nicely between jackets and returnable bottles.
7 Men. One Station Wagon. One Goal.
We rolled off the parking lot, not a hundred meters far, the mood was at its peak, until the universe answered in the form of a flashing blue light. “Stop. Police.”
The Moment of Truth
Silence in the box.
The trunk held its breath. The window whirred down, and the officer shone his flashlight inside. His expression? A mixture of bewilderment and painstakingly suppressed laughter.
“Good evening… or morning. I don’t even know where to start. Papers and step out, please.”
One after another we peeled ourselves out of the car. It looked like a clown car in a circus that just wouldn’t empty. We stood there, slightly disheveled, in the bright flashlight, waiting for the thunderstorm, the points on our license and the hefty fine.
The Verdict
The policeman looked at our driver, checked the papers and noted: The man is actually clean. Then he looked into our tired but peaceful faces.
“Guys,” he said, shaking his head, “this is not a team bus. If I get my pen out now, this is going to be a very expensive sunrise for all of you.”
We held our breath. Then the miracle: “Mercy before justice.” He put his pad away. The condition: The car doesn’t move an inch as long as there are more than five people in it.
The End of the Song
Ten minutes later, three of us stood on the side of the road waiting for the taxi, while the rest of the squad (completely legally!) rolled away in the station wagon. We paid double, once for the taxi and once for our pride, but we were spared the penalty.