Please, don't let it be mice...............

The summer of 1969 -during my college years, I worked the ramp at O'Hare Airport, Chicago, for North Central Airlines. A small, but highly profitable carrier covering Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakota territories and Colorado. A regional carrier. Back in those days, our standard plane was a Convair 580, but we recently introduced DC-9's on our non-stop flights and exotic destinations in our route system like Duluth and Detroit.

Enough about equipment. I was a "ramp rat", meaning one day I would work the bag room and the next unload and load flights. Actually, I was pretty good at both and I loved airlines, so the 3:00PM to 11:30 PM during WEEKDAYS was OK by me.

Our flights handled a lot of stuff including caskets of Viet Nam soldiers to Bob Hope! Yes, I got his autograph and a few moments of his time while a Convair was revving it's engines. I am sure to this day that he remembered me.

We served MADISON, WISCONSIN. Well today, it is all about what goes on in their capitol, but back then it was what went on in their university. We carried lab mice to other colleges around the US. Well, on one shift, around 8:30 PM, I unloaded a flight from Madison. The mice had eaten through their cardboard cartons and were "living large" in the hold of the plane until I opened the door. For once, I felt fear and religious rejuvenation at the same time-like Moses. Once daylight sprung on those critters, they bailed for freedom. They ran right over me, my face, down my leg and flew over the guy next to me. American Airlines, alert, they are headed your way..

Well, since then, I have not had a great respect for these creatures. A recent life experience rehashed this past life changing situation and I think I am a better man by it. Kill em all!