I mentioned to Alaina what I was going to do my story about and she asked
if I could keep it PG? Without hesitation and/or not really giving it much
thought, I was sure I could. Well, mother father sunny beach, I hope PG13
is ok. I sat for hours looking at a black screen, no words to go with my
thoughts. I usually have a couple cocktails while I write the stories, but this
time I’ll wait until I finish … hold my beer.
As a Breezy driver you put your guard up when a bartender calls and says,
“I got one for you.” No name, just “I got one for you.” In this particular case
I always knew who it was because I could hear him in the background
yelling, “I”M FROM HERE!” So without too much hesitation, we would go
get him. You never want to leave your favorite bartender hanging. Nine
times out of ten, foul language would be exchanged between this guy and
the bartender. I would ask what happened and it was always someone
else’s behavior. My favorite excuse he used would be about some young
lady in the bar pushing up on him and I quote, “THAT BEACH WANTS TO
FRONT ME!”
This story takes place back in the days when we only had golf carts, so it
took longer to get from Point A to Point B. By the time I would get him to his
home, also known as “The herd on Third,” my ears would be ringing like I
was front row center of a Metallica concert. He would be rattling on about
“I GOT YOU” or “IM BLEEPED THE BLEEP UP!”
I remember one afternoon after the Irish Heritage Parade here on Tybee, we
got a call from one of our local policeman, “Hey we got one for you.” When
we showed up, about four of Tybee’s finest had him in custody. Surprise,
surprise it’s Toot. They released him into Breezy’s custody with the strict
instruction that we were to take him straight home and if they saw him out
again that night we were both going to jail. Well, that would not normally
bother me because most people would follow those instructions … but we
ain’t dealing with most people.
Truth be told, Toot has gotten two DUI’s within an hour and half of each
other. Story goes he was pulled over on Tybee, arrested and charged,
his father bailed him out and took him home. Shortly after getting home,
he borrowed someone’s car, was rolling down Butler Ave. and the same
cop who arrested him earlier got him again. I wonder who looked more
surprised when this happened. You can’t make this stuff up.
Funny thing is as many places that have asked him to leave the premises
or have banned him for life from their establishment, he has never been
banned from Breezy. There were many Sunday evenings where he was flat
broke and somehow managed to go out a couple times through the week
and would run a tab. Come Friday after work, he would have the money he
owed and tip. Then the whole process would start over. I can hear him now,
“I GOT YOU! I’M FROM HERE!” As he would say, “Tybee born and Tybee
bred, when I die I’ll be Tybee dead!”
34 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | DEC 2017
By Ron Goralczyk
So Toot, I hope you are reading this issue back here on Tybee and not on
your bunk at the Georgia Correctional Facility. Welcome home and I hope
you think about what you do before you do it.
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