March 10, 2008
SHERIDAN, WY-- Local resident Leonard Jardt, 52, pulled over into a gas station near the corner of Prairieview and Cody Boulevard in order to fetch a bungee cord from the middle of the busy intersection. Waiting for a break in traffic, Jardt darted out to collect his prize, causing a brief delay by blocking two cars looking to turn left on red after receiving a green arrow.
Jardt threw the bungee cord among a number of other unused bungee cords in a cardboard box in the garage upon returning home.
"I just don't think you can have too many of these things. You never know when one will come in handy," said Jardt while pondering its possible uses. "I can finally strap my cooler on top of the station wagon. I hate how it sweats and gets on the carpeting in the rear hatch," he said.
Other possible uses Jardt cited included tethering the lawnmower in the back of his pickup truck when he travels to his mother's house to cut the grass, holding a caliper while doing a brake job, and playing a prank on his wife, Mindy, by attaching it to the front door from inside, thereby causing the door to fling open when she enters the house.
Although of questionable potential use, the bungee cord ranks higher than other items traditionally jettisoned from vehicles, including solitary shoes and gigantic bras, according to Max Kleber, with the Wyoming Department of Transportation.