Tail End Charlie

In the mid 1970s we got a batch of new 250cc Yamaha bikes at the police driving School in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).  One morning I sent out an instructor with about 6 trainee riders.  They had reached the end of their two week training course and had earned a road ride for their efforts. It was supposed to be a ride of about 50 or 60 kms but for one unfortunate it turned out to be a little longer.

This young man was not the brightest of recruits …… but for whatever reason somehow he ended up as tail end charlie.  The instructor took the lead on a slightly bigger machine telling his charges to follow him in a single file.  The line duly formed outside the driving school and set off for their destination where they were to take a short break before return to the school for lunch.  All were dressed exactly the same in dark blue denims and white open faced helmets, brown leather gauntlets and boots.  They also wore yellow safety vests with a large black ”L” printed on the back.

Tail end charlie couldn’t quite keep up with the pace of his fellow ducklings (they looked just like a line of ducklings following mum in a long line).  Gradually he fell further and further back until he lost sight of the other riders on the main road.  The group ahead eventually pulled over at a hotel carpark where they rested before heading back.  Tail end charlie was nowhere to be seen.  The instructor wasn’t too perturbed as he was sure they would see him on the way home.

When they returned to the driving school there was still no tail end charlie.  He had gone missing (AWOL).  A bit of a panic ensued with a couple of instructors dispatched to see if they could find him without being hindered by slow moving recruits.  Still nothing.  Everyone returned minus one recruit.

Then the telephone rang.  It was tail end charlie.  He hadn’t seen where his mates had stopped for a break earlier on so kept going hoping to catch up to them a little further down the road.  When he couldn’t see anyone he kept going and going and going.  Eventually the inevitable happened.  He ran out of petrol about 300 kilometres down the road.  That’s when he waived down a passing motorist who took him to the nearest police station from where he phoned.

Tail end charlie eventually passed his motorcycle test but his days as a policeman were numbered due to lack of initiative and something called common sense.