Crying Wolf and ATV Riding

Kenn and Ron look back at the 1980s and the early days of ATV riding—when exploring the woods meant real risk and there were no cell phones to call for help if something went wrong.

Ron tells a story about riding Honda ATC 90 three-wheelers with his dad in the woods of northern Michigan. Their ride takes a dangerous turn when a truck and trailer cut them off on a narrow forest trail, forcing his dad off the road and down a steep embankment in a violent crash.

There’s just one complication: Ron’s dad had a long-standing reputation for dramatic reactions to even minor bumps and bruises. In the family, it was almost routine to assume he was exaggerating whenever he claimed he was hurt—much like the classic boy who cried wolf.

After the crash, his dad insists he can’t move, so Ron calls for emergency help and gets him taken to the hospital. Surprisingly, doctors send him home with a clean bill of health and no broken bones, reinforcing the family’s belief that he might be playing things up again.

The next day, during a trip to Ann Arbor, his dad rides in the back seat surrounded by pillows, groaning about every bump in the road—prompting Ron and his mom to quietly laugh themselves into hysterics.

But the joke is on them. A second hospital visit reveals the truth: he actually had a broken sternum.

The moral of the story? Don’t cry wolf… because when something really is wrong, people might not believe you.

Another classic Boomers on the Edge tale.

• Adult humor.
• Boomer rating: Under the Edge.

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