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“WHOEVER LIVES IN FEAR DOESN’T DESERVE TO LIVE”

John Pearley Huffman, an occasional reader of this site, writes a wonderful piece for Car and Driver on the heroism of truckonauts sailing from Cuba to the US—in a 1951 Chevrolet two-ton truck, a 1959 Buick four-door Electra hardtop, and a 1948 Mercury airport transport car. Oddly, few truckonauts are observed sailing in the opposite direction.

Posted by Tim B. on 08/22/2006 at 11:47 AM
  1. A marvelous tribute to astonishly brave people. God bless ‘em. And I pledge a thousand dollars to the first Cuban to skipper a 1939 Packard touring sedan to the Florida Keys.

    Posted by paco on 2006 08 22 at 12:03 PM • permalink

  2. Oddly, few truckonauts are observed sailing in the opposite direction.

    Surely you are mistaken.  Cuba is a workers’ paradise with free fabulous health care, 100% literacy, and the ever popular free press.

    Stories of people risking their lives to get to the USA are a myth created by Americans, much like the plot to blow up airplanes from London.  I hear there is a constanst stream of Hollywood celebrities who give up their mansions in Beverly Hills and their ranches in Montana to go live in paradise…  Oh, wait, they DON’T.

    Posted by Not My Problem on 2006 08 22 at 12:12 PM • permalink

  3. “No,” he says. “In life you have to set goals. Whoever lives in fear doesn’t deserve to live.”

    Viva la Truckonauts!!!

    Posted by 68W40 on 2006 08 22 at 12:38 PM • permalink

  4. Fancy leaving the peoples paradise!,i just dont understand these folks, what is it with these people dont they believe george galloway.

    Posted by phillip on 2006 08 22 at 02:02 PM • permalink

  5. Nope.  I sympathize with their desperation, but they are still illegal aliens.

    So, die already, Castro you worthless fuck, so capitalism can move in and save your country!

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2006 08 22 at 03:29 PM • permalink

  6. Hmmmm.

    I’d pledge $1000 USD if Fidel & Co. would all just go and die already.

    I swear Castro’s worse than cockroaches.  What the heck is he?  Undead?

    Posted by memomachine on 2006 08 22 at 03:30 PM • permalink

  7. No, but he’s probably slowly approaching room tempature.

    Posted by JorgXMcKie on 2006 08 22 at 03:31 PM • permalink

  8. I find it interesting that every one of those vehicles predates Castro’s…er…election (mustn’t contradict Jimmah Carter).  I guess in addition to a worker’s paradise, Cuba has some of the best car care in the universe.  And they’re not afraid to drive those old gas guzzlers that require leaded gasoline either.

    They just love those old cars in Cuba.  I’m sure that’s the reason they still drive them.

    Posted by kbiel on 2006 08 22 at 04:53 PM • permalink

  9. Oddly, few truckonauts are observed sailing in the opposite direction.

    That’s cuz the batteries in the Prius and EV1 keep shorting out in salt water…

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 08 22 at 08:20 PM • permalink

  10. “Oddly, few truckonauts are observed sailing in the opposite direction”

    So that’s why our Castro-loving elite haven’t moved there yet.  Hummers and Beamers don’t float so good!

    Posted by Vanguard of the Commentariat on 2006 08 22 at 08:21 PM • permalink

  11. #5 RebeccaH

    They’re illegal while they’re still in the water.  But the wet foot/dry foot deal means that as soon as they touch US soil they are legally classified as asylum seekers - now they’re legal immigrants. 

    It’s a great story, but given how few cars there are in Cuba, they’re going to run out soon if the Coast Guard keeps sinking them!

    Posted by BeckyJ on 2006 08 22 at 09:39 PM • permalink

  12. Not to take away from the courage and tenacity of the truckonauts, but this is so obviously a conspiracy to drive up the price of sugar.

    I mean, it aint even subtle.

    Posted by Grimmy on 2006 08 22 at 11:13 PM • permalink

  13. I love the stories of the truckonauts.  Each time it has occurred, I wished that the intrepid mariners could have been given asylum just for the effort.  It bothers me that those creative rigs are sunk as a “hazard to navigation” when they are proven more seaworthy than many registered vessels here on the US Gulf Coast.

    Posted by deadman on 2006 08 23 at 12:48 AM • permalink

  14. I’d rather have that stretched ‘48 Mercury than the above-suggested ‘39 Packard. I never saw a car in a news photo which I coveted more.

    Posted by triticale on 2006 08 23 at 08:00 AM • permalink

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