Crazy Night on Carlisle Street!

Carlisle St. 6/22/06

I was called in for a Carlisle St tour on Thursday night. I haven't given one of those walks in awhile so I was looking forward to it. There was lighting in the sky all night, but there was no thunder or rain so we went off as scheduled. But this tour went in all sorts of directions. I am still trying to figure it all out!

There was a group of sixteen people from Montana, Puerto Rico, and Minnesota that were related somehow and they had hired a tour leader to take them around the east coast. Then there was a guy with his sons that came along. There was also a photographer from the York Daily Record snapping tons of photos and collecting notes. And thankfully my wife came with me because the evening got more confusing as we went along.

A sheriff's deputy pulls up when I'm out in front of the Prince of Peace Church telling my opening stories. He comes up and asked the tour leader what my name was. I had no idea what was going on. I found out about all of this after the fact. The tour leader said she didn't know, she obviously wasn't paying attention because I mention my own name 9 or 10 times at the beginning of my tour. My wife goes up and tells the deputy my name and then they all start to smile and nod. As all of this is going on the photographer has worked her way behind me on the steps and was shoving her camera in my face. Nobody told me that a photographer was coming on the tour so at this point I had no idea who she was or what she was doing. I kind of knew she was a reporter but I was in the middle of a story and didn't want to break stride, and with the deputy there I didn't know if I was going to be able to tell more stories! So I figured that I would at least finish the one I was telling!

I went up after the story and asked the deputy if everything was alright. He told me that I was not the guy he was looking for and that everything was okay. I mentioned how after the recent newspaper articles came out, I wasn't sure how to react to the police showing up on one of my tours! We had a laugh and I continued on.

As we were crossing High Street I asked the photographer who she was. She told me and come to find out we knew some of the same people. York, PA is not that big of a place I guess! I invited her to come along on the whole tour if she wanted to.

In front of the Courthouse I explained a little bit of what has been in the newspapers lately and I thought that by now everyone knew the girl taking the 800 pictures worked for a newspaper. We continued on and when I got to my stop on Water St, the candle went out and I couldn't get it relit. Oh well. Then as we were making our way to Stevens Hall the tour leader and another woman in the group told the photographer that they did not want her to publish their photos in the paper. I have no idea why and to be honest I felt that those women were some what rude about it. The photographer could have told everyone who she was and why she was there I guess, but if you live in Montana why would care if you picture winds up in the York, PA newspaper. Either way this created a little tension within my group which I did not like. I chose not to get in the middle of this, but the photographer wasn't happy that she just spent the last hour taking pictures that she couldn't use. I'm upset because this might have cost me some face or print time in the newspaper!

Now as the tension is mounting, the sky is getting really dark and the lightning is flashing all over the sky! I tell the Blue Boy story and the group seemed to relax a little. Halfway through the story most of the street lights go out. Now it's really dark!

After I finished the tale, the tour leader, who I was already irked with, tells me it's time to end the tour. She was concerned with the lightning and said we all had to go. I understand her safety concerns but you can't buy a lightshow like that anywhere and the last time I checked I was the guide not her. I said okay, if you want to leave have a nice night. I then looked to the guy with his sons who were not a part of this group, and asked if they wanted to keep going. They said "sure" so I said I only had about a half hour left and everyone was welcome to come along if they wanted to. We could have gone the north side of Pennsylvania Hall where there is a roof to shield us from the rain if the situation got worse, but what do I know? I am just a tour guide. I have only been at it for nine years!

The whole group followed me.

On the way over to Pennsylvania Hall I pretty much lost the photographer. Those two women practically chased her off the tour. I still don't know why those women were so hostile. The photographer went and took a few pictures from a distance and then went and joined the other group on campus with the other guide. This group leader gave me dirty looks for the next 20 minutes. Whatever!

I finished the tour on campus and everyone in the group seemed to have a good time. I was just glad it was over. I can't remember a stranger tour than that one. Lighting problems, tension in the group, law enforcement officials, a woman trying to take control of my tour! What was that? I hope Friday's Seminary Ridge tour goes much smoother!

Still piecing back together my brain...

"Rick Saunders"