Dumb Criminal

From the San Francisco Chronicle bq. When Claud Gipson-Reynolds got his fire truck stuck in the mud along a rural Sonoma County road Friday, he did what anyone would naturally do: He called for a tow truck on the engine's radio. bq. The problem was, the intoxicated Gipson-Reynolds had just stolen the fire truck, crashing through the fire station door, to try to push his car out of the same mud. What happened? bq. Gipson-Reynolds said he had been on a two-day drinking binge following a fight with his wife when the clutch of his 1983 Chevrolet gave out. He ended up stuck in the mud on Cavedale Road, a windy, one-lane street about eight miles from Glen Ellen on the ridge between Sonoma and Napa counties. bq. According to Gipson-Reynolds and the CHP, he broke into the nearby Mayacamas Volunteer Fire Station looking for a phone. bq. "It wasn't wide open but the garage door was not very secure," he said. bq. When he couldn't find a phone, he took the truck -- described as a small, four-wheel drive with ladders, water and first-aid equipment -- and drove straight through the station door. Gipson-Reynolds said he thought he could free his car, then drive the fire truck to a pay phone to call a tow truck. bq. "Unfortunately, I drove the fire truck off the road about 20 feet from my car," he said. DOH! The good news in this story is this: bq. As for Gipson-Reynolds, he said a night in the drunk tank is enough to convince him he needs to get help. bq. "If you think you might have a problem with drinking and drugs," he said, "you should seek recovery before you hit the point of no return."