Meet Dale McLaughlin, a complete and total lunatic for love.
McLaughlin, 28, lives in Scotland, and the woman he loves lives on the Isle of Man, about 25 miles across the Irish Sea. He couldn’t legally travel to see her because of coronavirus restrictions.
So he decided to ride a jet ski across the water to visit her. He figured the 25-mile trip would take about 45 minutes.
There were four problems:
1, McLaughlin had never ridden a jet ski before.
2. He may not have been aware that motors relying on gasoline — petrol, to him — can’t travel for an unlimited time without refueling.
3. He didn’t account for the December winds and cold that would make the trip more difficult.
And last, my personal favotie:
4. He couldn’t swim.
“The craziest thing is he can’t even swim,” a family member told the Daily Mail about McLaughlan, describing him as a “nice lad, but thick as a brick.”
Still, in a definite example of love conquering all, he made it. He was on the water for 4 1/2 hours and arrived at the Isle of Man with enough petrol in his tank for maybe 10 more minutes.
He did get to see her briefly before he was arrested and sentenced to four weeks in jail for violating Manx travel restrictions, but of course there is a pretty great silver lining in his cloud. He’s being viewed as a legend on the Isle for what he did for love.
Well, he might be a legend, but he’s also something of a lunatic. Going out on a sea in a small craft in winter is one thing. Doing it in a jet ski you’ve never ridden before is another.
But he can’t swim.
HE CAN’T SWIM!
Forgive the yelling, but looking at a picture of that lovely young woman, I can almost agree with crossing the sea alone to see her.
The idea of doing it in a jet ski I didn’t know how to drive would make it tougher.
But yes, she is lovely.
But if I couldn’t swim?
Haven’t these people ever heard of Skype?
He did get to be a legend, though.
Maybe that’s worth it, although I can almost hear my female friends and relatives telling me:
“You’re such a guy.”
I probably don’t need to tell you that’s not a compliment.