https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJCL1RUUPcs
Here's one that can definitely be added to the list of "Small Town Problems."
Back in September 2017, the mayor of Aynor, South Carolina was pulled over with a beer in his possession. The man's name is John Gardner, but you'd think he was country star George Jones or something, because when police stopped him, he was driving down the street in a freakin' riding lawn mower. In the above dashcam footage from Howyer County Police, we see Mayor John Gardner getting pulled over and eventually being asked to pour out his beer.
Gardner told police that he had put gas in the lawn mower after cutting his mother-in-law's grass and picked up the beer at the gas station, though he claimed that he hadn't officially started the party yet.
"It was unopened to the best of my knowledge," Gardner said in a later interview. "I remember opening it to pour it out."
Read More: You Might Be a Redneck If...You Drunk Drive a Lawn Mower and Get Yourself Tased
This is a little odd when the officer clearly asks him about his open Miller High Life. This guy seems drunk, especially when he asked to go to Town Hall in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason, but according to Myrtle Beach Online, Gardner said the whole thing "just a misunderstanding" and that he thought he was pulled over because the mower had no lights. The responding officers ended up not arresting Gardner and said they would let the town of Aynor sort it out.
Gardner, who was up for reelection in 2017, ended up getting reelected that year and is still currently Aynor's mayor. Now, in most areas, Gardner's actions might have meant the end of his political career. But, when you live in a town of just 934 people, something like this may actually score you some points. Who hasn't driven their lawn mower at night while drinking a cold one? Come on!
This post was originally published on June 11, 2019.