Oftentimes, these events feature fire trucks and ambulances and even police cars. Some, such as this one we attended, also include dump trucks and tankers and bucket trucks. There was even a police swat vehicle and ice cream truck. We’ve taken the kids to many such events because, honestly, it is usually cheap entertainment for the kids – and what parent doesn’t want cheap entertainment. This particular event, hosted the South Meriden (CT) Lions Club, was also a benefit for the Meriden Soup Kitchen – admission was the donation of at least one non-perishable food item per person – so it was a win-win for everyone involved.
(To see a gallery of the trucks on-hand, click here)
But touch-a-truck events also serve another purpose. It’s a chance to expose children to the options they have when it comes to commercial trucking. True, most 5 and 6 year olds are not ready to make a career choice, but the kids get to learn about the trucks and maybe get excited about something in life, which is never a bad alternative.
One of the drivers we met was taking the time to teach each child about the cab environment, everything from the steering wheel to the seat to the brake.
Even us adults can learn a thing or two. With the growing popularity of automatic and automated transmissions due to the driver experience factor as well as the improvement in fuel economy they can provide, it was interesting to listen to one driver say that he preferred manuals because “he always wants to know what gear I am in.”
It illustrates the barriers automatics and automated transmissions still have to overcome.
