pranks

Living with a toddler I am used to monkey business but even my son is no match against the pranks the guys at the firehall can pull.

The line you do not cross is making fun of someone's spouse or kids and you never ever touch someone's personal protective equipment. Bunker gear, helmet, boots, hood, facepiece and gloves are completely off-limits. It is life-threatening to have gear tampered with. How funny would it be to find out something is wrong with your gear while standing in the middle of a housefire? But most of the pranks are all pretty benign:

There's the old hot sauce on your toothbrush, a dinner plate inside your pillow, flour in your bunk, hidden car keys, vinegar in your water glass, a cup of salt in your porridge, tin cans tied to your car bumper, large post-it-notes with lewd sayings on your back, hiding in your locker at shift change then jumping out and yelling like a madman, prank calls to your cellphone, dutch ovens....... oh the laughs and giggles we share. Pranks are pulled to bond together. Or initiate the rookies. Or to bring levity to the day after a tough call.

Because I am deemed either a sucker or someone who can take it, I have had a lion's share of pranks pulled on me.

Two that come to mind are:

The human-sized dummy that was placed in my bunk that made me scream like a girl when I went to crawl in. That was funny.

My brand new SUV wrapped in silver duct tape. Not funny. And I know who did it and for the record you're an idiot.

Remember. You can pull a prank but if you dish it you had also better take it. And so, to the dude who taped up my truck, we have at least 20 years left on the job and isn't payback is a bitch?