GREENFIELD — You could hear the trucks before you saw them. Their engines running, loud honking and the occasional brief blast of a siren rose above the crowd noise. But instead of retreating to the curb to get out of the way as safety would warrant, these trucks were there for the hands-on, interactive event known as Touch a Truck.
Sponsored by Greenfield Main Street, more than 20 vehicles were on display — many of them open for tours — Saturday, March 13, in the Pennsylvania Street parking lot just off the Pennsy Trail.
The packed lot of trucks included a fire truck and an ambulance, a police car, an army vehicle, a dump truck, a salt-spreading snow plow, a hydraulic crane for tree trimming or electrical line work and service vehicles from local businesses.
The line to get a look at the inside of the SWAT truck stretched halfway across the parking lot. Capt. Mike Schwamberger of the Greenfield Police Department, on duty in the cab of the vehicle, pointed out the particulars as kid after curious kid climbed through.
“This is an armored personnel carrier,” Schwamberger explained. “It’s used by all of Hancock County for highly dangerous situations.”
Greenfield Main Street director Debra Smith was pleased with the turnout for a cool, pre-spring morning in March. She estimated approximately 500 kids attended, each with at least one adult accompanying them.
“We’ve gotten very positive reviews,” Smith said. “People saying ‘this is great, this is what we want.’”
Colton Kiser, an 18-year-old Greenfield-Central High School senior, was on hand as the driver of the American Scout, a half-scale mini-monster truck. Kiser had removed the side paneling so crowds could get a look at the inside of the scaled-down machine.
Smith said the mini-monster truck was probably the most popular vehicle on the lot.
Six-year-old Sebestian Martinez would agree with that.
“He loves monster trucks,” said Kathy Hall, Sebestian’s grandmother, who brought him to the event. “He got a signed autograph. He loves big trucks, and this is a great place to run off a lot of energy.”
Smith, who reported that she had turned away several other businesses with trucks who wanted to participate because of lot space, hopes to expand next year.
“Oh, yeah,” Smith said, “we are definitely doing this again next year.”
