ST. LOUIS — Kids love trucks and big equipment! But they normally have to stay away from them, for safety reasons, right? Kids in St. Louis County got a chance to touch a truck at Jefferson Barracks Park.
The 5+ Live Bus was there, and veteran television reporters have never shown so much enthusiasm about getting into the back of a television news live truck, under deadline pressure. But that's what happened when the 5+ Live Bus parked at the Touch-a-Truck event in south St. Louis County, Aug. 9.
Blonde-haired James Buckles wore a Transformers t-shirt and career aspirations.
“I'm going to be a firefighter one day,” he exclaimed. James then demonstrated what appeared to be some martial arts moves and explained his motives. “Because they fight fires!” James unleased a would-be karate chop, with a resounding, “Hah!” Are those firefighter moves? “Yeah!” His grandmother explained his exuberance. “We look at trucks all the time,” said Diane Buckles. “Now he can touch them! It's wonderful!”
5 On Your Side had plenty of company. More than a dozen trucks and tractors offered kids a chance to get up close and personal with something they are normally kept away from, out of caution.
Paul Kettenbach is manager of the St. Louis County Jefferson Barracks Complex. “We have bulldozers, excavators,” said Kettenbach. “We have a crane from our forestry unit out here, a bucket truck. And we always contract with St. Louis County Police and Lemay Fire.”
Parent Katy Park was taking a photo of her daughter in the back of the 5+ Live Bus. “We love this event,” said Park. “We come every year. It's a great opportunity to let your little ones be able to get inside different types of machines and trucks.”
While the technology inside the bus attracted a lot of attention, so did the plastic bubble-making machine attached to the back of the bus.
Clearly, Touch-a-Truck touches a nerve.
“The bubbles, the bubbles help,” said parent Raven Lewis. “The bubbles are a big draw, let me tell you.”
St. Louis County Parks officials say they have about 15 trucks featured at the event at Jefferson Barracks Park. They also have a "Touch a Truck" event at the recreation complex in north St. Louis County, each year.