Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Athletes and Celebrities

Nothing Says Tranquility Like the Hum of a Huge Diesel Engine

The Mark Sanford scandal is a bit off topic for Streetsblog but Sean Roche at the Newton Streets & Sidewalks blog points us to this incredible passage from one of the e-mails between the South Carolina governor and his mistress in Argentina. Sanford writes:

Tome, and I suspect no one else on earth, there is something wonderfulabout listening to country music playing in the cab, air conditionerrunning, the hum of a huge diesel engine in the background, thetranquility that comes with being in a virtual wilderness of trees andmarsh, the day breaking and vibrant pink coming alive in the morningclouds — and getting to build something with each scoop of dirt.

How romantic!

And as if this story weren't weird enough already, a profile of Sanford in American Conservative magazine provides another sordid tidbit about the governor's diesel-powered meditation technique:

During Sanford's first gubernatorial campaign in 2002, an 8-year-oldAfrican-American girl wandered onto a Sanford family property on Lady'sIsland and drowned. A source close to the governor said she fell into a"retaining pond." Her family's lawyer, Manning Smith, called it a"pit." Other sources claim that Sanford, who owned a hydraulicexcavator at the time, digs holes on his property to unwind.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Friday’s Headlines: Canal Street Follies Edition

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine isn't happy. Plus other news.

April 26, 2024

Community Board Wants Protected Bike Lane on Empire Blvd.

Brooklyn Community Board 9 wants city to upgrade Empire Boulevard's frequently blocked bike lane, which serves as a gateway to Prospect Park.

April 26, 2024

The Brake: Why We Can’t End Violence on Transit With More Police

Are more cops the answer to violence against transit workers, or is it only driving societal tensions that make attacks more frequent?

April 26, 2024

Report: Road Violence Hits Record in First Quarter of 2024

Sixty people died in the first three months of the year, 50 percent more than the first quarter of 2018, which was the safest opening three months of any Vision Zero year.

April 25, 2024
See all posts