In the wake of a hurricane , communication is dire . Infrastructure is wrack , and internet and speech sound connections are short , so naturally , the only recourse is to communicate with loved one through pizza pie . Pizza speech , to be precise .
That ’s what one Nebraska gentleman did after learn that his 87 - year - old grandmother ’s phone strain was down in Florida after Hurricane Matthew swept through much of the state . harmonize tolocal news station WFTV , Claire Olsen had n’t been able-bodied to communicate with her family for three days , so her grandson Eric Olsen called her local Papa John ’s pizza parlor from across the country , summoning a young manner of speaking number one wood to his grandma ’s doorway . This was only after call the flak department and local police about his granny , who had been incommunicado during and after the storm , Eric told ABC .
Eric rank the pizza with special program line – for delivery driver Lance Tyler to call him once he arrived at Olsen ’s doorstep . Olsen was skeptical at first , thinking that the pizza pie military man could have been some vagabond or pizza pie - maintain interloper intention on a scam , but then she heard her grandson ’s voice over the phone , and all was merry .
Cole Saladino/Thrillst
" ( My grandson said ) ‘ Grandma , I have n’t let the cat out of the bag to you in two daylight . I get worried about you . You must be thirsty by now , ' " Olsen tell reporters from her home in Palm Coast .
The driver , Lance Tyler , who presumptively had no musical theme what the whole charade was about , had to toenail the line between pizza pie man and emergency dispatch personnel . He told WFTV : " The way that he answered the phone , ' Is she there ? Is she all right ? ' It fathom like he was apprehensive … Her expression was just priceless . It was like , ' Wow ! ' "
The gran ’s telephone set is back up and running , reports WFTV , although there ’s no Book on any pizzas she ’s set up since the incident .
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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist . He ’s also a warriorlike arts and euphony nerd who appreciates a all right sandwich and cute dogs . Find his clipping in The Guardian , Rolling Stone , The A.V. Club and Vice . He ’s on Twitter@Blumnessmonster .