@nees1212 just made me recall something that happened to me 28 years ago.

 

When I was 25 I took my first plane flight to visit a friend in California for a two week visit where in that time period we were all up and down the coast as far south as Laguna Beach, and as far north as Oakland.

 

We drove the long Highway 1 from Venice Beach, where she was living, to San Francisco to hang out there for New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day we drove across the super long bridge into Oakland just to say we'd been there, and turned right back around to begin our 8 hour drive south back to Venice Beach.

 

Because of the time of the year it was already pitch black shortly after 5:00 p.m and the bulk of our drive back home was going to be night time driving.

 

Shortly after leaving the SF area we came upon a sign that said "Falling rock zone next 70 miles" which got into my head and made me very nervous. Not only that I've always had a phobia of driving near the ocean at night, so in this case to the left of me was the chance for falling rock, and to the right my fears had me thinking that the big ocean was going to swallow me up.

 

I continued to drive and it was now pitch black. We were probably about 25 miles into this 70 mile zone, and with my knuckles white I told my friend that the next pull off I see I'm pulling over briefly just to stop hyperventilating.

 

I did just that at the next little gravel pull over, and within 5 seconds and before I could even try to catch my breath a car heading north crossed the road and pulled over into the same pull off as us. My first thought was "Is this how it all ends?" seeing in my mind a bad movie of a stranger in the night killing us along the road.

 

This guy jumps out of his car freaking out about how he had just tore the underside of his car up by driving over a huge stone, and he was leaking fluid all over the place.

 

He asked how far back was there signs of life, and we told him probably about 25 miles. This was before cell phones and I thought to myself, "Oh no I feel like we need to help this guy, but it will mean driving back 25 miles again and then starting this nervous trip all over again". Then before I could even express to him these fears, a police officer pulled up and saved the day. We were off the hook and the policeman could phone in a tow truck for the guy.

 

We said good luck to the man, and then began to drive again where within a few seconds as we made the small bend in the road we see this huge stone that this guy had run over and I slowly proceeded around it.

 

How did I pull over at the exact perfect second? If I hadn't he and I both very possibly might've wrecked into each other and the stone at the same time. If not for his misfortune I would not have realized that I was approaching this huge stone to be so careful about inching around it.

 

It truly freaked me out how I pulled over just in the nick of time, and I have to admit until I got through the rest of this falling rock zone I still could not relax, but the incident sure made a believer in me that super boulder style stones were very much a real possibility, and it made be also believe in my Guardian Angel.

Interesting timing with this topic--- Huge tree demolished my car just yesterday as I was about to leave my driveway. Could have easily been killed. Guess you could say I was almost totally eclipsed by the bark.

Interesting timing with this topic--- Huge tree demolished my car just yesterday as I was about to leave my driveway. Could have easily been killed. Guess you could say I was almost totally eclipsed by the bark.

 

Holy Crap man, that seriously bites!!!

 

Glad you weren't in your car when it happened.

Interesting timing with this topic--- Huge tree demolished my car just yesterday as I was about to leave my driveway. Could have easily been killed. Guess you could say I was almost totally eclipsed by the bark.

 

He's here all week folks. Don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses.

 

Seriously though, glad you weren't flattened.

Holy Crap man, that seriously bites!!!.

Which? The incident itself, or the bad pun?

Dove hunting one time I was releasing the hammer on my shotgun and pulled the trigger beforehand. Shot into the ground about one inch in front of my foot. Then I took about the worst cussing ever from my step-dad.

Driving east on the interstate in Kansas (about 75-80 mph), following another car in the left lane.

Lead car switches to the right lane, and I am looking at a car coming right at me (also at 70~mph).

 

How I managed to swerve out of the way (we were sideswiped), I don't know. After making an accident report, I had to stop travelling for the day. That got me rattled.

 

I've always joked that God protects idiots and small children. My 9 year old son was asleep in the back, so I guess He did both that day.

I was stuck lying in the snow one time & could have froze to death.

Interesting timing with this topic--- Huge tree demolished my car just yesterday as I was about to leave my driveway. Could have easily been killed. Guess you could say I was almost totally eclipsed by the bark.

 

Yikes. Ash tree?

Dove hunting one time I was releasing the hammer on my shotgun and pulled the trigger beforehand. Shot into the ground about one inch in front of my foot. Then I took about the worst cussing ever from my step-dad.

 

Thanks for sharing Mr. Cheney....

Yikes. Ash tree?

 

Sounds more like the work of a Pin Oak if you ask me.

Thanks for sharing Mr. Cheney....

:thumb:

About three weeks ago, I was on I-75 southbound around Mt. Vernon. I was running late for a meeting in Corbin and did a really bad thing. I texted someone to tell them I was running about fifteen minutes late. When I looked up I was right upon a vehicle, too close to break. I swerved to miss the car(missed it by inches), almost lost total control of my car, which would have resulted in a devastating conclusion. Forward three weeks to this Monday and a huge tree impaled the same vehicle. The Master Planner of the universe obviously had it in for that Toyota. Either that, or He had it in for me and just barely missed twice.

About three weeks ago, I was on I-75 southbound around Mt. Vernon. I was running late for a meeting in Corbin and did a really bad thing. I texted someone to tell them I was running about fifteen minutes late. When I looked up I was right upon a vehicle, too close to break. I swerved to miss the car(missed it by inches), almost lost total control of my car, which would have resulted in a devastating conclusion. Forward three weeks to this Monday and a huge tree impaled the same vehicle. The Master Planner of the universe obviously had it in for that Toyota. Either that, or He had it in for me and just barely missed twice.

 

You sure you didn't hear a low voice(like the voice Moses heard from the bush) say "dang-it!" when you were standing there?

I haven't driven much lately on the innerstate mostly because of the congestion related to the Brent Spence Bridge repairs, as well as not much needing to to get to where I have to be, yet last week I had a medical appointment near Turfway Rd where taking the expressway just made more sense.

 

Doing so brought it much more into focus, considering that I almost wrecked, that once traffic appears to get moving while in a fast/slow/fast/slow scenario, it's not too cool to take for granted that you're in the clear to start comfortably accelerating.

 

Once I got to rolling in the fast lane at a good speed, but also with insufficient view from my perspective of well ahead up the road, I in no time found myself coming too fast upon the car directly in front of me having me have to immediately break and purposefully swerve a bit into the emergency lane to avoid the possibility of impact.

 

If I hadn't realized the situation that I was in until 1 second later, then I really hate to ponder the results. Needless to say that for the rest of my trip, to and from, I became way more conscious to not allow myself any false impression that I could start busting a move.

 

Also immediately following the incident I noticed in the rearview mirror that the car directly behind me began to seriously keep their distance, and I'm sure both because they feared me considering what they had just witnessed, as well as it probably having put into focus for them as well to proceed with caution.