hazardous journey

Honest to GOD story that still makes me cringe today. Sister-in-law's VW bug died down town. Battery needed to be replaced, she procrastinated. Her fiance, Robert, volunteered to go get it. I went along. He hooked his car up to it by a long, strong wire cable. I drove the VW as he pulled. He had the attention span of a mosquito and after a few minutes I noticed him driving like I wasn't there. I tried blowing the horn - no battery. So help me God, he all of a sudden passed a bus to his right and pulled into the bus's lane as I am still beside the bus!! The bus driver heard me screaming every obscenity I ever learned and a couple I never heard before and blew his horn at Robert. I just knew I was dead under the bus but dumbass Bob woke up just in time. (Never did call him Robert ever again.)

@perrone1 The "Dumbass Bob" handle is very kind of you as far as I'm concerned!

@jack-dodds 

HA! You didn't hear the obscenities I called him that day and for a couple of years thereafter whenever I saw him. 

One incident that comes to mind was more humorous than anything.  I was living in Houston at the time and I had just purchased my 240Z (second-hand) and there was a very heavy rain, causing much flooding, and which found me trying to navigate the Sakowitz parking with my engine revved up as I plowed through the deep water (Praying it wouldn't get flooded) and as I neared the street my best friend passed me with his Citröen DS raised up to its full perch, and wearing a big grin on his face.

@gdh LOL...great story!  The Citroen DS is a very very cool car in so many ways and they handle like a dream!

Back in the 1970s in a very cold January, Ontario, Canada, I was in more than a hurry than I should have been in my Peugeot 504. I was passing a car at about 80 miles per hour and hit black ice. I did six unforgettable 360s before stabilizing, still on the highway and facing my original direction. I missed everything. I continued but slowed down somewhat.

@david-green Sometime in spite of ourselves we survive....to do something as bad or worse at some later date...(speaking for myself...lol).

Back in 1967, at age 15 and unlicenced,  I was driving a well used dark blue 1952 Plymouth top down convertible with five of my friends aboard.  Driving like a fool of course, I lost control and the car went into a longish skid sideways then rolled over.  I got launched in the process after being hung up by the steering wheel momentarily.  As I hit the ground head first and glanced up the car was coming over onto me.  I rolled aside just enough to have it land right beside me in a cloud of dust.  Then there was a pregnant pause of complete silence at which time a feeling of horrible dread landed hard as it dawned on me that my friends were underneath the wreck....I will always remember those seconds.  Then I heard an uproar of laughter and swearing as my friends, who had been well launched in the process, were picking themselves up behind me.  Not an injury worth talking about among the lot of us!  The steering wheel yoke bolted to the dash underside had snapped off as the wheel and column were driven deep into the driver's seat, making me appreciate having been thrown out!  Twelve years later during my super rigorous police academy training it was discovered that I had in fact knocked my L3 to 5 disks slightly out of true, which I still suffer with today as the area could only be restored to a point and of course age takes its toll.  I still believe someone/something was looking out for our stupid souls that day.

WOW to all and glad you’re here today! 
Steve 😇

@jack-dodds Six lucky kids.

January 1st 1993 New Years eve. Kansas City had a terrible ice storm. I got off work at USDA. On my way out , I ask the Federal cop coming in road condition. He said roads are extremely ice covered. I climb into my Bronco II and try to get up the road. First two times get half way then slide back down. Finally make it up and get on interstate. To make a long story short it took me 3 different routes 2 of which stopped me with parked cars blocking my progress and an extremely steep ice covered hill sending me in search of a better way.  Finally made it to bridge over the Missouri river. Cars going other way stuck. I see what look like ghost faces at car windows watching me go by. My lane has cars stopped in all sorts of positions on bridge. It looks like a scene out of an end of the world movie. I zig zag through the cars. Finally make it home in one piece. It took me 5 hours to get home. 

This could have turned out very bad but for a stroke of good luck. Rocky Graziano used to say somebody up there likes me

We had a 1972 Plymouth that was on its last legs. A block on the firewall would hairline crack and all the power would go from the car. 
I grew up in NE PA and went to school in Philly. The NE extension of the turnpike became my racetrack. I was given this Satellite for transport. Having been reminded 3 times to take the box of blocks in case it cracked. Naturally I ignored them and left 

In the 80s I don’t think anyone drove the speed limit on that road. On my way I needed to go thru the Lehigh Tunnel. It was one lane in each direction. Just as I approached the tunnel mile to half out. The block cracks and loose all power in the car. Just as steering locked I managed to get to the side of the road.  I walked down a hill and knocked at someone’s door and asked to use the phone.  Called my dad who drove about 40 miles switched cars with me and replaced the block and took the Plymouth home.

before he left he asked where I had to go to call.  For years he would ask me if I was scared to walk through the woods and knock on a strange door to use a phone (no cellies back then).  Right before I got in the car he looked at the tunnel and the cars and semis speeding by and said if it happened in the tunnel I would have been killed. Then said he should never given me the old car.

@jack-dodds I would say that was a miracle that all of you survived Jack. Had you had a seat belt you might not be with us today.

@bob-jackman Oh there is a part I didn't mention Bob. The car did have an obviously after market lap belt for just the driver which I had in fact done up with great gusto and humor as we were taking turns driving the old Plymouth at pretty fast speeds on this rural type road.  Thankfully my friend Randy Benn (for you hockey fans...father of Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn) bugged me earlier repeatedly to undo my seat belt.  I asked him why and he replied that it would be better in case I rolled the car, to which I replied that there was no way that was going to happen.  He persisted strongly so I complied just to shut him up.  Less than one minute later, due to my stupidity the car was upside down.  When we saw the steering wheel and column jammed far into the drivers seat area I realized he had no doubt saved me.  Definitely a "holy sh_t" moment.