Scary Driving

3894 · 08-03-2007, 04:16 AM

Inspired by the Minneapolis bridge!

What's your all-time most white-knuckle driving experience? Mine was two hours of bumper-to-bumper in Montreal this summer. Talk about your crumbling infrastructure. Also your suicidal drivers.

lashbear · 08-03-2007, 04:34 AM

Big Sur. Trying to drive AND look at scenery.

Mousey Girl · 08-03-2007, 04:56 AM

Watching an accident occur on the 710 and having to react to make sure I didn't become part of it.

scaeagles · 08-03-2007, 05:47 AM

In Flagstaff, AZ, I was driving at a pretty slow speed in a torrential thunderstorm. A lightening strike hit a light pole about 4 feet behind and to the right of the vehicle. Incredibly loud, and every piece of hair on my body stood straight up. The pole fell into the road between my car and the car behind ours.

The other one was in Flagstaff as well. Lots of snow in the winter in Flagstaff, and some hilly driving near the University. I was in a light pick up truck coming down a hill, and I lost the ability to stop. I slid a good couple hundred yards down a hill, through a red light and a stop sign. Miraculously, I hit nothing nor was I hit.

Strangler Lewis · 08-03-2007, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I was in a light pick up truck coming down a hill, and I lost the ability to stop. I slid a good couple hundred yards down a hill, through a red light and a stop sign. Miraculously, I hit nothing nor was I hit.

Driving up the road to Sugar Bowl in a blizzard in our Honda Civic. This light pick-up truck came spinning down the hill. I got the car as far over to the right as possible, and the truck missed us by inches.

Actually, the most hair-raising things happen regularly in city streets when I go to make a lawful turn and I realize that someone in a "vehicle" is going to run the red. That always leaves me playing tape for twenty minutes about whether, next time, I should speed up, back up or stand still so that my door takes the hit instead of my kids'.

€uroMeinke · 08-03-2007, 07:15 AM

Beating the Train

Stan4dSteph · 08-03-2007, 08:01 AM

On the road up to Pasadena right outside the outlet mall that looks like a cheesy castle. Someone had stopped in the left hand lane for no reason, immediately backing up the traffic. For some reason I didn't notice, and had to brake hard and swerve to the right to avoid hitting the stopped line of cars. Somehow I managed to guide the vehicle between the cars to the left and right.

I had to get off the freeway for a little while to let the adrenaline get out of my system.

DreadPirateRoberts · 08-03-2007, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stan4dSteph

On the road up to Pasadena right outside the outlet mall that looks like a cheesy castle.

The cheesy castle was the Samson Tire and Rubber Company.

I was driving on highway 38 near big bear when it started to snow. I pulled over at a turnout in a curve to let some people pass. I pulled off the road a bit too quick ( I didn't want to slow down the people behind me), and hit an ice patch. The only thing that kept us from going off the edge and off a cliff (no guard rails), was a sign post that I hit. I was a bit shaky after that.

Capt Jack · 08-03-2007, 08:01 AM

steering wheel coming off in my hands at freeway speed

now THATS entertainment

Alex · 08-03-2007, 08:13 AM

Back in 1995 I was driving a group of us up to some 24-hour bowling alley in Everett, Washington, at around 2 a.m. I accelerated to pass around some slow truck and the throttle stuck completely open.

Standing on the brakes I could barely slow the car down. I'm dodging other cars while trying to decide what my options were and how long I should wait to notify my friends of our impending death. Putting the car into neutral killed speed but with the throttle full open it sounded like the engine was going to explode. Eventually with a combination of standing on the brakes, application of the handbrake, and going in and out of neutral I got to a stop on the side of the road.

Another time driving a friend back late to the University of Washignton's Pack Research Forest out on some back mountain road in the Cascades with one dim headlight.

A third time we took a back road out of Death Valley and into the Central Valley, again at night, and went through about 30 miles of the densest fog I've ever been in. Literally 15 feet visibility over winding 1.5 lane mountain road.

08-03-2007, 04:16 AM	#1
3894 Next Stop: Funkytown! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Cheeselandia Posts: 1,907	Scary Driving Inspired by the Minneapolis bridge! What's your all-time most white-knuckle driving experience? Mine was two hours of bumper-to-bumper in Montreal this summer. Talk about your crumbling infrastructure. Also your suicidal drivers. Last edited by 3894 : 08-03-2007 at 04:17 AM. Reason: To spell "infrastructure" correctly. You're welcome!
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08-03-2007, 04:34 AM	#2
lashbear SwishBuckling Bear Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In Isolation :) Posts: 6,597	Big Sur. Trying to drive AND look at scenery. __________________ *I Heart* my Husband - I can't think of anyone I'd rather be in isolation with.**
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08-03-2007, 04:56 AM	#3
Mousey Girl Just Me Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In The Flagon With The Dragon Posts: 2,437	Watching an accident occur on the 710 and having to react to make sure I didn't become part of it.
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08-03-2007, 05:47 AM	#4
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	In Flagstaff, AZ, I was driving at a pretty slow speed in a torrential thunderstorm. A lightening strike hit a light pole about 4 feet behind and to the right of the vehicle. Incredibly loud, and every piece of hair on my body stood straight up. The pole fell into the road between my car and the car behind ours. The other one was in Flagstaff as well. Lots of snow in the winter in Flagstaff, and some hilly driving near the University. I was in a light pick up truck coming down a hill, and I lost the ability to stop. I slid a good couple hundred yards down a hill, through a red light and a stop sign. Miraculously, I hit nothing nor was I hit.
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08-03-2007, 07:15 AM	#6
€uroMeinke L'Hédoniste Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: A.S.C.O.T. Posts: 8,671	Beating the Train __________________ I would believe only in a God that knows how to Dance. Friedrich Nietzsche
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08-03-2007, 08:01 AM	#7
Stan4dSteph Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: East Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,156	On the road up to Pasadena right outside the outlet mall that looks like a cheesy castle. Someone had stopped in the left hand lane for no reason, immediately backing up the traffic. For some reason I didn't notice, and had to brake hard and swerve to the right to avoid hitting the stopped line of cars. Somehow I managed to guide the vehicle between the cars to the left and right. I had to get off the freeway for a little while to let the adrenaline get out of my system.
	Submit to Quotes

08-03-2007, 08:01 AM	#9
Capt Jack check your head Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,174	steering wheel coming off in my hands at freeway speed now THATS entertainment __________________ a clear conscience is a sure sign of a fuzzy memory
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08-03-2007, 08:13 AM	#10
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Back in 1995 I was driving a group of us up to some 24-hour bowling alley in Everett, Washington, at around 2 a.m. I accelerated to pass around some slow truck and the throttle stuck completely open. Standing on the brakes I could barely slow the car down. I'm dodging other cars while trying to decide what my options were and how long I should wait to notify my friends of our impending death. Putting the car into neutral killed speed but with the throttle full open it sounded like the engine was going to explode. Eventually with a combination of standing on the brakes, application of the handbrake, and going in and out of neutral I got to a stop on the side of the road. Another time driving a friend back late to the University of Washignton's Pack Research Forest out on some back mountain road in the Cascades with one dim headlight. A third time we took a back road out of Death Valley and into the Central Valley, again at night, and went through about 30 miles of the densest fog I've ever been in. Literally 15 feet visibility over winding 1.5 lane mountain road.
	Submit to Quotes