Talking about stupid Vanagon things...

was driving out of Victoria the other day, accelerating form a stop
light, just getting out of first when there was this almighty bang, the
kind of short sharp explosion you feel in your chest as much as hear.

My first thought was that I had backfired when shifting, something that
has never happened in this van, but that was my first though. Maybe if
I lived somewhere else I would have thought about something more
threatening :)

I looked in my side mirror and I saw one of those big concrete pumpers
(Putzmeister) pulling over and still a cloud of dust by one of its many
rear tires.

I can only imagine how terrified the driver of the car next to it must
have felt when the tire blew.

I also still get fooled when driving around the end of the airport and
don't notice a plane coming in (road goes right under approach). I get
the sinking feeling when I hear this god awful noise, imagining all
kinds of engine problems until a few milliseconds later I see the
plane...

Alistair

'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/