On Fri, 30 Jun 1995, Clark Langstraat wrote:

[I used my Rabbit as a wood-chipper while driving on the freeway the 
other day...]
> 
> All the recent threads re: flammable substances, exploding batteries and 
> other general stupidity made me think that others on the list have 
> encountered other interesting road hazards. Anyone care to share?

An incident that occurred to Christa and me as we were driving up the 
Gulf Coast of Mexico comes immediately to mind.  I'll bet a few of you 
may be able to relate to this one...(And yeah, yeah, I'm STILL trying to 
get the trip report uploaded to this #@(^$ freenet system) 

So we're cruising up the main highway along the coast, a couple of days 
south of Brownsville, Texas.  We're making really good time of this flat 
straight 2 lane highway, maybe 56 - 58 mph.  It's about 30 degrees C 
outside (what's that--upper 80s degrees F?).  A large semi-truck (an 
"artic" for you UK folks) is coming the other way at a similar speed.  
This gives an impact speed of, what, 100 -120 mph?  About a second before 
we meet on this narrow, shoulderless road, I notice a piff of white 
smoke come from one of the tires on the truck's trailer.

A half-second later, one of the truck's retread trailer tires blows 
completely apart, throwing very large chunks and strips of heavy tire up 
to maybe ten feet in the air.  Most of the larger pieces are pretty much 
exactly as high as our windshield.  Some of these pieces are over a yard 
long and a foot wide.  

So, in the flash of a second, the space in front of us in filled with 
these big chunks of rubber closing on us at about a hundred miles an 
hour.  I duck, covering my face with my forearm, and try steadying the 
camper to keep us straight until I can look again.

The truck blows by us, and the deafing noise of the remains of the 
truck's tire slamming into our bus follows.  I look up, straightening out 
the bus, amazed that I still have a windshield in front of me.  
Shaking, I pull the bus over at the next wide spot.  I feel sick, 
expecting to see dented sheet metal or a punched out headlight or something.

No damage!  None!  And no retread chunks imbedded in my skull, either!  
Just goes to show, good karma is worth working for!

Tobin 
(Who's bus still has its original windshield)  (Knock, knock!)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin T. Copley                  Currently               =============
(604) 689-2660                    Occupationally        /_| |__||__| :| putta
tobin@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca      Challenged!         O|             | putta
                                                        '-()-------()-'
Circum-continental USA, Mexico, Canada 15,000 miles... '76 VW Camper! (Mango)