| Topic: |
Sociology > Depression |
| User: |
"CyberDroog" |
| Date: |
08 Jun 2004 11:21:15 PM |
| Object: |
My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
I created my very own Six Flags ride on Memorial Day. I was driving my
wife and I to my parents house. We were going the usual 80 MPH that
freeway traffic gets up to in a suburban area when some crazy chick cut us
off, nearly clipping the front bumper.
I jerked the wheel right and the left front tire came off the rim. I
didn't know it at the time since I've never had a blowout. All I knew was
that the car wouldn't steer. It felt like we were rolling on a bed of
rubber bands - all squishy and no control.
The car pulled left, and luckily the crazy chick saw us about to side swipe
her and slowed down. But she then hit our rear bumper and the car, still
pulling left, hit the loose gravel on the median and off we went. The
hardest spin was the first one on the pavement. We then sailed backwards
into the muddy grass in the median and continued spinning counter
clockwise. If I recall correctly, we spun four times. Each time I saw us
spinning towards my wife's side I thought we were going to dig in and roll
over. All I could think about was that she was going to be hurt. I went
through what seemed like hours of pain seeing her injured in the course of
a few seconds.
Patti was just plain screaming, just like a ride at Six Flags. And I was
repeatedly saying "We're okay... we're okay". Well, in my mind we were.
Since I heard no crunching metal, felt no violent impacts, and saw we were
on the grass in the median, I knew we weren't in a pile up. That, to me,
meant we were okay.
Mud was spraying up all around us and the car was bathed in it. We finally
came to a halt. Okay, you feel a little wobbly after such an event, but
not too bad. Not bad until I noticed that we came to a halt about five
feet from the opposite lanes. If the grass had been dry, we probably would
have sailed into oncoming traffic.
The woman who didn't know how to signal, let alone check her blind spot
just kept going.
The car (my wifes) is okay. It just needed a new tire, an alignment,
reattaching the bumper covers - which popped off from grass and mud being
forced under them - and a major power-spraying.
But my nervous system still feels like it's been seared. Not in any
readily apparent way, and not so much as to interfere with life. As soon
as I got the car fixed I went for a ride down the same stretch of highway
as if to say "Oh yeah, Universe?! You'll have to do better than that!"
But I find myself worrying about Patti now. It's no big deal if I get
killed. I won't know it. But if something happened to her I don't know
how I could deal with it. Her company is in the process of moving it's
offices and she is going to be driving a much greater distance to work.
Now when she's late I find myself worrying that something has happened to
her. I suppose because the incident reminds you of just how fast bad
things happen.
She's now in the bedroom asleep, and I feel a little dread over her being
anywhere else. I can go look at her now and see she's okay.
If I feel that way about her, I can't imagine having children.
--
MESMERISM, n. Hypnotism before it wore good clothes, kept a carriage and
asked Incredulity to dinner.
- Ambrose Bierce
.
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| User: "Tim Kettring" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
08 Jun 2004 11:28:53 PM |
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"CyberDroog" <CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote in message
news:1i2dc0lo57sr4iufqqpvi7jktb3lsndmsq@4ax.com...
I created my very own Six Flags ride on Memorial Day. I was driving my
wife and I to my parents house. We were going the usual 80 MPH that
freeway traffic gets up to in a suburban area when some crazy chick cut us
off, nearly clipping the front bumper.
I jerked the wheel right and the left front tire came off the rim. I
didn't know it at the time since I've never had a blowout. All I knew was
that the car wouldn't steer. It felt like we were rolling on a bed of
rubber bands - all squishy and no control.
The car pulled left, and luckily the crazy chick saw us about to side
swipe
her and slowed down. But she then hit our rear bumper and the car, still
pulling left, hit the loose gravel on the median and off we went. The
hardest spin was the first one on the pavement. We then sailed backwards
into the muddy grass in the median and continued spinning counter
clockwise. If I recall correctly, we spun four times. Each time I saw us
spinning towards my wife's side I thought we were going to dig in and roll
over. All I could think about was that she was going to be hurt. I went
through what seemed like hours of pain seeing her injured in the course of
a few seconds.
Patti was just plain screaming, just like a ride at Six Flags. And I was
repeatedly saying "We're okay... we're okay". Well, in my mind we were.
Since I heard no crunching metal, felt no violent impacts, and saw we were
on the grass in the median, I knew we weren't in a pile up. That, to me,
meant we were okay.
Mud was spraying up all around us and the car was bathed in it. We
finally
came to a halt. Okay, you feel a little wobbly after such an event, but
not too bad. Not bad until I noticed that we came to a halt about five
feet from the opposite lanes. If the grass had been dry, we probably
would
have sailed into oncoming traffic.
The woman who didn't know how to signal, let alone check her blind spot
just kept going.
The car (my wifes) is okay. It just needed a new tire, an alignment,
reattaching the bumper covers - which popped off from grass and mud being
forced under them - and a major power-spraying.
But my nervous system still feels like it's been seared. Not in any
readily apparent way, and not so much as to interfere with life. As soon
as I got the car fixed I went for a ride down the same stretch of highway
as if to say "Oh yeah, Universe?! You'll have to do better than that!"
But I find myself worrying about Patti now. It's no big deal if I get
killed. I won't know it. But if something happened to her I don't know
how I could deal with it. Her company is in the process of moving it's
offices and she is going to be driving a much greater distance to work.
Now when she's late I find myself worrying that something has happened to
her. I suppose because the incident reminds you of just how fast bad
things happen.
She's now in the bedroom asleep, and I feel a little dread over her being
anywhere else. I can go look at her now and see she's okay.
If I feel that way about her, I can't imagine having children.
Thats enough to shake ANYBODY up !
I am very glad nobody got hurt !
--
MESMERISM, n. Hypnotism before it wore good clothes, kept a carriage and
asked Incredulity to dinner.
- Ambrose Bierce
.
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| User: "Hap Arnold" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 10:58:27 AM |
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"CyberDroog" <CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote in message
news:1i2dc0lo57sr4iufqqpvi7jktb3lsndmsq@4ax.com...
I created my very own Six Flags ride on Memorial Day. I was driving my
wife and I to my parents house. We were going the usual 80 MPH that
freeway traffic gets up to in a suburban area when some crazy chick cut us
off, nearly clipping the front bumper.
I jerked the wheel right and the left front tire came off the rim. I
didn't know it at the time since I've never had a blowout. All I knew was
that the car wouldn't steer. It felt like we were rolling on a bed of
rubber bands - all squishy and no control.
The car pulled left, and luckily the crazy chick saw us about to side
swipe
her and slowed down. But she then hit our rear bumper and the car, still
pulling left, hit the loose gravel on the median and off we went. The
hardest spin was the first one on the pavement. We then sailed backwards
into the muddy grass in the median and continued spinning counter
clockwise. If I recall correctly, we spun four times. Each time I saw us
spinning towards my wife's side I thought we were going to dig in and roll
over. All I could think about was that she was going to be hurt. I went
through what seemed like hours of pain seeing her injured in the course of
a few seconds.
Patti was just plain screaming, just like a ride at Six Flags. And I was
repeatedly saying "We're okay... we're okay". Well, in my mind we were.
Since I heard no crunching metal, felt no violent impacts, and saw we were
on the grass in the median, I knew we weren't in a pile up. That, to me,
meant we were okay.
Mud was spraying up all around us and the car was bathed in it. We
finally
came to a halt. Okay, you feel a little wobbly after such an event, but
not too bad. Not bad until I noticed that we came to a halt about five
feet from the opposite lanes. If the grass had been dry, we probably
would
have sailed into oncoming traffic.
The woman who didn't know how to signal, let alone check her blind spot
just kept going.
The car (my wifes) is okay. It just needed a new tire, an alignment,
reattaching the bumper covers - which popped off from grass and mud being
forced under them - and a major power-spraying.
But my nervous system still feels like it's been seared. Not in any
readily apparent way, and not so much as to interfere with life. As soon
as I got the car fixed I went for a ride down the same stretch of highway
as if to say "Oh yeah, Universe?! You'll have to do better than that!"
But I find myself worrying about Patti now. It's no big deal if I get
killed. I won't know it. But if something happened to her I don't know
how I could deal with it. Her company is in the process of moving it's
offices and she is going to be driving a much greater distance to work.
Now when she's late I find myself worrying that something has happened to
her. I suppose because the incident reminds you of just how fast bad
things happen.
She's now in the bedroom asleep, and I feel a little dread over her being
anywhere else. I can go look at her now and see she's okay.
If I feel that way about her, I can't imagine having children.
You might want to go to a local speedway for a 'car control' course or a
'high performance' driving course.
Not 'Be Petty' or anything but something to teach car control and unusual
attitude response. It will give you a better handle on your car and maybe
restore some confidence on the freeway. They teach 'blow outs' and slides
and spins etc.
You can spin farther on wet grass and mud than on dry.
--
E Sempre l'Ora
--
.
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| User: "CyberDroog" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 03:56:19 PM |
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On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 11:58:27 -0400, "Hap Arnold" <CinCUSAAF@ghq.army.mil>
wrote:
You might want to go to a local speedway for a 'car control' course or a
'high performance' driving course.
Not 'Be Petty' or anything but something to teach car control and unusual
attitude response. It will give you a better handle on your car and maybe
restore some confidence on the freeway. They teach 'blow outs' and slides
and spins etc.
You can spin farther on wet grass and mud than on dry.
I've always wanted to take a performance driving course.
As for the spinning, the median was more like a marsh than simply wet and
muddy. I think what saved us was that the car sank into the mud and all
the energy was depleted. We sank in enough that the car had to be towed
out. If it has been dry we may not have spun as much.
--
Democracy: Two wolves and a lamb voting on the issue of what to have for
lunch.
Republic: A Democracy where two hundred wolves and one hundred lambs elect
two wolves and one lamb as their representatives to vote on the issue of
what to have for lunch.
Constitutional Republic: A Republic with a Constitution guaranteeing that
lamb is not on the lunch menu. Eventually the Supreme Court rules - five
wolves to four lambs - that mutton is not the same as lamb.
Liberty: A Constitutional Republic where the lambs retain the right to keep
and bear arms.
.
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| User: "used2be" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
08 Jun 2004 11:39:23 PM |
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"CyberDroog" <CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote quite a story.
wow, clocky. that's incredible!!!!
If I feel that way about her, I can't imagine having children.
yes, well imagine it about 10 times worse, and then you'll know just how it
is to worry over your children. or ask becky gumm about coming upon her
daughter right after a terrible car accident she'd just had :-)
(((((((((droog)))))))))
u2b
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| User: "Whiskers" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 09:32:44 AM |
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On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 04:21:15 +0000, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
I created my very own Six Flags ride on Memorial Day. I was driving my
wife and I to my parents house. We were going the usual 80 MPH that
freeway traffic gets up to in a suburban area when some crazy chick cut us
off, nearly clipping the front bumper.
snip
That sounds terrifying! You're quite right to be all shook up. I think
driving along the same road again was probably a very good idea.
I had to do some translating, and thinking in mirror images, to work out
what happened; it's surprising how different the words are for roads and
cars in our two versions of "English".
In this country, you'd have hit the central reservation of the motorway -
which would have made a big mess of the car, as we don't have room for
wide grassy areas between carriageways, so there's usually a solid
crash-barrier.
It is rather worrying that a tyre could come off so easily.
I wonder if the other driver has any idea of her part in the incident?
--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
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| User: "CyberDroog" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 03:53:27 PM |
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On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:32:44 +0100, Whiskers <catwheezel@operamail.com>
wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 04:21:15 +0000, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
I created my very own Six Flags ride on Memorial Day. I was driving my
wife and I to my parents house. We were going the usual 80 MPH that
freeway traffic gets up to in a suburban area when some crazy chick cut us
off, nearly clipping the front bumper.
snip
That sounds terrifying! You're quite right to be all shook up. I think
driving along the same road again was probably a very good idea.
I had to do some translating, and thinking in mirror images, to work out
what happened; it's surprising how different the words are for roads and
cars in our two versions of "English".
Funny that you mentioned that. I had always been fascinated with British
style round-abouts. You can find the occasional slapstick gag in movies
showing an American driver running across one and getting all confused.
Not too long ago I was driving out to West Bend (Wisconsin) and came across
an actual round-about. I had never seen one in America. Well, the movies
were accurate... I got confused. I was the only one there, so I was able
to stop in the middle, look around, and say "What the hell?"
In this country, you'd have hit the central reservation of the motorway -
which would have made a big mess of the car, as we don't have room for
wide grassy areas between carriageways, so there's usually a solid
crash-barrier.
It is rather worrying that a tyre could come off so easily.
I wonder if the other driver has any idea of her part in the incident?
Being that it was Memorial Day, I wouldn't be surprised if she had been
drinking.
--
Capital letters were always the best way of dealing with things you
didn't have a good answer to.
-Douglas Adams
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| User: "Whiskers" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
10 Jun 2004 10:06:02 AM |
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On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 20:53:27 +0000, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
snip
Not too long ago I was driving out to West Bend (Wisconsin) and came
across an actual round-about. I had never seen one in America. Well, the
movies were accurate... I got confused. I was the only one there, so I
was able to stop in the middle, look around, and say "What the hell?"
snip
You wouldn't last long here then - we even have roundabouts within
roundabouts, and chains of roundabouts one after another, and
mini-roundabouts, and roundabouts with traffic-lights, and clover-leaf
junctions with roundabouts, and roundabouts with fly-overs and
under-passes. European cars sometimes come with four-wheel steering,
which helps :))
--
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~
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| User: "wombn" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 04:34:12 PM |
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On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 20:53:27 GMT, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:32:44 +0100, Whiskers <catwheezel@operamail.com>
wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 04:21:15 +0000, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
I created my very own Six Flags ride on Memorial Day. I was driving my
wife and I to my parents house. We were going the usual 80 MPH that
freeway traffic gets up to in a suburban area when some crazy chick cut us
off, nearly clipping the front bumper.
snip
That sounds terrifying! You're quite right to be all shook up. I think
driving along the same road again was probably a very good idea.
I had to do some translating, and thinking in mirror images, to work out
what happened; it's surprising how different the words are for roads and
cars in our two versions of "English".
Funny that you mentioned that. I had always been fascinated with British
style round-abouts. You can find the occasional slapstick gag in movies
showing an American driver running across one and getting all confused.
We had a couple near SFSU. I hated them.
When I lived in France, I'd sit and watch drivers running 'round them.
Looked even more frightening than the tiny, one-lane ones I had to
deal with near SFSU.
L'Arc de Triomphe was enough to give me nightmares.
And they all drove at breakneck speeds.
Thank God I wasn't stupid enough to try to get a foreigner's driver's
license and rented a car! *shudder*
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If laughter is the best medicine,
then kittens should be covered by our health insurance. :-)
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| User: "wombn" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 08:03:08 AM |
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On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 04:21:15 GMT, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
<snipped incredible story>
WOW
But I find myself worrying about Patti now. It's no big deal if I get
killed. I won't know it. But if something happened to her I don't know
how I could deal with it.
I know the feeling. I felt that way about THor for about the first 2
years he was here. Now it's not as constant.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If laughter is the best medicine,
then kittens should be covered by our health insurance. :-)
.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: My Nervous System is Still Going in Circles at 80 MPH |
09 Jun 2004 07:26:32 PM |
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On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 04:21:15 GMT, CyberDroog
<CyberDroog@ClockworkOrange.com> wrote:
<(((*> She's now in the bedroom asleep, and I feel a little dread over her being
<(((*> anywhere else. I can go look at her now and see she's okay.
Wow. I was getting chills down my spine just reading your account
of the near miss. (Reminded me of something similar that happened
to me & hubby once on an icy curve.)
Very very glad that you and Patti are unharmed. A car can be
replaced. You guys can't.
Tara J. Ballance
Montreal, Canada
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