Me and snow don't mix.
I know I've complained before...but I don't think I can stress how unprepared I was for snow when we moved up to the great Northwest.
You see...
Years ago, I was in an accident that involved me, my car, and a freak snow storm...
Me against nature, you could say.
The year was 1988, my Boytoy (soon-to-be hubby) and I decided to drive out to Colorado for Christmas break to visit his folks.
At 20, driving from California to Colorado seems romantic. Now, it just seems long, boring and a test on how well I can hold my bladder.
We had gorgeous weather on the drive out...all was good.
Met his parents, friends, home town, blah, blah, blah...then 3 days later turned around to drive home.
I'm leaving out the good parts where his mother made us sleep in separate rooms, we had to sneak around to have sex, even though we'd been living together for 9+ months...you know, the usual.
Because we were still students, we were poor as dirt.
Poor plus youth equals...driving straight through 2.5 states because we can't afford to stay in a hotel let alone a fleabag motel.
Somewhere a few miles outside Salt Lake City it started to snow. I mean SNOW...oh, and did I mention that I was driving?
Not to worry my Boytoy says, we'll switch in SLC and he'll drive the rest of the way to California.
Only...we didn't make it to Salt Lake City...at least not until hours later.
You see, growing up in California (northern, Calif, I might add) I'd never heard of 'black ice'.
Still sounds like a name of a good cocktail to me.
Well, you guessed it, we (me and the old Volvo) hit some black ice on Interstate 80.
At 11:30pm it's amazing how crowded the freeway can be.
All the while the Boytoy is screaming,
"Get your foot off the fucking brakes!!!"
and me screaming back,
"I'M NOT!!!"
Luckily, even though we did 3 or 4 donuts we managed to miss everyone and land safely on the side on Interstate 80, squished into a snow bank.
After my blood pressure returned back to normal and the Boytoy stopped saying, "Holy Shit", we assessed the situation, it was pretty apparent we were going to need a pull/push out of the snow bank, as the poor Volvo wasn't budging.
Now let me give a shout out to all the people who literally stopped and offered help.
People are so friendly in Utah.
Within 15 minutes, at midnight, I might add, a kind samaritan in a 4 x 4 with a tow hitch, was offering to pull us out.
It only took 5 minutes to realize it wasn't going to work. We were going to need the 'big guns', i.e. a tow truck.
I started to wonder what our chances of a Utah tow truck driver taking an out of state check were...when all of a sudden, poof!, a tow truck arrived.
The Boytoy and I stood on the side of Interstate 80 watching the tow truck struggle to pull out our car. Nothing. The car didn't move.
Confused, the tow truck driver, pushed on.
Standing there with one hand scratching his beard and the other on the power switch thingy, he looks up the highway and then down and shakes his head, and says he thinks he knows what the problem is...when...
SNAP.
Boytoy, the truck driver, and by now a Utah State Patrol Officer and I stand there staring at the car.
Boytoy: What just happened?
Utah SPO: What's the problem?
Me: It's freezing out here, and I have to pee.
TTD: I think we might be in a little trouble here.
The tow truck driver opens the side passenger door, and low and behold sticking straight through the car between the two front seats is a metal pole with reflective sticker at the top.
Me: What's that?
TTD & Utah SPO: That's a roadside delineator.
Me & Boytoy: What?
That's right folks, I managed to expertly run over a little metal pole. (they're now made of plastic)
When the tow truck driver pulled the poor car out, the metal pole popped right through the car, taking out the emergency brake, missing the drive train (so I was told) and left quite a nice size hole in the car right between the two front seats.
Yes, I know, I'm talented.
All that was left was to pay the tow truck driver, who, if I remember correctly, sent us a bill in the mail...who still does that these days?
Utah SPO: I can't just let you leave the scene.
Me: Excuse me?
Utah SPO: You destroyed state property.
Me: I don't understand. What am I supposed to do?
Utah SPO: You'll have to reimburse the state, a check will suffice.
Me: Ok. mumble. mumble. mumble.
Result...
I own a marker just like this one...you could too, for just $50.00!
3 comments:
Considering it was Utah, you're lucky that they didn't make you someone's 2nd or 3rd wife.
Ha. Ha.
I'm not a big Utah fan, but I have to give props to the travelers that night, were very helpful!
It's amazing how courteous people can be on the highway..Not everyone you see is a freak lol. When my DH and I were driving cross country in Feb of 98 we had a problem with the wheel bearings. Let's just say idiot boy decided that he wasnt going to pack them with grease...and thus halfway between Tucumcari (i'm sure that's spelled wrong) and Grants New mexico, our car went KAPUT. It would not steer. So we were sitting on the side of the road...Pre-cell phone days and at 11pm. I was crying because it was soooo cold. When a trucker stopped. My then husband ran over and the guy offered us a ride to the next exit. He took us all the way there. Gave us a phone number to call of a local company and let us sit in the truck with him while it was running. All the while he was nice as could be. When I tried giving him some money he refused saying we would need it. When we left he handed me his card. It took two days to get the car repaired, cost us a small fortune.
Two weeks later, safe at home and while unpacking I found that card. I sent a letter to his manager.
I received a letter back thanking me for my kindness in my letter. Also to let me know that this man had died to six days after helping us...In a accident when a drunk driver crossed the center divider In an attempt to avoid killing the drunk driver Dave (the drive of the Big rig) swerved, and his rig went off of the highway into a ditch. Killing him instantly..... I still correspond with his wife.
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