A couple of weeks ago I was at an Army training camp, on a training weekend with my cadets. I dropped another member of staff off at the accomodation, in an area I had never been to before.
It was a moonless night, and the area I was in was not lit, and it was pitch black.
As I was on the final manouvre of my turn in the road, straightening up to go back in the direction from which I came, a helicopter suddenly appeared in the headlights. It wasn't flying. It's been parked there for 20 years apparantly.
Next thing I know there is a thud, and I'm sitting in a stationary car, at an angle of about 30 degrees.
There was a 3 foot culvert at the edge of the road, and I had managed to drive into it.
pics here, if you want a laugh
i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/phoenixdacat/snafu0...g
i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/phoenixdacat/snafu0...g
i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/phoenixdacat/snafu0...g
There was no shortage of Army & RAF guys prepared to pitch up and offer suggestions as to how to get it out. I declined the use of a tank, or helicopter, and went with the AA. It was pulled out with no trouble at all. The only hassle was with having to get back in to fasten the seatbelt and depress the clutch in order to start the car, and then press the footbrake to release the electronic parking brake :-(
I guess I was very lucky, as there are just two small dents in the body work, which dent masters should be able to deal with.
The car was only 4 weeks old. I've had 4 cars from new, and each has had an incident withing the first month. The first 3 were caused by others, but this was definately my own fault.
Had I had to claim on insurance, can you imagine the claim "a helicopter suddenly appeared out of nowhere. No, it wasn't flying. It's not flown for 20 years. It's just there as a static display."
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Whoops!
Glad it got out in one piece and you safely.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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First of all, congratulations on your parking! Its neat, straight and as close to the "kerb" as you could get :)
The second picture gives the impression you could just get in and drive away especially as one wheel seems on the road. However the first and third pics don't inspire the same thoughts!
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Many Years ago for work I happened to be driving around arestricted place near chertsey, when a very large tank (chieftan or challenger cant remember which) burst out of the undergrowth on one side of the road not more than 20 yards in front of me and disapeared into the undergrowth on the other side of the road
I was so astonished I didnt brake but as it was traveling fast and I was not I arrived at where it had been, just in time to get covered in mud, trees, flora, fauna and associated wild life kicked up by its back end.
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TourVanMan < yes its RF reborn >
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Many years ago when I was a trainee in the Navy, I went with one of our instructors to go gliding at an RN airbase. The gate staff gave us instructions on how to get to the gliding school and we set off.
We arrived at a crossroads, and he asked me "do you think we turn left here?", I replied "I think so".
A few moments later he remarked "This road is very wide.... I think we might be driving down the runway".
We took the next turn off we could find, but sure enough we were soon stopped by a landrover with flashing lights, telling us that air traffic control were not very impressed with us.
The insstructor was most embarressed and asked me not to mention it to the rest of the class untill after he had left.
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Driving down a road at the back of Dover,a man in camouflage gear carrying a gun leaps into the road in front of me-I skidded to a halt but with hindsight and thoughts of terrorists,possibly I should have driven over him.It turned out to be a very apologetic soldier but I was on a public highway.
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I guy I served with told a story that was so outrageous it had to be true.
His unit was training on private land, with the owners permission. Two of them had dug in an OP on the edge of some woods to observe the other side. A track came up the edge of the woods.
In broad daylight up drove a Morris Minor, out got a couple. She stripped, he tied her to a tree and they got in the car and drove off.
His OP was less than 5 yards from the tree.
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"out got a couple. She stripped, he tied her to a tree and they got in the car and drove off."
so she is now being driven naked in the car tied to the tree they have just ripped out the ground?
Somehting appears to be missing, it could be the important bit
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TourVanMan < yes its RF reborn >
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I'm with RF on this one. You can't miss out important details.
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a helicopter suddenly appeared ....
This happened to me and certainly made me pay attention.
I was in Chiswick High Road, just by the A4, alongside the Honda original HQ. My windows closed, radio on and in stationary traffic, due to a RTA.
A Medi-vac chopper landed alongside me, just a pavement away.
Not having any sunroof to see it above it really did come as a surprise. I was very impressed with that landing.
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Hmmmm - let me know when you're in my area pdc....I'll keep my eyes peeled next time.
Glad you are OK though.
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Hard luck PDC. Found myself in a similar position many years ago.
Driving from Acomb towards the A64 in a borrowed Olivetti minivan, took to the verge to avoid a tractor with some wide equipment on the back and perched the van astride the verge. Stepfather (who was following) very kindly towed me out with his Saab 99. It took longer for him to finish laughing than to get me back on the road.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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I had written "and now use your imagination" in the sideways pointing arrows, but the system deleted them. Anyway, she stripped, he tied her to the tree, then they procreated, and then they got back in the car and drove off.
All very surprising for about 1975 in Surrey.
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Hmm 1975? surrey? not camberly deepcut way was it?
not at all suprising!!
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TourVanMan < yes its RF reborn >
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About 1985 in Surrey on a normal well-travelled and lit residential street with cars parked up and down both sides I happened to look out the bedorom window at about 1 AM and parked next to my front gate were a naked couple at it in the front of a car.
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My mate lives at the end of a dirt track in the middle of a field. Barely wide enough for one car.
I've turned down it only to see a car stopped with no lights on and windows steamed up.
I find it hard to believe they have heater demist problems on the same road all the time ;-)
(It's great seeing how quick it moves when you beep the horn!)
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-My mate lives at the end of a dirt track in the middle of a field-
Does he make much of a living as a scarecrow Adam?
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Does he make much of a living as a scarecrow Adam?
LOL
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Lol. Well yeah. It's amazing how much money you save living in a cardboard box in the middle of a field.
That's how he's saved the cash to buy a new car!
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Lol. Well yeah. It's amazing how much money you save living in a cardboard box in the middle of a field.
Can't resist it
He was lucky, we used to dream of living in a cardboard box in the middle of a field!
Youngsters today!
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It isn't Friday...back to topic please
smokie, BR Moderator
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Shame no pics of the offending vehicle ?
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