A classic case of what we call "Super F**ked-up S**t".

[wolfie]

Here's my "hit by debris" story. I was heading south on I75 during the remnants of hurricane Ike. At the time, there was construction going on in the middle, with the travelled lanes pushed aside. It was marked "trucks use left 2 lanes" (right lane was using the shoulder), so I was using the middle of the 3 lanes. One of the orange diamond construction signs in the middle took flight, crossed the left lane, and slammed against my grille. It was last seen heading north in the southbound lanes.

My truck may have the aerodynamics of a brick wall, but it's built tough (couple of dents to the grille shell). If only parts were readily available (maker's web site says orders before midnight can be delivered the next morning because their main warehouse is beside the Fedex terminal in Memphis, but I've been off the road for 2 weeks waiting for parts - Fedex can't ship something unless there's inventory to be shipped, and these parts are out of stock worldwide).

[Chromatix]

You're off the road due to a dented grille?

[greek_jester]

You're off the road due to a dented grille?

The way I read the post, the construction sign took the grill with it when it went flying off down the road, & it's the bit under the grill that's just a bit dented.

[Primer]

Wolfie, if I didn't already know that you drive a BIG truck, I'd think you were talking about a Nissan Frontier. I had to wait 3.5 YEARS for a part once. Made me swear off Nissan.

[SouthernSugar]

Two years ago I was living just outside DC, and some friends and I decided to drive down I-95. We were tootling along (which is saying something; that stretch of interstate tends to act like quicksand on your vehicle because of traffic) when we ran into two long lines of dead-stopped traffic. My friend who was driving whipped over into the far left lane, which was still inching forward.

We were the last vehicle through in any lane before the cops stopped all traffic. Why?

Because apparently someone had been towing a BOAT and the darned thing had slid right off the trailer and was now sitting in the middle of I-95! I can't imagine what the person right behind it must have been thinking when that happened...

The scariest for my husband and I was the ladder that fell off the back of a large work truck and slid down the road at us. Fortunately it was not a busy stretch of highway, so we avoided it.

And my mom recently narrowly avoided being hit by a car hood. It apparently wasn't securely fastened and the driver was out and about in a vicious thunderstorm with nasty, nasty winds. The wind ripped the hood right off and it bouced over Mom's truck.

[Pagan]

The most I ever get coming at me are rocks on I-25. Mainly because there's always some construction somewhere. I can't remember the last time that I drove down to Cruces or up to Santa Fe that there wasn't construction.

And I'm becoming convinced that it's not the state that's doing the work, but our roving bands of orange barrels. They move on their own. I'm not the only one that thinks that. A friend made a movie about them. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395693/

And I've been hit by two things flying: a pack of hamburger buns (who the hell transports 100 packages of hamburger buns in the open back end of a pickup?)

You've never been to New Mexico have you? It's a passtime here to see how much you can stuff into the bed of a truck unsecured.

While driving, however, there was a pickup towing a small trailer, clearly home made with plywood or something.

Sounds like one of ours. Bet it didn't have a plate on the trailer, either. They're supposed to have plates for the trailers here, but guess how many actually do.

[Crossbow]

You've never been to New Mexico have you? It's a passtime here to see how much you can stuff into the bed of a truck unsecured.
.

Nope. Arizona, but not NM. Someday.

And it's kind of a past time here, too, but it's usually stuff that people think is heavy enough to stay down. Hamburger buns? That one was a new one to me.

[Shalom]

someone had been towing a BOAT and the darned thing had slid right off the trailer and was now sitting in the middle of I-95! I can't imagine what the person right behind it must have been thinking when that happened...

Hey, at least he had a trailer...

Not that it always helps to have one, if you don't use it right.

While driving, however, there was a pickup towing a small trailer, clearly home made with plywood or something. Well, the lid of this trailer wasn't very securely fastened down, as I could see it vibrating. More to the point, the hinge-point of the lid was at the BACK, so the wind was trying to rip it off.

Something like this one?

At least he used a trailer, this guy didn't...

Neither did he... but at least he had his license plate visible.

Speaking of loose stuff in a truck...
Shalom

[Pagan]

Hamburger buns? That one was a new one to me.

That's why you need to come here. Groceries in the truck bed = normal.

Speaking of loose stuff in a truck... http://safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/a...0/photo348.asp
Shalom

You'd be frightened how common a sight that sort of thing is around here. Saw a couple driving around today as a matter of fact.

[Andara Bledin]

Chuckles, "One of the morning shows out here was keeping a list of things reported to them on the highway. The list included ladders, shop vac, kiddie pool, a sauna, and just about anything else you can imagine."

Don't forget the giraffe.

At least he used a trailer, this guy didn't...

That's a soft top convertible. >.<

I've been hit by flying debris a time or two, myself. Thankfully, it's never caused me or my cars any harm. The scariest was when I was traveling the in the innermost traffic lane on the interstate and some dochebag decided that they didn't want to be stuck behind all that traffic, so they'd just cruise up the center verge and pass us all. He managed to kick a detached chunk of tire tread into the lane I was in, and the car ahead of me drover over it and kicked it up. Thankfully, it dropped back down in time for me to run it over.

The most interesting thing I've ever seen was on another interstate. I watched a clear, shiny diamond of something fly up a bit, twirl slightly, then come back down to hit the asphalt with one corner, at which point it seemed to splash across the road. A couple of miles later I realized that it had to have been the glass screen that used to be attached to an arcade game console that was being haled by a stakebed truck that was ahead of me. The way the glass instantaneously shattered into tiny shards the moment it hit the ground was quite impressive.

This next one I've told here before. My favorite "bizarre" flying object story happened to my great-aunt. She was driving through the woods of Vermont when their car was struck by a flying cow. *nods* It turned out that a semi coming the other way had struck the cow and sent it flying through the air to land with car-demolishing force on the front end of the car they were in. Other than the cow and the car, nobody was hurt, thankfully.

And now, the creepiest story I know of. It isn't mine, and it comes from either another forum I visit regularly (more likely) or possibly here. I'm not positive and can't find it. One driver, traveling late at night hit and drove over a body. From what I recall, there was a homeless man wandering the other side of the divider who was struck by a fast-moving vehicle and catapulted over the divider to land, deceased, in front of his car. Needless to say, there was a rather high squick and trauma factor involved, and I really think he used the forum as a form of therapy.

^-.-^

[XCashier]

Hey, at least he had a trailer...

Not that it always helps to have one, if you don't use it right.

Something like this one?

At least he used a trailer, this guy didn't...

Neither did he... but at least he had his license plate visible.

Speaking of loose stuff in a truck...
Shalom

What are these guys smoking?! I would hate to find myself behind any of them. Of course, they never suffer from their own stupidity. It seems the laws of the Universe favor those who don't understand the laws of physics.

[HYHYBT]

My favorite "bizarre" flying object story happened to my great-aunt. She was driving through the woods of Vermont when their car was struck by a flying cow.

That beats my stepmom's car-and-cow story, though now I'll have to tell it: once, she was driving her then-new Maverick and a cow *sat* on it, doing quite a lot of damage. It had been in the road, and she'd stopped not-quite-in-time, tapping the back of its knees. Being out in the country, she went to the owner's house to complain and, I assume, to get money for repairs. He insisted it wasn't his cow at all... until she said "well, if it's not yours, I'll just keep it then."

[Kogarashi]

It seems the laws of the Universe favor those who don't understand the laws of physics.

Ignorance is bliss?

[Shalom]

That's why you need to come here. Groceries in the truck bed = normal.
You'd be frightened how common a sight that sort of thing is around here. Saw a couple driving around today as a matter of fact.

Oops, I forgot one. Need some pumpkins?

Shalom

[wolfie]

You're off the road due to a dented grille?

Nope, the "sign to the grille" issue was during hurricane Ike (mentioned in my post) a couple years ago - the only damage was a couple dents to the grille shell (cosmetic issue only). The reason I was off the road recently (wound up being 3 weeks) was because the windshield wiper pivots had seized (meaning the wipers wouldn't work) and the manufacturer's supply chain was out of stock continent wide. According to my mechanic, these pivots typically last about 3-4 years (my truck is 6 years old).

If it's an item with a predictable life span (i.e. the manufacturer knows they're going to fail, so they'll be selling replacements), and it disables the vehicle when it fails (wiper fails to clear driver's side of the windshield is an out-of-service condition, so obviously wipers that don't work at all mean the truck's off the road), how much does it cost to keep inventory in the supply chain? Compare that to the cost of an owner who won't even consider another Western Star when it comes time to replace my current truck (i.e. they lose not only a sale, but the sales of various maintenance and spare parts over the life of the vehicle) and tells anyone who'll listen about the problem (another owner-op who happened to be in the dispatch area at the same time I was on Friday had been considering a WS, but not any more).