Odd things that Happen when on the Road

[docsouce]

Last Fall we were heading south on I295 through Portland Maine. Moderate traffic moving along at 60 mph or so. Out of the corner of my eye I see a Sea Gull carrying what looked like a good size Quahog (hard shell clam). Next thing I know the bird lets the thing go. The timing is perfect. The clam clears the overhang and hits the windshield on the bottom left side breaking it sending cracks all across the thing. I didn't have time to try to dodge the clam and with the traffic all around that is probably a good thing I didn't try. Had the windshield replaced the next week. But there is a small leak so I have to bring it back to the shop when the weather breaks. We weren't hurt but just amazed how fast unexpected things can happen on the road.

[Merrykalia]

My son had just got his driver's license and he was driving my car, me in the passenger seat. We had just driven by a pond that had just been finished beside a big humongous house. We were probably going 20-25 mph and all of the sudden a flock of geese rose from the pond, taking off right in front of our car. Son hit the brakes, but it was too late for one of the geese. It smacked the front windshield at the bottom, close to the hood. The crack was about 5" long and the dent on the hood was about fist size. I took pictures of the goose still laying on the hood because I was sure the insurance would think someone had fisted the hood.

Yep, I had to use the pics. The adjuster was convinced that someone had been in a fight and had taken a fist to the hood. He tried to get the home owners insurance from the owners of the pond to pay for our repairs. Just FYI - geese are considered wildlife and not pets!

[seagrace]

Several years ago, I was following a construction pickup truck with his tailgate down. I noticed sitting half on his tailgate, a two-foot long, sharpened metal bar. I immediately changed lanes and caught up to the guy and tried to get his attention. He was too busy on the phone to bother. I gave up and backed off. way off. About a mile down the road, I spied a shaken man standing next to his convertible Bentley, windshield broken, iron "spear" embedded in the passenger seat. I stopped and gave as much information as I could.

[MDKMDK]

Watch out for the bison on the roadways in and around BC's Muncho Lake PP, and elsewhere along the highway north/west of Fort Nelson, if you ever do the Alaska Hwy (97).

[NCWriter]

Didn’t happen to us, luckily, but it seems that people vs moose is a huge problem in Newfoundland. They had fences, warning systems, all kinds of signs on the trans-CA Highway there. Still people get killed hitting them.

[ctilsie242]

In my current rig, it was hitting a buzzard, and it remained spread-eagled (or spread-buzzarded) on the grille, until I got home and manually peeled it off.

I've dodged wheelbarrows, bicycles, and "gators" (semi retreads which separate), but the worst was when a ladder flew off a slow van I was stupidly tailgating at the time. It flew over my vehicle, and obliterated the windshield of a vehicle behind me. You should have seen how fast that van sped up once they realized damage happened, but I was lucky enough to get the license plate and the company, and hand it to the driver behind me after we both pulled over.

[MDKMDK]

Admin wrote:

MDKMDK wrote:
Maybe we should request a moderator split this off into a separate topic? "Hits and near misses with wildlife, technology, and humanity".

Sorry but we have no way to do that.

Admin
RV.net

No harm in asking.
Thanks.

[magicbus]

Driving up the Alaskan Highway through the Yukon. Hadn't seen another car for 4 hours (or much of anything else but beautiful scenery). As we crested a hill we saw a station wagon do the same thing across the wooded valley. We headed towards each other and then just as we are about 100 yards from passing each other a 6 foot black bear bounded out of the woods, into the gully that served as a shoulder, and then up across the road right between both of us as we were slamming on our brakes. Then things turned peaceful once again.

Dave

[midnightsadie]

on I 10 out of AZ hit a swarm of bee,s .

[RWjSIM2003]

About 5 years ago we were on I5 in Washington state in our class A MH. Speed was about 60mph and came up on a turn with a flock of birds on the side of the road. They took off just as we approached and three of them hit the windshield and bounced off but one went through the air conditioner cover and ripped it clean off the MH. When we pulled off at the next exit I went up on the roof of the MH to check the damage. The bird comes crawling out of what was left of the cover and flies away.

[drsteve]

Years ago in the Black Hills, I saw a Class A that had been attacked by a bison. Not pretty.

[Admin]

MDKMDK wrote:
Maybe we should request a moderator split this off into a separate topic? "Hits and near misses with wildlife, technology, and humanity".

Sorry but we have no way to do that.

Admin
RV.net

[bacil]

Years back when i was in service i was returning back to barracks from the leave. I had this Eastern German car called TRABANT, basically steel frame and fibreglass body with two stroke, two cylinder engine.

As i was driving through the woods say 11pm-ish, all the sudden i got hit on the passanger side (mind you this was on straight through the woods). after i stopped spinning (i did about 280deg. spin) i looked and there was a BOAR he just charged my car :-).

Long story short, i had to get another car as it lost completely one side, and that time i didnt want to sped time with fibreglass 🙂 and boar walkedd happily back to woods.

[MDKMDK]

Maybe we should request a moderator split this off into a separate topic? "Hits and near misses with wildlife, technology, and humanity".

[Grit_dog]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Several years ago (not RVing), had a deer jump out in front of me at 3:30 am. It was so fast, there was no time to react. The crazy animal landed on top of my hood (car), and his head was on the windshield right in front of me. His tongue was hanging out, like he was trying to lick the windshield. The whole thing sent me into a shock! I slammed on the brakes, he slid off, stood up, and jumped over the side of the road and gone!

Left me with a broken headlight, broken grill, dented hood, all that plastic trim around the grill, and the drivers side fender buckled! Insurance fixed all, minus my deductible.

Funny,.... got the car fixed and driving down the same road another night. I'm definitely over cautious now ... I see something on the side of the road my headlights catch. I immediately hit panic mode and slam on the brakes. It just stands there almost defying me to come forward, ... like ... "Come on forward buster, I'm just waiting to jump on top of you again!"

I proceeded further, still the defiant thing refused to budge. I nudged closer and then my headlights were finally in full view! It was a mail box!

To this day, mailboxes on the side of the road spark a bit of paranoia in me.

Lol, yep. After you’ve whacked a deer or elk, every roadside reflector looks like an ungulate standing in the ditch!

[AJR]

A number of years ago I am diving down a country road in my Superformance replica of a 1965 AC Cobra I see some wild turkeys feeding on the left side of the road. So I slow to about 20mph. A group like that will normally just stare at you. But they are turkeys so you never know. As I am half way past them I see one bird charge the car. I heard the thump right behind me. In the mirror the turkey is flopping on the road. It gets up shakes its feathers, puffs out its chest and starts strutting back to the group. I could just hear it saying “See how brave I am?”