Ran over a ladder on the Baltimore beltway

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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Yesterday after work, after having gotten my car back just that morning from a transmission switch, I ran over a step ladder on 695 . Couldn't slow down, couldn't change lanes. After cursing like a champ, and reporting it to the state police (in the middle of 695 inner loop, couldn't get it out of the road), I went to my fathers shop. Well, I made it all the way up, with every sound the car made pissing me off and making me think the undercarriage was toast (a worrier here). Anyway, I took a look underneath, my father took a look, a couple guys in the commercial park took a look. A couple scrapes, but nothing bad, the sub frame took the brunt of the ladder. Checked the oil, the radiator, the lines, the transmission fluid. Nothing leaking, everything good. It chatters, but it did that before the ordeal with the transmission. Checked again this morning, no problems. Anything to check specifically for?
 
Be aware of your alignment - you might want to get it checked before you wear out a good set of tires.
 
The same thing happened to me on the beltways outer loop a few years back. A scrap piece of a very large I beam came off the back of a truck in front of me. On a Friday afternoon there is no where to go to avoid it. It blew out both of my front tires.
 
There seems to be a lot of that on the B-more Raceway.

I hit a chunk of firewood that had just fallen off the back of the truck 2-3 cars ahead of me.

I could't swerve to avoid it like the few in front of me.

I'm still waiting for the permits for the hood mounted .50 cal machine gun so I can pay people back for leaving me presents in the roadway.

I can't tell you how many times I see trucks of various sizes and flavors flying by me with gear and goodies half secured.

I'm glad no one was hurt in your case.
 
Bad news, bad news, but I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Having the car come through it OK is icing on the cake! :D
 
There was a case of a steel bar falling off a truck. Next car hit it and it flew up into the air impailing the driver of a third vehicle ! Roads can be dangerous.
 
Glad you're all ok after those harrowing experiences. My wife went through a similar situation last year (or was it the year before?). She had just picked up our A4 from several thousand dollars worth of servicing and was on the hiway behind a new BMW 3 series. They both went under an overpass and someone threw something(s) small over the side towards them, hitting the windshields of both cars. I don't recall what happened to the BMW but our windshield had a circular shatter in it, like a bullet impact. $400+ out of pocket later and we had a new windshield.
I'd love to get my hands on some of these idiots that act so carelessly and teach them a thing or two.
 
At least your not hurt and no crashes occurred. Sucks that you just got the car out of the shop, but sounds like all is well, as well as could be.
I got this in an e-mail a while ago. Be glad you didn't run over a mattress.

story as follows:

A woman ran over a mattress on the highway and decided not to worry and kept on driving.

The ensuing jumble finally whipped around enough to tear a hole in the fuel tank. The lack of fuel is what finally brought her vehicle to a stop. She had managed to drive 30 miles with a 60-pound tangle of wire wrapped around the drive shaft. She had it towed to the dealership and complained that the vehicle had a “sort of shimmy” when she was driving at high speeds.

Below are the photos of what they found at her dealership ...



carmattress.jpg


carmattress2.jpg


carmattress3.jpg
 
LOL, yeah I got that email about the woman and the mattress a few months ago. You'd think someone wold notice something like that wouldn't you!
 
mycroftt said:
Be aware of your alignment - you might want to get it checked before you wear out a good set of tires.
Click to expand...

Definitely! Listen to mycroft.

I did the exact same thing 9 years ago heading home on I-95S. Went through all the same gyrations as you -- only to find the only lasting problem was it knocked the car out of alignment. I was fortunate to find out quickly.
 
I'm getting it thrown up on the lift this week. People throwing stuff off of bridges, should be thrown off of bridges.
 
We have overpasses with tall wire fences on them now to cut back on that.
People can be incredibly stupid.
 
You didn't mention what kind of car you drive. It must be a pretty decent car to take a hit like that with no major damage.
 
I ALWAYS watch overpasses ahead of time, note if there are people on them, and attempt to get at least a lane or two over from where they are... sucks about the glass. I always get a glass floater that means $75 out of pocket for glass, which is separate from the collision deductible. Also, ANYTHING in the road, I avoid it- there's been a few cars I've seen that didn't worry about hitting the cardboard, only to hit the rather more substantial steel object obscured by said cardboard...

Sucks about the things you can't avoid. I always try to give a good following distance, and keep away from cars/trucks with loads, but then some stupid driver decides it means he should cut into my lane, reduce my visibility, and make me brake... patience is something I'm better at nowadays. Not good by any means.

Zero
 
I have been hit by a softball size rock off a train over pass. I was on route 66 Foothill blvd between Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. I had glass in my lap, on my face and even in my mouth from the impact. It sent my adrenaline so high. I pulled over quickly and tried to gain access to the railway to catch the mofos, but I could not find where to get in, nor saw anyone. I needed to run off that adrenaline, otherwise, I might have puked. I found a windshield in a junk yard, and removed it with a cutting type wire. I kept the fix under 50! I used all the clips that I could salvage, and just liquid nailed the rest on. It made it til the truck died.
 
NaturalMystic said:
Glad you're all ok after those harrowing experiences. My wife went through a similar situation last year (or was it the year before?). She had just picked up our A4 from several thousand dollars worth of servicing and was on the hiway behind a new BMW 3 series. They both went under an overpass and someone threw something(s) small over the side towards them, hitting the windshields of both cars. I don't recall what happened to the BMW but our windshield had a circular shatter in it, like a bullet impact. $400+ out of pocket later and we had a new windshield.
I'd love to get my hands on some of these idiots that act so carelessly and teach them a thing or two.
Click to expand...
Yah, I'd teach 'em how to bleed to death.:grumpy:.
 
Had it checked out Friday, thank God, no problems. Took me out to western MD (I am about an hour north of Baltimore, on the road for a good 10 hours) and back home. No problems, thank God. Lucked out big time.
 
Glad everything worked out ok. What a PITA though huh?
I just looked at the bill for that windshield replacement I mentioned in my previous post, it was actually closer to an $800 job after labour, parts, etc. Not sure why $400 stuck in my head.
 
If you are going to be out there on the freeways these days, what with falling objects and teenagers texting - you need to be driving one of these:

M48A3.jpg


:)
 
I know that's a joke but the sad thing is (especially for u guys in the US) that's probably not too far from the truth nowadays (thinking of the highway sniper issue you guys had several years back with John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo).
It's getting fricken crazy on the roads these days!
Stay safe guys!
 
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