Very bad morning
Jan. 5th, 2005 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynneSo, school all this week has been delayed two hours because of all the snow, and was supposed to start at 9:55 instead of 7:55. My zero period teacher called me and told me that our class would be meeting at 9:15 instead of 6:55.
I leave the house at 8:50, giving myself time to go slow because of icy roads. Only apparently, I underestimated the ice (despite having driven on it just fine two days ago--this exact same route), and on one street, my car started fishtailing, and then went off the road, nearly completely onto the curb, into a snow drift and a small bush/tree.
I immediately called my mom, even though I didn't know what she could do. She told me that she'd be sending my twin with some sand. So I waited, watching the cars go by, when this guy stopped and said, "Would you like a hand?"
Very, very gratefully (I still had to get to school), I accepted his help, and called my mom again, telling her that someone was helping me. She said that my twin had already left with the sand, but when she didn't see me, she'd just go on.
Anyway, eventually the guy used his car to pull mine off the curb (after I spent awhile directing oncoming traffic into the center turn lane to go around us), and I was able to drive to school again.
Ah! but that's not all! Going down a different street, I got into a turn lane to turn left, just started turning, and, because it was a bit snowy and slippery, put my car in four-wheel drive. The car stopped all together, and wouldn't start moving again. I put on my distress lights and directed everyone behind me to just go around me, and then my twin called, asking me if I was still stuck on the side of the road. I said, rather frantically, "No, but now I'm stuck somewhere else! Come down [this street] and you can't miss me--I'm in the middle of the bloody road!"
So eventually my twin comes, with the sand, and parks on the side of the road and comes over to me in the left turn lane. She tries drive and reverse, and then we determine that the sand wouldn't help, as the wheels aren't even moving at all. So we're stumped, and I call my mom again, tell her I'm now stuck on [this street], and that she can't miss me because I'm in the middle of the bloody road!
Then while we're waiting for our mom to come, a police officer just comes by us and stops and tries to see if there's anything he could do to help. There wasn't, as he didn't have any more idea what was wrong with my car than I did. That's when my mom got there. She was taking my little sister and her friend to school, but she gave them to twin, and the three of them went off to school while I and my mom and the police officer stayed with my car. The police officer said that the transmission was probably dead and that we should call a tow truck, so we did.
Then up comes another police officer, and he gets out, comes and looks at my car, and says that my transit case (or something like that) was in the wrong place. It was in neutral when it should have been in two-wheel or four-wheel drive. So he puts it in two-wheel, and--miracle of miracles--the car went!
The first police officer canceled the tow truck, everyone left, and I went on my way to school.
That would be the end of the story if, once I got into school, I hadn't fallen completely into a snow drift as big as I was in the parking lot, getting my hands scrapped and my sweatshirt wet and snowy, and if I hadn't completely missed zero period and was alraedy late to first. So I come into school, trying to hold back tears, and my principal sees me. He took me into his office and gave me some water and tissues and let me calm down, then went and explained to my zero period and first period teachers why I hadn't been there. I really like him.
*sigh* Now if only I can manage to go through the west of the week without mishap...
I leave the house at 8:50, giving myself time to go slow because of icy roads. Only apparently, I underestimated the ice (despite having driven on it just fine two days ago--this exact same route), and on one street, my car started fishtailing, and then went off the road, nearly completely onto the curb, into a snow drift and a small bush/tree.
I immediately called my mom, even though I didn't know what she could do. She told me that she'd be sending my twin with some sand. So I waited, watching the cars go by, when this guy stopped and said, "Would you like a hand?"
Very, very gratefully (I still had to get to school), I accepted his help, and called my mom again, telling her that someone was helping me. She said that my twin had already left with the sand, but when she didn't see me, she'd just go on.
Anyway, eventually the guy used his car to pull mine off the curb (after I spent awhile directing oncoming traffic into the center turn lane to go around us), and I was able to drive to school again.
Ah! but that's not all! Going down a different street, I got into a turn lane to turn left, just started turning, and, because it was a bit snowy and slippery, put my car in four-wheel drive. The car stopped all together, and wouldn't start moving again. I put on my distress lights and directed everyone behind me to just go around me, and then my twin called, asking me if I was still stuck on the side of the road. I said, rather frantically, "No, but now I'm stuck somewhere else! Come down [this street] and you can't miss me--I'm in the middle of the bloody road!"
So eventually my twin comes, with the sand, and parks on the side of the road and comes over to me in the left turn lane. She tries drive and reverse, and then we determine that the sand wouldn't help, as the wheels aren't even moving at all. So we're stumped, and I call my mom again, tell her I'm now stuck on [this street], and that she can't miss me because I'm in the middle of the bloody road!
Then while we're waiting for our mom to come, a police officer just comes by us and stops and tries to see if there's anything he could do to help. There wasn't, as he didn't have any more idea what was wrong with my car than I did. That's when my mom got there. She was taking my little sister and her friend to school, but she gave them to twin, and the three of them went off to school while I and my mom and the police officer stayed with my car. The police officer said that the transmission was probably dead and that we should call a tow truck, so we did.
Then up comes another police officer, and he gets out, comes and looks at my car, and says that my transit case (or something like that) was in the wrong place. It was in neutral when it should have been in two-wheel or four-wheel drive. So he puts it in two-wheel, and--miracle of miracles--the car went!
The first police officer canceled the tow truck, everyone left, and I went on my way to school.
That would be the end of the story if, once I got into school, I hadn't fallen completely into a snow drift as big as I was in the parking lot, getting my hands scrapped and my sweatshirt wet and snowy, and if I hadn't completely missed zero period and was alraedy late to first. So I come into school, trying to hold back tears, and my principal sees me. He took me into his office and gave me some water and tissues and let me calm down, then went and explained to my zero period and first period teachers why I hadn't been there. I really like him.
*sigh* Now if only I can manage to go through the west of the week without mishap...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 11:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 12:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 05:02 pm (UTC)Hope tomorrow is better! *glares at ebil ice*
no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 06:16 pm (UTC)So, I live in the state of funky weather, hot hot hot summers, and sometimes very cold winters but only the occasional snow. So, forgive my ignorance, but seeing as I'll have to go off to Illinois next year...
What does the sand do? Provides friction right? So that you can get your wheels going again?
And what are the different gears to use while driving on ice/snow? I've never had to do that. We either stay home or parents drive. We rarely get snow/slush/ice/sleet anyway.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 09:06 pm (UTC)Yes, the sand provides friction, so the car doesn't slip on the ice. You usually put it behind the back wheels.
The only gears I've used to drive on ice/snow are two-wheel and four-wheel, though four-wheel gives much better traction than two-wheel, and is what you should use if you have to drive on snowy or ice roads.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-05 09:40 pm (UTC)Thank goodness it all ended all right, at least.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-06 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-06 12:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-06 11:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-10 08:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-10 08:44 pm (UTC)