Had a Christine moment tonight with a forklift

[Creekside]

Let me preface this by saying that I’m not a believer in superstition or anything like that but this one has me laying awake reflecting on it.

I’ve been dealing with an old 80s or 90s Toyota diesel forklift that my company keeps stored in an off site warehouse. It sees use maybe 3-4 weeks a year. Sometime in the last 12 months the tweakers broke into this warehouse and gutted everything they could off this poor thing. Batteries, key, radiator and fuel cap, all the copper they could get, even the headlights were gone. They also opened up our control panels and stripped the building wiring and pulled the light conduit down for the copper. They were lucky this building was dead but not so lucky to find the other still live. Found some 240v wiring burnt with cut marks in it. I was the one tasked to recover the lift and just got a weird feeling in the building where I never have before. Hauled it back and built cables and got her fired up again. Steer axle had to come out for repairs and the lift is currently parked outside with the counterweight supporting the rear of the lift. Negative battery cable was unhooked as part of our LOTO program. Tonight I’m loading my tools in my car when I hear an odd noise. Takes me 30 seconds to process as I’m 200 plus feet away but it’s that forklift cranking away on its own. I grabbed bolt cutters in preparation to cut a cable and took off running only to raise the hood and it stop. Negative cable still unhooked right where I left it, key not even in the ignition. There is a rubber protector that protects the terminals from grounding out on the hood that was installed as well.

I am adding this to the list of things I can’t explain that bug the crap out of me. Best part is another coworker was present to witness the whole thing too.

 

[CharBaby]

I have only heard of these types of stories but have never, ever seen anything like this happening.
An electrician friend of mine once told me a story about his old FORD van starting on its own while he was unloading some equipment from the van even though he had the keys in his pocket. And recently, my SIL would claim that her Prius would start up on its own too after she had a RES installed(a dealer installed TOYOTA unit). Hmmm!

 

[daves87rs]

Yikes!

 

[Mainia]

 

[aquariuscsm]

 

[aquariuscsm]

^^That ghost emoticon sure is small!

 

[Propflux01]

As long as “Keep A-Knockin” didn’t start playing, I’d ignore it like it didn’t happen!

 

[meep]

So heres a question. Did you feel a temperature shift or something cold?

did you feel like you were being watched?

I believe you. My basement flooring was damaged by water that drained out of a dresser. It warped 10 sq feet of flooring, so not a small amount of water. The source was the third drawer up, as it was soaked. And empty. Completely empty. The two drawers above it, all closed, were dry.

 

[Oillover]

I believe you. My basement flooring was damaged by water that drained out of a dresser. It warped 10 sq feet of flooring, so not a small amount of water. The source was the third drawer up, as it was soaked. And empty. Completely empty. The two drawers above it, all closed, were dry.

Did you feel a temperature shift or something cold?

did you feel like you were being watched?

 

[ctechbob]

Not vehicle related, but one night I was walking upstairs in the courthouse that is attached to the detention center I supervise. I'd gotten bored and decided to just walk the building for some late-night 3 am exercise. I was up on the top floor when I decided I needed to use the facilities. I'm standing there using the urinal when one of the automatic faucets behind me triggers. I spin around, and of course, there's no one there.

I made a hasty retreat back to my office around other people.

I'm sure there's a good explanation for it, but at the time I couldn't get back down the stairs fast enough, there was no way I was waiting on the elevator.