I forgot Mrs. 929's birthday one year.
What's the Closest That You've Come to Dying?
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
- Status
Alcoholism and motorcycles ... 'nuff said.
There IS a higher power.
There IS a higher power.
We have a winner.
Not me, but my sister: She was stung on the face by a Wasp, She was kind of Ticked off, so she went in the house to lie down. By chance 10 minutes later I checked on her, her face was swollen grotesquely, she was unconscious and in cardiac arrest! she was later revived and kept in an induced coma for several days. Thank G0d there are no long term effects.
She had never reacted to stings before!
She had never reacted to stings before!
man after reading this, i aint ridin' with most of you ---- hahahaha!
my only near death that i know of is when i was 6 or 7 years old at my grandpa's farm pond. i was fishing on the end of the pier and i just fell over in the pond. my dad was there luckily and saved me. he had nightmares for a long time after that.
my only near death that i know of is when i was 6 or 7 years old at my grandpa's farm pond. i was fishing on the end of the pier and i just fell over in the pond. my dad was there luckily and saved me. he had nightmares for a long time after that.
My gosh. You all have lived lives James Bond would consider too dangerous.
The closest I've ever come was the night in 1985 when my P.O.S. Volvo 164 caught on fire. Milky stuff -- gas, I realized later -- began to spurt on the windshield from the broken fuel line, and flames started licking out under the dash. I wrestled the car to the shoulder. My then-wife and I sprang out, jogged to a safe distance, and watched it burn from end-to-end. ("Is that your car?" somebody asked, and I replied gloomily, "It was.")
Oh, wait, one other time. At 25, I was running a route for the courier company I worked for, driving a Ford Econoline 150 van from Lafayette, LA, to New Orleans. One evening in the summer of '78, I was driving up a curving ramp to I-10 eastbound, under dry clear conditions. Suddenly the front end went out -- a tire blew, maybe, but I never heard it -- and I found myself trying to control the van. I steered wildly all over the ramp, out onto I-10, and across the two lanes, to wind up stalled (but right-side up) in the grassy median.
To this day I'm not sure what caused it. All I know is I was bloody lucky no 18-wheeler was barreling eastward at that moment.
The closest I've ever come was the night in 1985 when my P.O.S. Volvo 164 caught on fire. Milky stuff -- gas, I realized later -- began to spurt on the windshield from the broken fuel line, and flames started licking out under the dash. I wrestled the car to the shoulder. My then-wife and I sprang out, jogged to a safe distance, and watched it burn from end-to-end. ("Is that your car?" somebody asked, and I replied gloomily, "It was.")
Oh, wait, one other time. At 25, I was running a route for the courier company I worked for, driving a Ford Econoline 150 van from Lafayette, LA, to New Orleans. One evening in the summer of '78, I was driving up a curving ramp to I-10 eastbound, under dry clear conditions. Suddenly the front end went out -- a tire blew, maybe, but I never heard it -- and I found myself trying to control the van. I steered wildly all over the ramp, out onto I-10, and across the two lanes, to wind up stalled (but right-side up) in the grassy median.
To this day I'm not sure what caused it. All I know is I was bloody lucky no 18-wheeler was barreling eastward at that moment.
I never almost died, but I've been bitten by a poisonous snake and too many dogs to count, shot at, cut, and been pretty close to a nasty car crash or three.
I remembered a couple.
When I was in college, I used to go out for evening/night drives. I would just pick roads and make whatever turns I felt like. Surprisingly, I never got lost. I was on a road which I was unfamiliar with and saw the stop sign a little late. Of course I slammed on the brakes but slid right through. Had to have been midnight so there was little traffic. There was, however, a full sized truck not 100 yds up the road. He saw what happened and stopped in time. Had he not, he would have t-boned the drivers side and I probably would not be here.
Another time while conducting a road check on an off ramp, a drunk didn't see us in time and slammed into the back of the car I was checking. I had a little bit of reaction time and was able to get out of the way. Good thing he didn't swerve or he would have taken a few of us out.
When I was in college, I used to go out for evening/night drives. I would just pick roads and make whatever turns I felt like. Surprisingly, I never got lost. I was on a road which I was unfamiliar with and saw the stop sign a little late. Of course I slammed on the brakes but slid right through. Had to have been midnight so there was little traffic. There was, however, a full sized truck not 100 yds up the road. He saw what happened and stopped in time. Had he not, he would have t-boned the drivers side and I probably would not be here.
Another time while conducting a road check on an off ramp, a drunk didn't see us in time and slammed into the back of the car I was checking. I had a little bit of reaction time and was able to get out of the way. Good thing he didn't swerve or he would have taken a few of us out.
i wanna hear the story of the snake Mark
Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
Wind shear on runway once in a plane, and car accident just missing my head by MM's.
Wanted to see if I could jump across a small creek. I could. I landed on top of a large water moccassin, who was not pleased. He tagged me on the right knee. Then I was not pleased. It hurt pretty bad, my leg swelled up, changed colors, all the fun stuff.
Went to the hospital, lived.
I was standing in the open door of a car talking to the driver when a drunk driver drifted into the parked car's door. it pulled the car door open further but only did cosmetic damage. the drunk driver didn't turn around until about 2 miles down the road. he claimed I flung the door open in front of him and he had nowhere to go.
the funny thing is the car was parked about 8 feet away from the lane. the door, all the way open, was barely over the edge of the pavement/shoulder of a very wide country road. the door hit the rear quarter panel of the drunk's car so he did drift into it.
another time I was changing a tire on I5 in the middle of nowhere (kettleman city area) and someone swerved (not just a merge) onto the shoulder where I was, thinking it was another lane (I assume). they drove for about 500' before swerving back off of the shoulder about 50' from my truck.
the funny thing is the car was parked about 8 feet away from the lane. the door, all the way open, was barely over the edge of the pavement/shoulder of a very wide country road. the door hit the rear quarter panel of the drunk's car so he did drift into it.
another time I was changing a tire on I5 in the middle of nowhere (kettleman city area) and someone swerved (not just a merge) onto the shoulder where I was, thinking it was another lane (I assume). they drove for about 500' before swerving back off of the shoulder about 50' from my truck.
I was a Corpsman in Viet Nam and on a rescue I stayed on the ground and sent the pilot up so I could keep the bad guys away. I spent the night running around hiding until the next morning when my buddies and a bunch of others showed up to get me. I had the nagging feeling that no one would find me the next day but they did and lit the place up, picked me up and took be home. I did not like being on the 'other end' of a rescue. You can't believe how lonely it gets out there all by yourself with no TV or a good book to read. One wrong turn and you're gone. Actually I will never know how close I came to harm. I could hear them talking all night but most of them went to sleep and I left.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,587
Okay, I'll share in the order in that I remember:
When I was nine or ten my buddy accidentally nailed me with a sharp and pointy garden tool in the head. I got a 1 inch cut in my ear that bled profusely, but had that thing hit me in the skull it could have killed me. It was winter and me and my buddy had been hacking ice and shoveling snow. I left a nice bloody trail in the driveway!
At 11 I was with 40 other people in a gondola in Meran 2000 in the Dolomites (in the Alps) a few hundred meters above ground when we got caught in a terrible thunderstorm with torrential rainfall and wind gusts that lifted the wheels off the wire. After two hours the gondola was moved via the fixed emergency wire inch by inch towards a 30 foot pylon where we exited and were evacuated. I am talking about this type gondola: http://www.tahtali.com/deutsch/bilder/medien/seilbahn.jpg
As a young teenager I was hit in the knee by a car in a crosswalk (I limped a bit for a few months), and while riding my bike I was hit in the rear wheel by a car going about 45 mph. I flew 20 feet into a turnip field, completely unharmed. My beautiful Motobecane was a mangled mess.
As a teenager I also fell down most of an 80 foot spruce. I managed to get a hold of some branches after a few very harsh and scary drops. Luckily I only suffered abrasions and bruises and didn't have to sew up any gaping wounds like Rambo!
At about 17 I was clowning around with a friend on a construction site (a lock for ships and barges) and I fell 40 feet down into the Danube. I missed a concrete embankment by a hair.
I had a little mishap during winter vacation when skiing the Mont Blanc. I almost went over a cliff while avoiding a crevasse. I nearly gave up skiing after that incident.
I had maybe three near head-on collisions during my first few years of driving. One was my fault.
A Tpz-1 Fuchs (Fox) Amphibious Armored 6x6 vehicle almost ran me over during a training exercise.
I had a few close calls on US highways and freeways, most notably a sleepy trucker in a big rig behind me and a road raging psycho (My car went faster!).
I had one scary flight with a flight attendant losing her lunch due to terrible turbulence. Since then I avoid flying at all cost. Who wants to be vomited on?
I had a few angry Irishmen chase me once. I'm sure they would have killed me if they had been able to catch up with my long legs.
A few years ago I slipped while climbing a cliff at Big Sur. I could have dropped 200 feet onto boulders.
I'm sure I'm missing a few close calls, but it's a pretty comprehensive list, I think. My last near-death experience was this year's mercury-laced flu shot.
When I was nine or ten my buddy accidentally nailed me with a sharp and pointy garden tool in the head. I got a 1 inch cut in my ear that bled profusely, but had that thing hit me in the skull it could have killed me. It was winter and me and my buddy had been hacking ice and shoveling snow. I left a nice bloody trail in the driveway!
At 11 I was with 40 other people in a gondola in Meran 2000 in the Dolomites (in the Alps) a few hundred meters above ground when we got caught in a terrible thunderstorm with torrential rainfall and wind gusts that lifted the wheels off the wire. After two hours the gondola was moved via the fixed emergency wire inch by inch towards a 30 foot pylon where we exited and were evacuated. I am talking about this type gondola: http://www.tahtali.com/deutsch/bilder/medien/seilbahn.jpg
As a young teenager I was hit in the knee by a car in a crosswalk (I limped a bit for a few months), and while riding my bike I was hit in the rear wheel by a car going about 45 mph. I flew 20 feet into a turnip field, completely unharmed. My beautiful Motobecane was a mangled mess.
As a teenager I also fell down most of an 80 foot spruce. I managed to get a hold of some branches after a few very harsh and scary drops. Luckily I only suffered abrasions and bruises and didn't have to sew up any gaping wounds like Rambo!
At about 17 I was clowning around with a friend on a construction site (a lock for ships and barges) and I fell 40 feet down into the Danube. I missed a concrete embankment by a hair.
I had a little mishap during winter vacation when skiing the Mont Blanc. I almost went over a cliff while avoiding a crevasse. I nearly gave up skiing after that incident.
I had maybe three near head-on collisions during my first few years of driving. One was my fault.
A Tpz-1 Fuchs (Fox) Amphibious Armored 6x6 vehicle almost ran me over during a training exercise.
I had a few close calls on US highways and freeways, most notably a sleepy trucker in a big rig behind me and a road raging psycho (My car went faster!).
I had one scary flight with a flight attendant losing her lunch due to terrible turbulence. Since then I avoid flying at all cost. Who wants to be vomited on?
I had a few angry Irishmen chase me once. I'm sure they would have killed me if they had been able to catch up with my long legs.
A few years ago I slipped while climbing a cliff at Big Sur. I could have dropped 200 feet onto boulders.
I'm sure I'm missing a few close calls, but it's a pretty comprehensive list, I think. My last near-death experience was this year's mercury-laced flu shot.
moris got the vote for most multinational nde's!
and to think, ive never even been outside this 48 states.
and to think, ive never even been outside this 48 states.
When I was about 10 me and my brother were play-shoving each other walking down the sidewalk. One of his shoves was a wee bit too hard. I was balancing on one foot and about to fall into traffic when a big car (truck maybe?) whizzed past and the wind pushed me back upright.
Around 16 I had some cold/flu that also swelled up my throat inside for some reason. One day was really bad and at one point I couldn't breathe at all for about 10 extremely long seconds. Interesting feeling, being unsure if you'll ever breathe again.
A few years ago I went up to the Yukon. Tried walking up a snow bank for a look around but I kept sinking up to my knees as I climbed so I gave up. Later on I realized that the snow bank was taller than me, so if I had climbed to the top and *then* sank in, it'd be over my head. This was at the side of a very lonesome road (a highway, but all roads are lonesome up there) so they wouldn't have found my bones until the spring thaw.
Around 16 I had some cold/flu that also swelled up my throat inside for some reason. One day was really bad and at one point I couldn't breathe at all for about 10 extremely long seconds. Interesting feeling, being unsure if you'll ever breathe again.
A few years ago I went up to the Yukon. Tried walking up a snow bank for a look around but I kept sinking up to my knees as I climbed so I gave up. Later on I realized that the snow bank was taller than me, so if I had climbed to the top and *then* sank in, it'd be over my head. This was at the side of a very lonesome road (a highway, but all roads are lonesome up there) so they wouldn't have found my bones until the spring thaw.
#1 When I was four, I was playing by a flat concrete surfaced ships berth, it was covered is slimy see weed, I slid and nearly went into some rocks, I was hanging over the edge, some how I was able to hang on and pull myself back up, I have a very strong memory of this.
#2 When I was five years old, I fell in the out house and nearly drowned in excrement, they say it took a week to get the smell out, I have no memory of this.
#3 when i was Thirty five, I was nearly broad sided while leaving a tit bar, there is a ----!
#4 Last Sunday, I was going 75 mph on a bridge when my valve stem popped, the tire deflated and quickly shredded.
the rubber stem was just hanging there, it was my rear tire.
After checking my other tires they're in the same condition, if it happened to a front tire, I could have been history, anyway I keep thinking how lucky I was.
Check your valve stems, mine were only 2 1/2 years old.
I did find that the brass tube did not go all the way through the stem, I'm having bolt stems put on now.
#2 When I was five years old, I fell in the out house and nearly drowned in excrement, they say it took a week to get the smell out, I have no memory of this.
#3 when i was Thirty five, I was nearly broad sided while leaving a tit bar, there is a ----!
#4 Last Sunday, I was going 75 mph on a bridge when my valve stem popped, the tire deflated and quickly shredded.
the rubber stem was just hanging there, it was my rear tire.
After checking my other tires they're in the same condition, if it happened to a front tire, I could have been history, anyway I keep thinking how lucky I was.
Check your valve stems, mine were only 2 1/2 years old.
I did find that the brass tube did not go all the way through the stem, I'm having bolt stems put on now.
A few come to mind.
When I was a couple of years old, my dad opened the rear door to our house and there was a key in the lock on the inside. The door was stubborn and needed a firm kick to open it - and the key went into my head. I can feel the indentation in my skull.
A few years later, I was chopping wood with a firemans axe, the type of axe that has a big curved hook opposite the cutting edge. That hook can really dig into our head if you don't know how to swing an axe.
At age 5, I ran into the road and was run over by a car. Only got cuts and bruises, pretty lucky.
Way too many stupid scooter and bicycle incidents. I used to do what is now called mountain biking, on a regular bike. Basically, go fast downhill between the trees and try not to hit a tree. That didn't always happen.
Been in a few car wrecks, where I was a passenger. I always walked away from the accident, again, pretty lucky.
Then there were the motorcycle years. Many near misses. The one that I always think about is when I was driving on a road and had to negotiate a bend in the road. The road was wet and there must have been a fuel spill or something because as I tried to turn the bike, it kept on going straight. I drifted out to the center line and a car was coming at me from the other direction, going like 80mph, and the car was taking a tight line to the center of the road and - BANG - the cars rear bumper hit my foot and footpeg. The cars bumper was torn off. I had a huge scare. Another few inches drift and I wouldn't be here to tell you the story.
Things somewhat settled down as adulthood took hold. Sudden death runs in the male side of my family. All of my fathers male relatives died of heart attacks in their forties. I have an irregular heartbeat and mitral valve issues and pretty much know how my end will come, unless something else intervenes. Or maybe it will be a near miss and I'll have another chapter to the story.
When I was a couple of years old, my dad opened the rear door to our house and there was a key in the lock on the inside. The door was stubborn and needed a firm kick to open it - and the key went into my head. I can feel the indentation in my skull.
A few years later, I was chopping wood with a firemans axe, the type of axe that has a big curved hook opposite the cutting edge. That hook can really dig into our head if you don't know how to swing an axe.
At age 5, I ran into the road and was run over by a car. Only got cuts and bruises, pretty lucky.
Way too many stupid scooter and bicycle incidents. I used to do what is now called mountain biking, on a regular bike. Basically, go fast downhill between the trees and try not to hit a tree. That didn't always happen.
Been in a few car wrecks, where I was a passenger. I always walked away from the accident, again, pretty lucky.
Then there were the motorcycle years. Many near misses. The one that I always think about is when I was driving on a road and had to negotiate a bend in the road. The road was wet and there must have been a fuel spill or something because as I tried to turn the bike, it kept on going straight. I drifted out to the center line and a car was coming at me from the other direction, going like 80mph, and the car was taking a tight line to the center of the road and - BANG - the cars rear bumper hit my foot and footpeg. The cars bumper was torn off. I had a huge scare. Another few inches drift and I wouldn't be here to tell you the story.
Things somewhat settled down as adulthood took hold. Sudden death runs in the male side of my family. All of my fathers male relatives died of heart attacks in their forties. I have an irregular heartbeat and mitral valve issues and pretty much know how my end will come, unless something else intervenes. Or maybe it will be a near miss and I'll have another chapter to the story.
I think I was standing near Pablo after one of his beanfests.
- Status
