Amusing Forester story

[Hallraker]

My mom is the proud owner of a '99 Forester S. Today she left for work on
her usual 30 mile commute, and hit the freeway at 70+ all the way there.
When she got out of work and returned to her car, she saw something on the
roof. It was someone's notebook! Thinking that someone had dropped it near
her car and another person had set it on her roof thinking it was hers, she
opened it to see what was inside.

It was full of CDs. My brother's CDs to be exact. He had borrowed the car
for a trip to a Detroit Tigers game, and when he got back he must have set
it on the roof and forgot about it.

So she drove all the way to work with his CD notebook sitting between the
rear crossbar and the plastic guard above the hatch, and it stayed there the
entire time. Now that's a smooth ride!

-Matt

 

[Danny Russell]

My mom is the proud owner of a '99 Forester S. Today she left for work on
her usual 30 mile commute, and hit the freeway at 70+ all the way there.
When she got out of work and returned to her car, she saw something on the
roof. It was someone's notebook! Thinking that someone had dropped it near
her car and another person had set it on her roof thinking it was hers, she
opened it to see what was inside.

It was full of CDs. My brother's CDs to be exact. He had borrowed the car
for a trip to a Detroit Tigers game, and when he got back he must have set
it on the roof and forgot about it.

So she drove all the way to work with his CD notebook sitting between the
rear crossbar and the plastic guard above the hatch, and it stayed there the
entire time. Now that's a smooth ride!

-Matt

And for the entire trip, people kept giving her the "thumbs up" and shouting "Roof!" :^)

 

[Hallraker]

And for the entire trip, people kept giving her the "thumbs up" and

shouting "Roof!" :^)

I asked her about that and she told me that she didn't see anyone doing
anything. That seems likely as well, since we're all aware that most people
on the road aren't paying attention to anything but their cell phone and
latte.

I did the same thing with a can of pop a few weeks back. Set it on the roof
and then started climbing my steep as heck driveway. It didn't make it very
far, maybe 10 feet up and I heard it hit the back window.

Several years ago I saw two young women drive out of the gas station with
their gas cap open. Only, fuel was sloshing out of their Blazer and onto
the road. I pulled alongside of them and shouted "Gas cap!" They were
probably annoyed that a High School kid was trying to flirt with them or
whatever the heck they thought, and flipped me off as they sped away, fuel
going everywhere. I wonder how far they got...

And then another time I saw a lawn and garden service truck going down the
road with their trailer wide open. Rakes, shovels, and other tools were
shooting out of the trailer like it was some kind of missle launcher. I
pulled up to them and shouted "TRAILER DOOR! RAKES AND SHOVELS!" and the
driver was like "OH SH*T!" At least they pulled over.

 

[Don.]

shouting "Roof!" :^)

I asked her about that and she told me that she didn't see anyone doing
anything. That seems likely as well, since we're all aware that most people
on the road aren't paying attention to anything but their cell phone and
latte.

I did the same thing with a can of pop a few weeks back. Set it on the roof
and then started climbing my steep as heck driveway. It didn't make it very
far, maybe 10 feet up and I heard it hit the back window.

Several years ago I saw two young women drive out of the gas station with
their gas cap open. Only, fuel was sloshing out of their Blazer and onto
the road. I pulled alongside of them and shouted "Gas cap!" They were
probably annoyed that a High School kid was trying to flirt with them or
whatever the heck they thought, and flipped me off as they sped away, fuel
going everywhere. I wonder how far they got...

And then another time I saw a lawn and garden service truck going down the
road with their trailer wide open. Rakes, shovels, and other tools were
shooting out of the trailer like it was some kind of missle launcher. I
pulled up to them and shouted "TRAILER DOOR! RAKES AND SHOVELS!" and the
driver was like "OH SH*T!" At least they pulled over.

Were they good gardners and made sure the heavy duty rake fell on the road
with the tynes down? You are lucky you didn't hit something and get a flat.
That is a funny story!!! ROTFL

 

[Don.]

shouting "Roof!" :^)

I asked her about that and she told me that she didn't see anyone doing
anything. That seems likely as well, since we're all aware that most people
on the road aren't paying attention to anything but their cell phone and
latte.

I did the same thing with a can of pop a few weeks back. Set it on the roof
and then started climbing my steep as heck driveway. It didn't make it very
far, maybe 10 feet up and I heard it hit the back window.

Several years ago I saw two young women drive out of the gas station with
their gas cap open. Only, fuel was sloshing out of their Blazer and onto
the road. I pulled alongside of them and shouted "Gas cap!" They were
probably annoyed that a High School kid was trying to flirt with them or
whatever the heck they thought, and flipped me off as they sped away, fuel
going everywhere. I wonder how far they got...

And then another time I saw a lawn and garden service truck going down the
road with their trailer wide open. Rakes, shovels, and other tools were
shooting out of the trailer like it was some kind of missle launcher. I
pulled up to them and shouted "TRAILER DOOR! RAKES AND SHOVELS!" and the
driver was like "OH SH*T!" At least they pulled over.

We had a "on top of old Forester" story of sorts. We were going to
Albuquerque from Santa Fe (70 miles) and taking a bunch of electronic
parts/equipment to an organized electronic co-op sale. Someone put
a box of 8.5x11 fan fold computer paper on top the Forester. The box had
no top. Got on the fwy and about 2 miles later the paper started unfolding
as nice as you please. Someone high signed us before the box emptied.
Took us about 10 minutes to gather up all the paper with a Hwy Patrollman
helping us. Do you know how much paper comes out of a 12" tall box? More
than one armfull!!!

 

[Kevin T]

Were they good gardners and made sure the heavy duty rake fell on the road
with the tynes down? You are lucky you didn't hit something and get a
flat.
That is a funny story!!! ROTFL

Very lucky. My 4th of July vacation was interrupted last month by a death
in the family. As I was flying down the Thruway at 80 mph to go to the
viewing hours (a 4.5 hour trip at best in optimum conditions), I saw some
road debris ahead. As I was surrounded by cars to the left, right, and
behind, I slowed up a bit to straddle what looked like a big strip of
insulation. Except the long, silvery thing wasn't insulation.

It was an aluminum ladder!

While I straddled the ladder just fine, I ended up catching some of the
loose shards to the side where evidently some other poor schmuck had hit it,
too. 35 miles later, the tire decided to go flat. I suspect the bead just
broke, as I never found any metal in it. Changed the donut on the driver's
front tire with my butt in close proximity to 80 mph traffic, and drove 20
miles to the next Subaru dealer to get a new tire put on.

What fun. I bought the 2004 TS back in January, so the damned tire wasn't
even six months old yet

 

[Don.]

Very lucky. My 4th of July vacation was interrupted last month by a death
in the family. As I was flying down the Thruway at 80 mph to go to the
viewing hours (a 4.5 hour trip at best in optimum conditions), I saw some
road debris ahead. As I was surrounded by cars to the left, right, and
behind, I slowed up a bit to straddle what looked like a big strip of
insulation. Except the long, silvery thing wasn't insulation.

It was an aluminum ladder!

While I straddled the ladder just fine, I ended up catching some of the
loose shards to the side where evidently some other poor schmuck had hit it,
too. 35 miles later, the tire decided to go flat. I suspect the bead just
broke, as I never found any metal in it. Changed the donut on the driver's
front tire with my butt in close proximity to 80 mph traffic, and drove 20
miles to the next Subaru dealer to get a new tire put on.

Wow! More luck of the Irish(?) Now you know what it's like to be a highway
worker on a freeway. Scares the begebiers out of you!! You couldn't pay
me enough!!!

Your tale reminded me of the F1 race at Spa this morning. Accidents leaving
carbon fiber pieces all over the track. Coultard drove half a lap with his
rear tire shreading and almost off the rim. His wasn't the only one. It
probably made them slow down to ?? 80 mph? Seems I remember Spa in 1999
when Shoemaker was hit in the rear and it tore his right rear wheel off the
car going in to the Bus Stop chicane. He went straight and drove back to
the pits for the backup car. What machines. I wonder if a Subie could do
that? ;-)

 

[David Coggins]

Speaking of the old fan fold printer paper reminded me of a funny story.

At work, I was lifting a cage full of computers and associated gear into a
multi-story telephone exchange on an electric hoist - included in the gear
was a full, open box of fan fold paper.

Half way up - you guessed it - the wind caught the end of the paper and it
started to cascade out of the box and down 40 feet to the ground like a
toilet roll unwinding. Totally helpless!! I didn't know which way to take
the cage - up or down!!

Went down again, but by the time I got it to the ground, the whole box was
empty - it sure made a BIG pile of paper, and we spent quite a long time
fitting it back into the box!!! Talk about laugh!!

Dave

 

[Ray]

Some years ago I was at a horse show in Kansas and was packing up to
leave and put a 100-year old pair of silver Mexican spurs in the bed
of my pickup. I didn't have a tailgate and, of course, the spurs fell
out and were lost. I didn't notice their loss untill about a week
later when getting ready for another show.

When I got to the show a fellow I had never met came over to me and
handed me the spurs. He had found them the previous week and asked
around and determined that they were mine. I still have those spurs
and that stranger is, 35 years later, one of my best friends. We were
partners in business for over 30 years until I retired.

 

[Don.]

Some years ago I was at a horse show in Kansas and was packing up to
leave and put a 100-year old pair of silver Mexican spurs in the bed
of my pickup. I didn't have a tailgate and, of course, the spurs fell
out and were lost. I didn't notice their loss untill about a week
later when getting ready for another show.

When I got to the show a fellow I had never met came over to me and
handed me the spurs. He had found them the previous week and asked
around and determined that they were mine. I still have those spurs
and that stranger is, 35 years later, one of my best friends. We were
partners in business for over 30 years until I retired.

That's a neat one. Somehow it should be put where more people can read
about a "success with life".

 

[Don.]

Hehehe. I can see it all happening now. Amazement, panic, hillarity; one
emotion following another. I didn't get to see ours unfolding off the
car until the last dozen sheets. It was all panic, including gathering it
off the freeway with cars going by at 75mph + just a few feet away!

You had the view of a lifetime!!! ;-)

Don

 

[Hallraker]

Speaking of the old fan fold printer paper reminded me of a funny story.

At work, I was lifting a cage full of computers and associated gear into a
multi-story telephone exchange on an electric hoist - included in the gear
was a full, open box of fan fold paper.

Half way up - you guessed it - the wind caught the end of the paper and it
started to cascade out of the box and down 40 feet to the ground like a
toilet roll unwinding. Totally helpless!! I didn't know which way to take
the cage - up or down!!

Went down again, but by the time I got it to the ground, the whole box was
empty - it sure made a BIG pile of paper, and we spent quite a long time
fitting it back into the box!!! Talk about laugh!!

I remember that folded paper. I've still got a box of it here somewhere. I
had a box of the wide carriage type with the green lines, but I have no clue
where that went. I still remember fussing with it when it would tear
off unexpectedly and stop printing. doh!

 

[P T]

Is this a good time for an unhappy story?

(e-mail address removed) (Kevin T) wrote

...35 miles later, the tire decided to go
flat... Changed the donut on the driver's
front tire with my butt in close proximity to
80 mph traffic...

The DANGER of this was dramatically brought home last week here in my
city. A woman had a flat and stopped on a Sunday 8/22 on a very busy,
very curvy section of urban freeway (I-94 between Minneapolis and St.
Paul.) A 17 year old man stopped to change her tire. Another car hit the
car, which ended up on top of the two people. Traffic came to a halt,
and traffic cameras caught dramatic footage of bystanders tipping the
car up to release the two trapped people. The woman survived, the young
man did NOT.

I'm having second thoughts about where I will stop to change a tire...

Pete

 

[Chris Phillipo]

Subject: Re: Amusing Forester story
From: Ray <(e-mail address removed)>
Newsgroups: alt.autos.subaru

Some years ago I was at a horse show in Kansas and was packing up to
leave and put a 100-year old pair of silver Mexican spurs in the bed
of my pickup. I didn't have a tailgate and, of course, the spurs fell
out and were lost. I didn't notice their loss untill about a week
later when getting ready for another show.

When I got to the show a fellow I had never met came over to me and
handed me the spurs. He had found them the previous week and asked
around and determined that they were mine. I still have those spurs
and that stranger is, 35 years later, one of my best friends. We were
partners in business for over 30 years until I retired.

So I assume he didn't hafe to pull those out of his windshield before he
returned them to you.

 

[Lord Drool Rockworm]

I'm having second thoughts about where I will stop to change a tire...

Pete

As well you should.