03-12-2009, 12:32 AM
But could have been worse:eek: Found this over on Dodgetalk.com, he got damn lucky!
cbrenn71 Wrote:For everyone who feels down on their luck, has had a bad day, or otherwise needs to feel better about their life, at the expense of someone else, this is a must read for you.
Part 1:
My story starts out this Monday as I was traveling on business about 4 hours from home. As I was traveling North on I-71 out of Columbus, at ~4AM, on a dark stretch of interstate, I hit a small object with my front passenger tire. However at the time, there were no issues.
Around this time, the truck began getting warm, but I wanted to keep my defrost on to keep fog buildup off the windshield, so I cracked my sunroof to the upward "vent" position. As it lifted upwards, I heard a pop and noticed the roof had only moved slightly. I immediately knew something was wrong, and that I would look at it later on in the day, but to keep from freezing for the remainder of my 4 hour trip, I attempted to shut the glass. As it was moving down, the sunroof got in a bind, and the track, cams and followers self-destructed, making a shattered glass sound. I honostly thought my glass had shattered by the sound it made. So needless to say, i had to drive with the sunroof half open the rest of the trip.
Part 2:
All seemed fine with the tire that took the hit, until around 3 hours later when I began to hear a slight humming noise coming from my front tire. Soon, the truck slowly began creeping to the left. At this point, I knew I had a tire going down. I pulled off and got gas, and noticed the tire about 1/2 way down. As I came out of the gas station after using the restroom, the tire was completely on the rim. I pumped the tire up and headed on to my destination ~15 miles away. Around 1 mile before my destination, the tire began pulling hard to the left again, and began to smell burnt rubber. I limped into the parking lot only to find the sidewall at near-blowout. The tire was changed to the spare and that was that.
Part 3:
Now, here is where the fun begins. After leaving the location I was at on business, I had to make another stop. After parking the truck and going inside for I bit, I left and got in my truck to leave (6PM). The truck started, and then stumbled on itself and died. I immediately noticed that as I turned the truck to the "on" position, I could not hear the fuel pump priming itself. DEAD FUEL PUMP. I checked the relays and fuses just to be sure it wasn't something easy, sure enough it wasn't. My Allstate Elite policy covers tows, so I contacted Allstate and they arranged for a tow. The tow company finally showed up at ~7:15. The truck was an early 80's chevy flatbed that looked to be on its last leg, barely running on its own, let alone hauling another vehicle, and the driver looking like he was fresh off the carney wagon and appeared to not have had a shave or shower in 3 months. Regardless, being stranded he was my only option of getting back to my hotel. We got the truck loaded and on our way ~8:00.
On our way to the hotel, while stopped at a light, we noticed police lights off to our left, the direction we were headed. As we turned and came across the traffic stop, we noticed the person stopped was a tow truck driver from the same company. As the tow driver was rubber necking at the accident and stating "that is the owner of the company" - who mind you is in handcuffs, he blatently runs a red light. A nearby police car traveling to the traffic stop already occuring sees this, and pulls us over. As the officer steps up to the car, he asks for license and registration. The driver states that he is driving without a license, and that he has no registration on the truck. He is immediately yanked from the truck and put against the cruiser, leaving me to be questioned by two other officers. Shortly 4 other cruisers arrive, so now, within 100 yards, 7 cruisers had 2 tow trucks pulled over. Upon questioning the driver, I was told:
The driver:
1) had no license
2) was in posession of a stolen wallet
3) driving a truck with stolen plates
4) driving a truck that hadn't been registered since '04
5) in the possession of a stolen cell phone
6) in the possession of weed and several "socket-bongs" (don't ask me???)
7) been arrested for identity theft, and suspected of several others
8) living at a half-way home for mentally ill
The owner of the company was originally pulled over because the night before was involved in a chop shop investigation, and while i don't know all the details, was told that if he operated any of his tow trucks, he would be arrested. That night, he was ID'd, and arrested for:
1) no license
2) driving a truck with stolen tags
3) driving a truck that hadn't been registered since '04
4) had an outstanding warrant for felonious assault
5) possession of stolen property.
Not being familiar with the area whatsoever, the police informed me that the driver had taken me in the total opposite direction of where i needed to be headed, and that I was only 2 blocks from the chop shop location. God only knows what would have happened had the driver not been pulled over.
Finally, after sorting everything out, I finally made it home around 1am.
Got the fuel pump replaced this morning, as well as new tires, just have to wait on parts for the sunroof.
All this leaves me thinking to myself, with Allstates motto being "you're in good hands", what would it be like to be insured with a lesser company.
So, if you had a bad day today, maybe you won't feel so bad after reading this.
Moral of the story is, be careful with who you trust with your vehicle, and yourself.