Whumpa whumpa whumpa. Never a good sound.
I dithered. The car wasn't pulling or faltering or hard to steer, and the next turn-off was just over the next hill and around the corner.
I could make it.
Whumpa whumpa whumpa.
But this was....odd. The sound wasn't constant. Just a few whumpas, then silence - not like you'd expect a blown tire to sound. And the sound didn't falter when I slowed, nor speed up when I experimentally goosed it a bit.
Great. I had Broken The Car. (whumpa)
Was there something on the outside of the car? I peered around, trying to see the seat belts on the passenger side. It sure looked like they weren't caught in the door. A mud flap, maybe?
I coasted to a stop once I was off the highway. Used the handy-dandy strip of lonesome concrete that sometimes the semis hang out on (no one seems to know exactly what its actually for) and hopped out to survey the damage.
All the tires looked fine. (whew) As a matter of fact, the entire car looked good.
I was writing it off to a fluke and ready to get back in when I noticed the gas door open and the gas cap hanging out.
Whumpa whumpa whumpa indeed.
Sometimes, I have to wonder which would be more embarrassing - telling Bear I broke the car (with the added bonus of the mysterious noise) ......or admitting I had freaked myself out over a brain-dead moment at the gas pumps.
All the tires looked fine. (whew) As a matter of fact, the entire car looked good.
I was writing it off to a fluke and ready to get back in when I noticed the gas door open and the gas cap hanging out.
Whumpa whumpa whumpa indeed.
Sometimes, I have to wonder which would be more embarrassing - telling Bear I broke the car (with the added bonus of the mysterious noise) ......or admitting I had freaked myself out over a brain-dead moment at the gas pumps.
10 comments:
We had an older sports car and I had taken it to the city, 100 miles away. Driving on the interstate it suddenly revved up, like it was out of control! I called my husband (from our bag phone - that's how long ago it was), who called a mechanic, who came out and looked at it while parked on the shoulder. I was freaked out. I was driving a death machine! And then I saw the floor mat had creeped up and was on top of the gas pedal and basically caused it to throttle out. I felt like an idiot.
At least for you there wasn't a gas nozzle and hose torn from a station sticking out from the tank.
I laughed so hard when I read Yo-Yo's comment, my own comment flew right out of my head!! Can you guess I've had similar experiences?
I totally know what you mean.
About a year ago, I was on the freeway when a carload of younger kids (okay, 20s, but still) kept trying to pass me, then slow down, then pass me. I was getting really annoyed, and tried to get ahead of them, but they would speed up again, and make faces at me, too!
After a while I decided, 'screw it' and slowed down to about 60 kph, so the would HAVE to pass me. And as they did, they held up a hastily drawn sign in the window: "KEYS HANGING FROM TRUNK".
Thanks, husband, for leaving your keys in the lock.
Brain-dead happens to everybody :)
I hate it when I break the car. (and I seriously just typed "brake the car")
Good thing it was just the gas cap.
Can I play too? One time I was on the highway home and a strange noise started, a rythmic thumping. I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, but it was from the front of the car, but not the engine, it sounded like it was coming from the roof. But that was crazy.
I slowed down -- it stopped. I speeded up -- it started again. I was really worried. I had only been separated for a few months, and I was thinking that there was so much I didn't know about cars. I was picturing staggering mechanic bills. I limped the car home very slowly.
When I got home, I popped the hood (I don't know what I thought I was going to be able to figure out) and when I closed it again, I looked up and noticed that the thick rubber weatherstripping/trim around the top of the windshield was loose. Whenever the speed was high enough, the wind would make it vibrate and bang off the roof of the car. When I slowed down, it would stop. A little silicone caulk fixed the problem, but I sure felt stupid.
My best one wasn't even mine, but it happened when I was working at a gas station.
The victim: One of my most grumpy regular customers, we're talking he was always in a FOUL mood when stopping by to fill up his car
The scenario: He stomped over to me to get his change from the fill up, with the pump still in the car. (this seemed to happen a lot with him)
It was a Friday evening. It was busy, so I tended to the other customers in line to prepay their gas or buy smokes.
Then I hear Wha BANG and notice that the unleaded plus nozzle was split in two.
It made my night *very* interesting.
He was very meek afterwards...
I've done that! I'VE DONE THAT!!!
LOL! I would so do this!
DD comment made me laugh, too.
PS~ My word verification is "lecrotch." No lie. I couldn't not share that.
Ha ha ha - sounds like the time my husband insisted that the gas pedal was sticking, making the car lurch, and then finaly realized it was because his boots were so big, he was jamming the pedal with his foot! Hey, embarassment is way cheaper than a car repair.
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