Cuisin' at 60 (55 zone) coming up on an intersection at the crest of a hill near my domicile and I notice the unmistakable top of a U-Haul van oncoming up to make a turn in front of me. Ok-no problem. Foot off gas, hover over the brake pedal, just in case...Holy ****-He's gonna' do it!
And it was no 9' mini box Chevy 150 cube van, oh, no-it was the 26' GMC house-hauler.
So, plan #2-slap it down to 4th and apply brakes-medium. That billboard of a truck was coming up real quick, but I'll miss him without going into the oncoming traffic lanes.
But, as soon as he cleared 45 degrees of his 90 degree turn-I saw that he was pulling a 30' twin axle CAR HAULER behind! With a '95 Buick on it!
Plan #3. Downshift again, snap a left with no brake, snap a right to clear the car trailer and hit the gas a skosh with counter lock to stop the inevitable spin. Missed him.

Went about my errands and returned to the scene of the near-mishap when I see the offending U-Haul at a new gas station at the intersection. I decided to seek an explanation from the driver. I pulled in nose to the door of the Mini-Mart and saw there was no one else in the store but the clerk.
I asked: "Is anyone here the driver of that rig"? One smallish fella' replied in the positive. I asked him if the nose of my Crossfire looked familiar. This segued into a cascade of apologies for what he acknowledged as a serious blunder on his part. He explained that he had driven straight through from West Texas and was on the last leg of his trip to North Carolina.
He said what I did was "Some of the best God Dammed driving I've ever seen"!
Well, to make a long story short-I brought them home (Bill, Jimmy and their mother, Caroline) fed them, had a couple of beers while Jimmy slept, made them all a late breakfast, and sent them on their way.
Nice folks. Just glad I didn't meet them 1 second sooner.

 

Now that is a great story with an ending that I was not expecting. It reminded me of the days when this type of hospitality would be the norm an not the exception. Way to go!!!! I am sure that your kindness will remain with them for the rest of their lives, and will be a story that will be told by them many many times as the years pass.

 

Cool to see that some people are still kind to do that kind of thing after he was driving recklessly. Thumbs up to you my fellow XF-driver!

 

He wasn't (in my opinion) driving recklessly-just Too Dammed Tired. He (Bill) told me he drives an '07 Mustang (6 banger), and "just plain forgot" he had 50' of stuff behind him. Really nice folks-couldn't be too mad for too long. Just lost a couple of stripes of rubber on the road!

 

Quite a story!!! Ending almost unheard of these days!!!

 

A great well written story with a happy ending and yes....also an unexpected ending as well.
With your permission I'd like to submit this story to CICCI to possibly put in our next Xfactors newsletter

 

Go ahead, Gary. I'm a mean SOB. But not when I've had time to think it over. Usually.

 

Great story. Proving the presumption that sometimes the best way to win over stupidity might just be to offer it a bed and a beer.

Along with an honest handshake and a smile.
We are all on a journey "between the eternities."



roadster with a stick

 

I think this is the route to about 35% of all marriages!

 

Nice one Max

 

You may be a mean SOB as you put it, but it takes a hell of a man to do what you did.
Glad you made it out of that tight spot and that guy and his family are the better for it.

 

Marriage often ruins the three best things in life, a drink before and a cigarette after.

 

I'm sure that he will be paying that forward for quite a while. Nice moves!

 

This reminded me of a time when I was riding my Harley from Colorado Springs Colorado to Reno Nevada. During one stretch I was in the middle of nowhere on highway 50.... Better known as the loneliest road in America. I had run out of gas, I had a female passenger with me, and little prospect of a timely outcome. After just a short while, a family came along in an SUV and offered to take us to the next town... get us gas, and return us to the motorcycle. The next town was about 12 miles away (so close yet so far when you are out of gas). Anyway, as we were riding in to the town, we began talking... There was an older couple, and their daughter and son-in-law. Through our conversation, I found out that they were headed to California to attend the trail for a man that had kidnapped, raped, and murdered the daughter and son-in-laws 5 year old daughter. I was amazed that with all they had going on, that they would stop to help strangers out.

When we got into town and at a gas station, I was going to check to see if they had a gas can for sale, and the elder gentleman told me to just use a gallon jug that he had in the trunk that he had distilled water in. After getting the gas, they returned us to the motorcycle and stayed with us to ensure that we were able to get the bike started, and then followed us to town to ensure that we did not have any further troubles.

I remember asking him why he would stop and help me out with what they were going through, and he said 1. I am a Harley rider too, and 2. It is just the right thing to do.

I was literally choking back tears for the next hour or so just thinking about the devasty that they were having to endure.

 

Nice story Max.
You da man!

 

Max I only had the pleasant oppertunity of meeting you once last fall at the Dragon! My wife and I were waiting for our "Photo Opt" and were right behind you, you got out Dusted your already freakishly clean roadster looked at ours and dusted it too!

You sir are a class act!

we look forward to talking again this fall unless your going to Carlyle, then I will buy you a beer there, I will be following (Rusty) down from Ontario Canada.

Angelo

 

Nice job Max! Those guys from Texas can really be SOB's on the road.

 

great story, Max, great outcome, and even greater ending. Class man, really first class!

 

Wow, close call and very nice of you to lend a helping hand afterwards.

 

Nice story, Max, and if you cook up a nice breakfast I just might have to drive out your way and cut you off myself sometime!!