We nearly lost our head

@JudyEv (323672)
Rockingham, Australia
June 27, 2017 1:30am CST
Yesterday we found ourselves in a bit of a pickle. We were following the directions of the GPS and suddenly found ourselves heading under a bridge with a clearance of only 3.1 metres. Vince braked immediately but it was impossible to turn around at that spot. I had to ask the motorist behind to back up. Luckily he realised the problem and got out of our way but of course there was traffic coming every which way. I was running round like a demented chook (chicken) trying to stop Vince from backing into anyone and it was pretty stressful for a while. I think we were lucky to get out of the situation with just one person tooting his displeasure. The photo is from a low bridge in Ireland on a different trip. Tomorrow is another day.
24 people like this
24 responses
@moffittjc (118219)
• Gainesville, Florida
27 Jun 17
You were very lucky that Vince realized he wouldn't have cleared that bridge! That one driver who tooted his horn in displeasure should have recognized that he would have been more than inconvenienced had Vince tried to drive under that bridge!
5 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
What a chauvinistic remark, Jeff!! Assuming that it was Vince that saw the sign. In actual fact it was me. Vince was very lucky that I noticed the sign (flounces off in a huff).
3 people like this
• United States
27 Jun 17
There is always one person who is in a fired up hurry to get somewhere. Blowing their horn won't get them there anytime soon when there is a problem ahead such as the one you were facing. Glad you saw that you wouldn't fit through in time to stop. We have a bridge in our town that has damaged quite a few tractor trailers that "thought" they had enough clearance to get through. So many that they now need to consider reinforcing this. It is an old train trestle bridge. Trains no longer pass through that bridge and they should consider removing it.
4 people like this
• United States
28 Jun 17
@JudyEv oh, now that is a funny one. I have broken down in the middle of the road and was passed by several men who could have stopped. The one that stopped was a mother, with a few children in her van. She and I pushed my car to the side of the road while her car sat to the side with flashers on.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
@ElusiveButterfly Help comes from unexpected quarters sometimes doesn't it?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
It happens so easily. I know a lady who broke down in a busy street and the guy behind just kept his hand on the horn. She went to his window and offered to keep her hand on the horn while he pushed her car off the road or fixed it. I hope he learnt a lesson from that. No-one deliberately sets out to inconvenience people - no-one that I know of anyway.
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Jun 17
That's quite dangerous. I hope they will have a sign far beyond the bridge so that people will not make such a mistake when they arrive there.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
It would have been useful if the sign had been further back and a bit bigger. There are so many signs in towns it is difficult to take notice of them all.
2 people like this
@much2say (53675)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Jun 17
Oh wow! Not even 10 minutes ago I was reading online about a local tunnel that I never heard of. It was built so small that 2 trucks going in opposite directions could not fit/drive into the tunnel at the same time - and there was an old black and white photo to show that. So funny you write this post! Anyway, I can only imagine you two trying to back out of there . . . I hope you were able to find a different route to wherever you were going!
3 people like this
@much2say (53675)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv I imagine it's that way with the older bridges and tunnels . . . but pretty scary that they still exist on a modern road. My friend shared an article not too long ago . . . about experiencing "synchronicity" . . . and that these are "meaningful coincidences" to say we are spiritually connected .
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
It took a while but we were able to circumvent the bridge. With some low bridges we make sure we go through the middle where it is a little higher. It's strange how you come across a fact then hear of it again within a short space of time.
2 people like this
@rebelann (110767)
• El Paso, Texas
27 Jun 17
That woulda scared the bageeezzaas outta me, I'm glad everything turned out ok.
2 people like this
@rebelann (110767)
• El Paso, Texas
27 Jun 17
You poor thing @JudyEv why didn't anyone from the transportation office warn you about low bridges?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
@rebelann We've encountered low bridges before and are always on the lookout for them but we just happened to miss this one.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
I wasn't exactly cool, calm and collected either. There were a lot of cars about and they probably didn't know what the heck we were trying to do.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (12536)
• Ireland
27 Jun 17
@judyev I just knew that had to be an Irish bridge in the photo. It's just so Irish looking.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
When we first arrived the countryside was very typically Irish - lots of rampant green, wild hedges, neatly trimmed hedges and stone fencing as well. The countryside is very similar in many ways.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203718)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Jun 17
I want to visit there. Last time I flew to Europe, United broke my guitar!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
@TheHorse You never, ever forget something like that do you?
@dodo19 (47034)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
27 Jun 17
Good thing that Vince realized he wouldn't make it. Otherwise, things could have gotten a lot worse.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
Yes, it would have been easy to have swiped the top off the van. That would have been a real disaster.
2 people like this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
28 Jun 17
I too was wondering how you could be in a state of mind to take pictures.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
We just wanted to get away from that area as quickly as possible!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
28 Jun 17
@JudyEv But don't you think that bridge was a bad idea?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
@allknowing It was a bad idea for us to go that way for sure. The bridge has been there for centuries and would have been perfectly adequate when it was first built. Nowadays vehicles are so much taller and bigger.
@Shavkat (136864)
• Philippines
27 Jun 17
In the nick of time, Vince was able to stop. I think it is a great adventure.
2 people like this
@Shavkat (136864)
• Philippines
28 Jun 17
@JudyEv I agree. It can also troublesome at the same time.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
We were heading for it and down to one lane of traffic so it was quite tricky to back out again.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (48235)
• Canada
27 Jun 17
Thankfully he was able to stop in time. I cannot imagine such a low tunnel like that.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
We have come across a few but mostly out in the country. They are fine for an 'ordinary' car.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
27 Jun 17
Is this the photo of the bridge? It says 3.77 meters, is your van higher than 3.77 meters?
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
27 Jun 17
@JudyEv Two weeks ago a tourist here were stuck under a low bridge. It took several hours to the firefighters to take him out.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
No, the photo is just an example really of one we encountered in Ireland. Our van is about 3.25 metres so anything lower than that we avoid. The one in the photo we went very carefully through the middle rather than keeping to our own side of the road.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
@LadyDuck I would hate that to happen to us. I really hate being a nuisance to others. There were so many signs around and in the middle of what seemed a biggish town we didn't expect to encounter a low bridge.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jun 17
We don't own a GPS and after some horror stories over the years I'm quite glad not to have one. Glad you managed to get out of a bad/serious situation!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jun 17
I don't have much good to say about them either but we'd need much better maps if we didn't have it. It was good last year at finding campsites but she has let us down badly this year.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jun 17
@JudyEv When we go on a trip I go to Bing maps - get the directions , print them..so far in all these years they have gotten us where we need to go.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
@AbbyGreenhill That a great idea. Mostly at the moment we don't know where we're going. We sort of decide each morning what the attractions are and choose one to visit. Around 4pm we start looking for a camping site.
@TheHorse (203718)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Jun 17
Did you manage to get turned around?
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203718)
• Walnut Creek, California
28 Jun 17
@JudyEv That's what I always say when grizzly bears are chasing us, lightning is striking left and right, and the rain has hit monsoon proportions: In a year, this wiill be a funny story.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
@TheHorse Sometimes it can take 12 months to see the funny side.
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
I had to try to explain to the driver behind us that we had to back up. He backed up and got out of our way but of course there were cars trying to cross behind us and going hither and thither. We had to back up some distance then turn off. But it's now something to laugh about so all is well.
1 person likes this
@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Jun 17
I'm glad you were able to get turned around before you had trouble with your motor bus.
1 person likes this
@just4him (303392)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Jun 17
@JudyEv I'm sure you would have and caused a lot of people behind you a lot of frustration.
@KrauseHome (36449)
• United States
28 Jun 17
Glad everything was able to happen with no one getting hurt.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
Today it seems it wasn't such a big deal but at the time it was a bit hairy.
@Nawsheen (28644)
• Mauritius
29 Jun 17
They should have put a sign earlier on. This would have averted the person. This seems to be dangerous
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 17
It is a bit dangerous but there was a sign. We just happened to miss it.
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Jun 17
mercy, i reckon that disgruntled driver 'd rather ya smash 'nto such, thus causin' a much longer delay?? so glad ya got 't worked out. i'm tellin' ya, those gps thingies 're demons!
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Jun 17
@JudyEv the aunt 'n momma insisted i take the aunts'n a trip to tennessee to tend to my dad 's the weather 'twas horrid 'twixt here'n there (lots 'f snow/ice fer 'bout 800 miles). that danged thingy'd me goin' 'p goat trails, avoidin' e'ery single o'erpass 'n finally stuck me out'n the middle 'f a field. i'll jest stick with a good ol' fashioned map, lol. can't get anymore lost'n i did with the gps :)
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
Our GPS, Doris, hasn't been a lot of help in some ways this time.
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
27 Jun 17
ohhh dear... I should think it was a bit stressfull but I'm glad it all ended well..
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
28 Jun 17
@JudyEv that's typical isn't it.. just when you would prefer it to be a bit quieter...
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
It was pretty stressful for a while. There was quite a lot of traffic around.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
4 Jul 17
WelI I suppose being in France that would be most Fitting - Loosing your heads - and of course running around like Chickens - ha ha ha did the camper fit?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Jul 17
No, we knew the camper wouldn't fit. We had to back up in amongst all the traffic. Very embarrassing!
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
28 Jun 17
Oh man, Vince was quick thinking! We have those outdated little bridge tunnels here as well.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun 17
We were probably about 70 metres from it. If we'd been closer we would have a heap of cars behind us - not just one, and they'd all have had to back up.