We nearly lost our head
By Judy Evans
@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
@ElusiveButterfly (45946)
• 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
@ElusiveButterfly (45946)
• 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
@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
@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
@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.
@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
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• 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
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• 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.
@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
@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.
@crazyhorseladycx (39517)
• 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
@crazyhorseladycx (39517)
• 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
@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...
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@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.