Follow That Horsebox!
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64346)
United Kingdom
January 17, 2016 4:17pm CST
Many years ago I was driving a horsebox (horse transporter) to a racecourse some distance away. A friend of mine's parents lived on a farm just a few miles from the course, and she asked if I wouldn't mind dropping a bicycle off for them on the way. I had plenty of room in the back as I only had one horse on board, so of course I agreed.
When I got to within about 10 miles of the farm, I noticed a car had been following me for a while. We were travelling along winding English country lanes, but even when it would have been safe to pass me, it didn't.
Anyway, I reached my destination and pulled into the farmyard - and so did that car.
A somewhat bewildered driver emerged and asked me where the racecourse was. This was in the days before satellite navigation and he was lost. On seeing my horsebox he had assumed that I was going to the races, and thought that following me would take him there.
We had a bit of a laugh when I told him that I was indeed headed for the races, but had taken a detour of about 20 miles.
Have you come across any funny stories about getting lost?
Photo of me and equine friend many years ago.
50 people like this
41 responses
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
18 Jan 16
Very nice picture of you and the horse. Which story of my getting lost would you like 
My parents misnamed me. It should have been Valerie Lost Routhieaux. There is even a Lost Lane in Green Bay. I think I belong on that one. I've gotten lost so many times it's hard to keep count anymore. 
Did you lead him to the horse races?
My parents misnamed me. It should have been Valerie Lost Routhieaux. There is even a Lost Lane in Green Bay. I think I belong on that one. I've gotten lost so many times it's hard to keep count anymore. Did you lead him to the horse races?6 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 16
@just4him I just realised what you meant, sorry. No, I didn't lead that motorist to the races - he was in a hurry by then, so I just told him which way to go. (I thought you meant 'did I lead the horse at the races' - it's a horse term - you lead them up in the paddock before the races
)
)5 people like this
@celticeagle (189838)
• Boise, Idaho
17 Jan 16
We were trying to find a favorite meadow my ex had camped in as a boy. It was getting late and I was tired. We pulled up over a crest in the road and there was this lovely area to camp in. Come to fin out we were on the wrong road and had found an even better spot to camp. Pays to get lost some times.
5 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
17 Jan 16
@celticeagle That was what you could call serendipity.
4 people like this
@celticeagle (189838)
• Boise, Idaho
17 Jan 16
@jaboUK ...Indeed. ANd we were tired it was if it appeared out of no where
4 people like this
@topffer (42155)
• France
18 Jan 16
The last time I lost my way was not very funny. A road was closed to traffic last year because they were working on a small bridge. Instead of taking the signaled detour road on the right, I thought that it would be faster to take a dirt track on the left and the car got completely stuck in the mud a moment later. I had to go to the nearest farm to ask for help with a tractor. Instead of saving 10 mn I lost 2 hours
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I remember something funny that happened long ago with my parents when I was a kid. We were lost during the night in Scotland (well, there is not really a night in Scotland in the middle of summer) and we asked somebody for a camping (we had a caravan). The man took his car and asked us to follow him to a place where we could spend the night. It was not a camping though, but a kind of field : a rugby field.
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I remember something funny that happened long ago with my parents when I was a kid. We were lost during the night in Scotland (well, there is not really a night in Scotland in the middle of summer) and we asked somebody for a camping (we had a caravan). The man took his car and asked us to follow him to a place where we could spend the night. It was not a camping though, but a kind of field : a rugby field.3 people like this
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We left in the morning. We thought that he was a member or a manager of the rugby club as he told us that we would have no troubles to stay for the night, and we had no troubles
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
18 Jan 16
We get lost quite often so I am sure I have stories if I dig deep into my brainbox lol
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 16
@BelleStarr I should think everyone's got lost at some time or other
3 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Jan 16
That's my problem too, Belle, and while digging in that there brainbox, I might just get lost and forget what I was about.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
17 Jan 16
I got lost on the czech/polish border once and drove into this castle type place that I thought was my hotel and it was actually a nunnery
Apart from that I've never been lost, i've heard quite a few funny stories about silly people trusting their sat navs too much though.
Apart from that I've never been lost, i've heard quite a few funny stories about silly people trusting their sat navs too much though.6 people like this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Jan 16
Oh my, what an assumption he made! He went the scenic route. 
Getting lost. Well, Hubby and I - before our days of marriage and family - we'd sometimes find stupid things to do - one of them was driving around TRYING to get lost. We'd always laugh because we would NEVER get lost. Well one night we went driving through some unlit canyons in unfamiliar territory with a gas tank nearly empty - and we actually got lost that time - we were actually scared. Eventually we saw signs that made us realize we made it all the way to a desert area - oh, we were far, far away from where we thought we were!!!
Getting lost. Well, Hubby and I - before our days of marriage and family - we'd sometimes find stupid things to do - one of them was driving around TRYING to get lost. We'd always laugh because we would NEVER get lost. Well one night we went driving through some unlit canyons in unfamiliar territory with a gas tank nearly empty - and we actually got lost that time - we were actually scared. Eventually we saw signs that made us realize we made it all the way to a desert area - oh, we were far, far away from where we thought we were!!!2 people like this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Jan 16
@jaboUK I know, we were crazy kids back then. Once we couldn't find a place to eat dinner, couldn't decide and just kept on driving. We ended up 150 miles away (a 2.5 hour drive) - ended up eating at this little Mexican restaurant - and then drove back home because we didn't want to spend money on staying out there! 
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23193)
• Bangalore, India
18 Jan 16
JWe ask around for direction when we get lost. Following an unsuspecting vehicle will get us to point A when I wanted to go to point B.
2 people like this
@valmnz (17095)
• New Zealand
18 Jan 16
This reminded me of a time when I was driving in Auckland, a city I don't know very well. I came to a road works detour and, as I had no idea where I was going I decided to follow the car in front. Eventually we both came to a suburb I vaguely knew and I found my way from there with the help of a map.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (502429)
• Italy
18 Jan 16
Wonderful photo Janet. I have a funny story about getting lost, it happened in the United States (New Mexico", there was an accident and the sheriff showed us a road to follow to reach the freeway. We did not understand very well what to do, but we noticed that a long line of car was following us. We took the wrong road, but were finally able to reach the freeway crossing a shallow river, with all the others following us. It was funny.
2 people like this
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@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
18 Jan 16
That's a beautiful horse @jaboUK . Takes ya back don't it? That's a good story; poor guy. Did he go ahead and follow you the rest of the way?
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 16
@nanette64 I seem to be regressing to those far off days more and more.
The chap didn't follow me for the rest of the way as he was running late, but I told him which way to go , so hopefully he got there ok.
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The chap didn't follow me for the rest of the way as he was running late, but I told him which way to go , so hopefully he got there ok.2 people like this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
18 Jan 16
@jaboUK I do a lot of thinking about back then too.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (91076)
• United States
20 Jan 16
Love the picture! I used to ride in high school and loved it. Can't think of any funny stories about getting lost but got a laugh out of the guy following you thinking you were heading to the races
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
19 Jan 16
I loved the photo of you and your horse. I used to sell real estate in the days before GPS navigators. I got lost more times than I can remember ... much to my embarrassment!
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
19 Jan 16
@DeborahDiane I can imagine that if you had to go to way-out places that it would be easy to get lost
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That photo is so old that it's a photo of a photo, and I should have clipped the edges off.
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That photo is so old that it's a photo of a photo, and I should have clipped the edges off.1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
18 Jan 16
It was night, we were near Philadelphia, after some aimless searching we saw a police car at the side of the road. We stopped and asked for directions. (This was many years ago, pre GPS) the policeman was pulled over because he wasn't sure where he was. He radioed his base and took us to our destination.
Funny bumper sticker: Don't follow me, I'm lost too!
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 16
@Morleyhunt Ha - a lost policeman! (Funny sticker)
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
26 Jan 16
haha that is funny. And that's a really lovely the photo. Such a beautiful horse.
I can't really say I have any funny stories on being lost. I have been lost but it isn't funny really.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 16
@VivaLaDani13 It's not usually funny when you are actually lost, but it sometimes is when you look back on it.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
27 Jan 16
@jaboUK lol I do agree. Now I think about it my friend and I did get lost once and we caught the wrong buses and trains etc lol Now that was funny but the time I was thinking about when I first answered this, well the memory I had wasn't so funny. Very horrible time with my ex that day.
1 person likes this
