Gotten Stuck Lately?

[ski3pin]

We've all gotten stuck - for those of you who say "No", the rest of us know your time is coming. Hindsight is always 20/20 regarding the cause or decisions that led up to the event. We have all learned from our mistakes or we've not survived to be typing on an internet forum. I'm posting this because of its story value only, and, in no way, am soliciting "Internet Preaching" on mistakes made. Do not go there.

I usually avoid "stuck" stories because, more often than not, it's more of the same. This is not.

My day got delayed by thirty minutes this morning when Julie, looking over my shoulder at the computer monitor, asked, "What's THAT picture?" She sat down as I read the entire narrative to her.

This is a good one. The poster is the administrator of a Death Valley forum. From time to time he posts about his trips to very remote parts of the world, taking me to places I will never visit.

Got around 30 minutes?

Southeastern Africa

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Like one who responded to the story,"...I'll stick to the tour bus".

They sure had some bad roads and water to go through.

Interesting story.

Frank

 

[Machinebuilder]

I can say I've never been that stuck................................yet

 

[buckland]

Why am I laughing so hard? I think guys do that ...like why we think the three stooges are funny. If you hit your head your friends laugh!
Looks like roads in North Maine woods...gotta say a novena as you drive! Those crazy fun days are over for me!! I think if he had had a wife with him he'd be dead by now.

 

[JWL]

I hope he got the full insurance! Or maybe the repair job was better than it was?
I may never drive into tall grass again. Or at least not alone.

 

[AWG_Pics]

First thing I looked for was blood. Did not see any so - ah, no biggie. When I worked in east Africa in 80's we referred to similar experiences as EASA - East Africa Strikes Again. Calamity was a weekly occurrence. Amazing how brave, tough, resourceful and good natured the local folks are. Got a long list, but won't bore you all with the details.

 

[PaulT]

As I've aged, I find that getting into interesting situations has dropped somewhat in its appeal.

Insurance must be a significant portion of the rental charge. This is especially so as some smaller countries impose import duties equal to the retail sales cost of the vehicle.

I do disagree with the comment that a Hilux is a Tacoma. The Hilux seems to be a lot more vehicle than a Tacoma.

I suspect that brown stains may be more prevalent than blood stains. Being confronted by an adult elephant standing in front of me would surely necessitate some laundry activity.

Paul

 

[Foy]

Have I been stuck before? Nope--I'm right here at the present, so I never got stuck.

Reminds me of a quote attributed to Daniel Boone when asked if he'd ever been lost before: "No. I was once bewildered for 3 weeks, but I was never lost."

Seriously, I spent at least half of a 6 year mineral exploration career with some wheeled vehicle I was responsible for stuck. Be it my own pickup, my permit man's, the geophysicist's Suburban, or--heaven help us- the drill rig. When an articulating 4WD buggy (think: log skidder) weighing around 30,000 lbs goes down, it goes down hard. Long days and long nights getting ready for the next long day. Those damn things could liquify the soil under certain conditions. Looked like the carpet was being pulled out from under them--so fast as it was that they'd dig in.

Foy

 

[buckland]

Ah now… aren’t those memories sweet!?… I think back on a trip in 1979 on a “bus” across the Andes from Juancayo to Ayacucho Peru. It was supposed to be an 8 hours drive … 36 hours later after all passengers pushing the bus through mud roads did we arrive. Stuck. Then stuck. Foy not the same but maybe similar in nutso. When young we just roll with it I guess.