Towing out snowed in cars - a cautionary tale!

"Pacman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Peter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > > Did anyone save it? I've seen it but wanted to show it to a few
> > > people. I get 404 when I go to the link...:-(
> >
> > I put it up on my website at http://peter.greatnowhere.com/tonycar.wmv
> >
> > While we're it, totally off-topic video at
> > http://peter.greatnowhere.com/prout.wmv (cautionary tale about
dinosaurs)
> >
> excellent, thanks!!!
>
>

could you summarise for those of us on 28.8Kbps dialups?

rhys

--
"Peter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Did anyone save it? I've seen it but wanted to show it to a few
> > people. I get 404 when I go to the link...:-(
>
> I put it up on my website at http://peter.greatnowhere.com/tonycar.wmv
>

Thanks Peter for saving that. It's a good laugh!

I can't help but wonder if it's satire or stupidity!

Marshall.
[email protected]

>> I put it up on my website at
>> http://peter.greatnowhere.com/tonycar.wmv
>>
>
> Thanks Peter for saving that. It's a good laugh!

Whoa fellas, I'm getting hit like 2x a minute now for that video! Hope my
ISP doesn't notice

Peter

"rnf2" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...>

> could you summarise for those of us on 28.8Kbps dialups?
>
> rhys

Wait till you get to work, then download it on ASDL ;-)

Seriously, though - bunch of American youngsters with a newish
Japanese saloon car (Toyota Celica? dunno) stuck in snow. The road
surface is clear, but there is a small pile of snow stopping the car
from reversing out. Rather than spend 2 minutes digging the snow out
of the way, they hook a towing strop to one of the rear lash-down eyes
and the other end to a pick-up and try to pull the stranded car
through the pile of snow and dig it in even worse. The pick-up pulls
again and there is a crack from the back of the saloon - the towing
eye must have shifted and cracked the bumper moulding. Not deterred,
our boys get the pick-up to pull even harder and after a lot of
revving and slipping tyres, the whole back end of the saloon rips off.
It's spectacular - you can hardly believe the damage. Rear bumper,
cross-member, boot lid, lights - the lot. It has probably popped
every spot weld in the back 12 inches of the body. Shattered plastic
everywhere. Owner of the car just doesn't know what to say - he's
completely gobsmacked. Ends with a couple of re-runs of the critical
moment and then a couple more repeats of the crunching sound. I think
the guy who edited the file was having fun.

It made me laugh till I cried. The guys are such d*cks, the car so
smart and posey, and the damage so devastating. Well worth the
download time, even at 28.8Kbps. Set it to download, then go and have
your tea. Come back in an hour. You won't regret it!

Rich

RR 4.6 HSE
Tiggrr 3,5 V8 trialler

http://www.luckwill.com - "He is a significant risk to children"
================================================================

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 08:30:46 +0200, "Peter" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>>> I put it up on my website at
>>> http://peter.greatnowhere.com/tonycar.wmv
>>>
>>
>> Thanks Peter for saving that. It's a good laugh!
>
>Whoa fellas, I'm getting hit like 2x a minute now for that video! Hope my
>ISP doesn't notice

Couldn't resist mirroring it here:

http://www.101fc.net/files/vids/tonycar.wmv



Martyn

--

I'm currently reading Tonys' Blog: www.tonyblog.com

My Land Rover site can be found here: www.101fc.net

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 16:12:14 +1300, "rnf2" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>could you summarise for those of us on 28.8Kbps dialups?

If you can manage a 600 kb the vital moments are here, thanks to
VirtualDub and DivX:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/qriznamanda/fourthtug.avi

It'll be there for a week or so, until I want the space for something
else.

--
QrizB

I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but don't
be fooled.

From seeing the license plates they were Canadian as the car had British
Columbia plates.

Martin

"Shayne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Simple answer to all the queries regarding this mishap can be summed up
in
> one word
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> American {

--
"Peter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > Did anyone save it? I've seen it but wanted to show it to a few
> > people. I get 404 when I go to the link...:-(
>
> I put it up on my website at http://peter.greatnowhere.com/tonycar.wmv
>

I really enjoyed that... It looked like the tow hook was attached to
the rim of the spare tire or bumper... Irregardless, not a strong
part of the car.

But very funny. Hope it wasn't too bad to have repaired.

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"QrizB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 16:12:14 +1300, "rnf2" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >could you summarise for those of us on 28.8Kbps dialups?
>
> If you can manage a 600 kb the vital moments are here, thanks to
> VirtualDub and DivX:
>
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/qriznamanda/fourthtug.avi
>
> It'll be there for a week or so, until I want the space for something
> else.
>
> --
> QrizB
>
> I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but don't
> be fooled.

Thanks.

Barry S. ([email protected]) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying :

> I really enjoyed that... It looked like the tow hook was attached to
> the rim of the spare tire or bumper... Irregardless, not a strong
> part of the car.

You can clearly see the towing eye and mount sticking out of the ripped-off
back end. The spot welds holding the eye's mount to the boot floor have
given out.

> But very funny. Hope it wasn't too bad to have repaired.

Oh, I dunno.... The idle cretins deserve a nice big bill.

"Adrian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > But very funny. Hope it wasn't too bad to have repaired.
>
> Oh, I dunno.... The idle cretins deserve a nice big bill.

Talked to the other half about this, she used to work as a car designer,
showed her the vid. Apparently the car is a write off, if you look
carefully the damage extends right back almost to the C frame and will
certainly have major stress damage to every weld point up to the C frame
itself. The damage is consistent with having a rear end shunt, only in
reverse.

PDH

Paul Hubbard wrote:

|| "Adrian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
|| news:[email protected]...
|||| But very funny. Hope it wasn't too bad to have repaired.
|||
||| Oh, I dunno.... The idle cretins deserve a nice big bill.
||
|| Talked to the other half about this, she used to work as a car
|| designer, showed her the vid. Apparently the car is a write off, if
|| you look carefully the damage extends right back almost to the C
|| frame and will certainly have major stress damage to every weld
|| point up to the C frame itself. The damage is consistent with
|| having a rear end shunt, only in reverse.
||
|| PDH

This just gets better ;-)

--


===============================
Rich
Tiggrr - V8 trialler
RR 4.6HSE

On 30 Jan 2004 08:46:39 GMT, Adrian <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Barry S. ([email protected]) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
>saying :
>
>> I really enjoyed that... It looked like the tow hook was attached to
>> the rim of the spare tire or bumper... Irregardless, not a strong
>> part of the car.
>
>You can clearly see the towing eye and mount sticking out of the ripped-off
>back end. The spot welds holding the eye's mount to the boot floor have
>given out.

After careful re-viewing, you are correct!

>> But very funny. Hope it wasn't too bad to have repaired.
>
>Oh, I dunno.... The idle cretins deserve a nice big bill.

I think they totalled the car.

I guess using a shovel has just gone out of style...

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Barry S. <[email protected]> wrote:

> I really enjoyed that... It looked like the tow hook was attached to
> the rim of the spare tire or bumper... Irregardless, not a strong
> part of the car.

Last year I encountered a Mini stranded in a very deep ford - the water
came up to just below the window line. The rear of the car was sticking
out of the water. I offered to tow the car out but told the driver he
had to attach the tow hook. Then I had to intervene because his first
attempt was to put the hook onto the rear valance.

I've often wondered what would have happened if I had tried to pull him
out. Now I know.

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On or around Sat, 31 Jan 2004 23:41:54 +0000, [email protected]
(Steve Firth) enlightened us thusly:

>Barry S. <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I really enjoyed that... It looked like the tow hook was attached to
>> the rim of the spare tire or bumper... Irregardless, not a strong
>> part of the car.
>
>Last year I encountered a Mini stranded in a very deep ford - the water
>came up to just below the window line. The rear of the car was sticking
>out of the water. I offered to tow the car out but told the driver he
>had to attach the tow hook. Then I had to intervene because his first
>attempt was to put the hook onto the rear valance.
>
>I've often wondered what would have happened if I had tried to pull him
>out. Now I know.

mind, you'd not have had the big lump of snow impeding the progress.
Unless, of course, he'd left the brake on.

--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
Appearances: You don't really need make-up. Celebrate your authentic
face by frightening people in the street.
from the Little Book of Complete B***ocks by Alistair Beaton.

Austin Shackles <[email protected]> wrote:

> >Last year I encountered a Mini stranded in a very deep ford - the water
> >came up to just below the window line. The rear of the car was sticking
> >out of the water. I offered to tow the car out but told the driver he
> >had to attach the tow hook. Then I had to intervene because his first
> >attempt was to put the hook onto the rear valance.
> >
> >I've often wondered what would have happened if I had tried to pull him
> >out. Now I know.
>
> mind, you'd not have had the big lump of snow impeding the progress.
> Unless, of course, he'd left the brake on.

Yes, but with the bonnet mostly underwater I think the suction would
have taken the place of the big lump of snow.

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In article <[email protected]>, Austin Shackles
<[email protected]> writes
>mind, you'd not have had the big lump of snow impeding the progress.
>Unless, of course, he'd left the brake on.

I think in the case of our friends in the video, the smoke you can
occasionally see wasn't coming just from the vehicles, nor cigarettes...

My estimation is less than 60 secs with a snow shovel would have solved
the problem. I'd love to see what they put on the insurance claim, if
they dared to make one.

I wonder by how much premiums would drop if 'incredible stupidity' was
made grounds for exemption, alongside nuclear war and acts of God?


Regards,

Simonm.
(displacement activity. to avoid lying on back under dripping tank wondering
how to reach pipes...)

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In article <[email protected]>, no-
[email protected] says...
> In article <[email protected]>, Austin Shackles
> <[email protected]> writes
> >mind, you'd not have had the big lump of snow impeding the progress.
> >Unless, of course, he'd left the brake on.
>
> I think in the case of our friends in the video, the smoke you can
> occasionally see wasn't coming just from the vehicles, nor cigarettes...
>
> My estimation is less than 60 secs with a snow shovel would have solved
> the problem. I'd love to see what they put on the insurance claim, if
> they dared to make one.
>
> I wonder by how much premiums would drop if 'incredible stupidity' was
> made grounds for exemption, alongside nuclear war and acts of God?
>

I would like to know how they got stock in the first place on an
otherwise clear street and driveway. Maybe the same guy working the
clutch in that Nissan truck was driving the car.
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Chris Phillipo wrote:

|| || I would like to know how they got stock in the first place on an
|| otherwise clear street and driveway. Maybe the same guy working the
|| clutch in that Nissan truck was driving the car.
||

Yup - a two-foot pull to the left and they could have pushed it out. What
struck me was that no-one (even the owner) seemed terribly concerned.
Perhaps the "wacky-baccy" theory has something to do with it.

--


===============================
Rich
Tiggrr - V8 trialler
RR 4.6HSE

On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 23:41:54 +0000, [email protected] (Steve
Firth) wrote:

>Barry S. <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I really enjoyed that... It looked like the tow hook was attached to
>> the rim of the spare tire or bumper... Irregardless, not a strong
>> part of the car.
>
>Last year I encountered a Mini stranded in a very deep ford - the water
>came up to just below the window line. The rear of the car was sticking
>out of the water. I offered to tow the car out but told the driver he
>had to attach the tow hook. Then I had to intervene because his first
>attempt was to put the hook onto the rear valance.
>
>I've often wondered what would have happened if I had tried to pull him
>out. Now I know.

Does the Mini have recovery hooks? Even on my little Acura, with its
"hold down" hooks. I'd be very cautious about using them for pulling
the car out.

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