Date:         Fri, 28 Jan 2005 23:22:04 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Friday
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

I had a tire develop a sidewall bubble back when; after putting on the spare
I just tossed it in the back of my Chevy van where I promptly forgot about
it and headed home. Got about halfway there when the bubble blew out.
Between the amazingly loud percussive noise, the shock and the sudden rise
and fall of the air pressure in the van, I was pretty sure I'd been shot. I
pulled off the road, took a breath to see if I could and started looking for
a hole somewhere. I felt a bit sheepish when I remembered the tire. I was
glad nobody was with me. : )

You must be unreasonably optimistic, partially deaf or have nerves of pig
iron to think (and repeatedly, at that) that an approaching aircraft sounds
like 'engine problems'- and it gives you a 'sinking feeling', as opposed to,
say, an 'oh my god we're gonna die' feeling. You sound like an old tank
driver I used to know.

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alistair Bell" <albell@UVIC.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: Friday


> Talking about stupid Vanagon things...
>
>
> was driving out of Victoria the other day, accelerating form a stop
> light, just getting out of first when there was this almighty bang, the
> kind of short sharp explosion you feel in your chest as much as hear.
>
> My first thought was that I had backfired when shifting, something that
> has never happened in this van, but that was my first though. Maybe if
> I lived somewhere else I would have thought about something more
> threatening :)
>
> I looked in my side mirror and I saw one of those big concrete pumpers
> (Putzmeister) pulling over and still a cloud of dust by one of its many
> rear tires.
>
> I can only imagine how terrified the driver of the car next to it must
> have felt when the tire blew.
>
>
>
> I also still get fooled when driving around the end of the airport and
> don't notice a plane coming in (road goes right under approach). I get
> the sinking feeling when I hear this god awful noise, imagining all
> kinds of engine problems until a few milliseconds later I see the
> plane...
>
>
> Alistair
>
>
> '82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
> http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/