So, I'm driving along this morning, minding my own business....

[Magrittes Pipe]

I pull over into the exit lane in preparation for leaving the highway on the way to work. I'm not speeding or anything, in fact, I'm going pretty slow: there was an inch or so of snow last night, the roads were slick, and there were quite a few other cars also exiting.

Apparently, I hit a patch of ice.

Spun out, fuckin' 180 right there on the busy 6-lane highway. Ended up facing oncoming traffic. Somehow had the presence of mind to back the car into the shoulder along the median, turn on my hazards, and call the cops.

Sat there for half an hour with 18-wheelers barreling down at 60 MPH within a foot of my driver's-side door. The occasional vehicle would drift over onto the shoulder and head right toward me before the driver realized that death was imminent and pulled back onto the road.

Finally, the sheriff came, stopped traffic, and I was able to swing out and be on my merry way.

Does anybody have a Valium? :scared:

[Ninga]

1. Yikes!!! What an ordeal......glad you "skated" through.

[Richardo]

2. You picked a bad week to give up sniffing glue

Yoiks! :scared:

Glad you're OK.

[terrya]

3. Oh, geez, my friend...

Man, what a fucking morning. I don't blame you a bit for wanting that Valium. You're a better man than I...I'd be a complete basket case if I went through what you did.

I hope the rest of your day is nice, quiet and peaceful. :-)

:hug:

T

[WildClarySage]

4. Wow, glad you're ok!

:hug:

[kick-ass-bob]

5. I spun out on a highway

after a rainstorm - flew across 4 lanes, had my back end about to hit the median barrier when someone plowed into my side.

That was some scary shit - I feel for you.

My daughter was in the car - that made it that much worse.

No valium, but have this:
:donut:

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Oh my gosh! I am so glad you are ok!

[StopTheMorans]

7. damn, that sounds terrible. glad you still have your wits about you

do you have any whiskey close at hand?

[Wickerman]

8. Glad you're here with us

here, this will calm the nerves:

:beer:

[jpgray]

9. Here

[Frogtutor]

10. You should always have clean underwear in case of an accident

to change into after you get the crap scared out of you...

Passing you a couple of Xanax and a shot of Tequila...

:hug:

[KitchenWitch]

11. Valium?

I would want a Seconal after that!

[Sporadicus]

12. My Experience Pales in Comparison

but it was rough on the nerves when it happened. It was Connecticut, winter of 1974-75, and an ice storm had passed through the area. I was traveling along a 5-lane boulevard at speeds reasonable for the road conditions; salt had melted the ice along the section I was traveling. I crested a hill and started down the other side and saw a stoplight at the bottom of the hill about 1/4 mile away. I slowed for the light and as I got closer tapped the brakes - not knowing that the section on which I was driving had missed out on its salt ration. The road was like a skating rink! I was driving a '70 Galaxie 500 - with lots of mass + momentum - and I HAD to bring the car to a stop before reaching the cars already waiting on the light, but additional pressure on the brake pedal initiated a spin...not ONE complete 360 but TWO - before I came to a stop in the left turn lane I wanted to use anyway, facing in the right direction, about 2 feet from the rear bumper of the car in front of me. I saw the driver's eyes in his rearview mirror; I think he was as scared as me, watching me spinning and coming closer and closer.

[Ellen Forradalom]

13. Lot of it going around

ZombyWoof spun out on black ice a day or two back.

It's a scary February for DUers, isn't it?

[flamingyouth]

14. Geezus, that's terrifying!

Glad you're okay! :hug:

[seabeyond]

15. lordy, lol lol i sat enthralled

to your story, til i got to the end and the valium and just had a good laugh. ooooosh, doesnt sound fun. and praise the lord, you are safe. wow how much fun was that this morning. glad all went well for you. has the shaking stopped, wink

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

16. Good thing you had a cellie

[Az]

17. You have to hear my story

So there I was driving down the freeway. Recent rain had the roads a little wet. Suddenly this van cuts in front of me. I have to swerve to avoid rear ending the thing. But the momentum from the sudden swerve was too much. As I tried to straighten my car out my rear end kicked out from behind me. In heavy rush hour traffic I proceeded to do a complete 180. My momentum was carrying me toward the shoulder but it was across traffic. For whatever reason there was a clear path across the freeway where I had started my spin. But the traffic was still heading towards me. There was this moment as my car was in mid spin and heading across the lanes that I was nose to nose with the car in the next lane and me and the other driver could only stare at each other. Eyes locked my car continued to spin off to the side avoiding everyone. I wound up ploughing into the grass on the side of the highway facing the wrong way. I managed to find a break in the traffic and spun my car around and went on my way.

FREAKED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME!

[Magrittes Pipe]

18. Thanks for the well-wishes and all.

I'm fine, the nerves have calmed a bit. Still could use a drink. Or an Ativan. Or both. But I'm doin' okay. ;)

[XNASA]

19. You shouldn't be auto-multitasking while you're driving.

But, glad to hear that you're OK.

[redqueen]

20. Damn... glad you're OK

That sounds exactly like a wreck I was in, only with ice, and cops.

If I had a valium I'd give it to ya...

:hug:

[SOteric]

21. Have a bourbon and go change your undies.

:hi:

[Susang]

22. Man, I'm glad you're okay

That's some scary shit! :scared:

I did something similar on I-75 outside Detroit a few years back and I was pretty freaked out myself. I ended up facing the wrong way in the left lane of the freeway during a snowstorm. Luckily, everyone else was driving just as fucked up, so turning around wasn't an issue.