stella maris

We were having a blast. We all loved the movie. Kids packed the old car, all of them strapped in as we left, some of them doubled up in one belt, but we were going to keep to back streets. All of the children from four families were in the car. One of the kids had to use the restroom. It took too long. One of the other kids was going to be late for the drop off. We had to change plans and use the highway for a mile. Just a mile, that's all.

semper clara

The speed limit was 60 mph. We were only going 50 mph. Not too fast for the highway, and the car was old. I was being careful. Only 50 mph. Everything was squeaking by just on time. We weren't planning on being where we were, but plans change. Plans change all the time, don't they? No big deal. We were having fun.

The light ahead changed to red. Cars ahead were slowing. They stopped. We weren't even doing the speed limit, but the old car was big and heavy, and we had one thousand pounds of humanity inside. I hit the brakes.

rosa munde

Nothing happened. We didn't slow down. We sped up. I looked at my foot. Could I have missed the brake? No, my foot was on the brake. The brake was on the floor. We were headed downhill. The car picked up speed. I slapped the car into neutral, but we picked up more speed. I hit the emergency brake. We sped up.

The light ahead was red. The cars ahead were stopped. We weren't planning to be there. We weren't planning on even being where we were when the brakes failed.

res miranda

The turn lane was empty. We were going too fast to actually turn, but I headed the car into the turn lane and then continued into the intersection. The intersection was where a four lane met a four lane, with four turn lanes. We went in on a red light. We had no choice. We were riding a rocket, screaming, in panic, and we had no way to stop.

No one hit us. We hit no one. No one was in the intersection when we passed through. This was graduation weekend at the busiest intersection in town during rush hour anyway, and no one was in the way when we went through.

mysterium

One of the kids said that God held the cars back the way He held the waters back for Moses. Good enough explanation, and in giddiness at being unhurt, we laughed.

A teenager standing near the intersection said that all the lights he could see on his two sides were inexplicably red. He said he looked and was puzzled because all the cars seemed to be on the red light at the same time. We know the light on our side was red. That means that three out of four red lights were observed to be red, and still no one entered from the fourth side either. He said he noticed all the traffic was stopped before he saw us enter the intersection.

mirabile

-- helen (put@my.bio.in.the.fiction.dept), May 15, 2002

Answers

Wow, ((((Helen))))!

Guess God doesn't want you yet :-)

All the best as you search for a vehicular replacement.

-- Tricia teh Canuck (jayles@telsupalent.net), May 16, 2002.

I know I sent an email, but I just wanted to say how glad I am that everyone is OK!

And curiosity is getting the best of me. ;-) What movie did you see?

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), May 18, 2002.

The time has come, Helen. Get rid of that car or else! (You don't want me to send Lon Frankenstien and a few of the "boys" up there, do you now?

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), May 18, 2002.

I went sliding down a steep ice covered road straight towards a fast moving intersection one day...with visable trucks coming from both directions. All I could do was lay on my horn and pray. At the last possible second..inexplicably..my car's path changed..and I slammed into the low median of the road I was on instead. My side wheels both popped up onto its grassy center and I was able to break. I managed to slam my head against the drivers side window pretty well, but other than that..unscathed. Never forgot the way my car just seemed to change its path like it had some unseen force give it a shove.

-- kritter (k@a.n), May 19, 2002.

Car fixed yet?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (racookpe@earthlink.net), May 19, 2002.

Kritter, Someone wants us to live long enough to meet for coffee and doughnuts. :)

We got the brakes fixed. I asked the mechanics to pass the word that I would give the car away to any mechanic brave enough to take it. One of them wasn't there when I was, but later he called and asked to come out and look the car over.

He and his wife and child came out. We detailed all the ways we've nearly been killed in this car, only two of which are detailed on this site. We've also had engine fires and other interesting problems.

The wife and child were playing on our swingset, and in gossip we learned that we knew each other through other people.

Meanwhile my husband and the mechanic were bonding over the engine, and my husband insisted that he take the car for free.

Only then did they mention that the car they drove in with was a loaner, that they didn't have a car -- imagine! a mechanic with no car of his own -- and the wife was moved to tears.

The mechanic is certain that he can fix the problems and head off others, or he wouldn't put his family in there. What had been a traumatic experience for me turned out to be a godsend for them. We feel good about it now.

The old car is gone. Long live the old car.

-- helen (more@room.in.the.driveway), May 19, 2002.

Glad to hear *some* good came of it all!

Does your last paragraph mean that you bought another car already? If so, I hope it does better than your last one!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), May 20, 2002.