JohnHKart
07-29-12, 03:13 AM
Just survived a total disaster of a trip to Mexico yesterday. Couldn't leave here till 330, horrible traffic all the way there, including two roll over accidents only two miles apart in San Diego, one was fatal.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Fatal-Rollover-Crash-Chula-Vista-I-805-Main-Street-Auto-Park-Drive-164101586.html
Smooth ride rest of way, finally got to Ensenada and every motel and hotel was sold out!!!! Ate at my favorite seafood restaurant Bahia, waiter said it was some kind of motocross event( not a 500 or 1000 Baja). I worked on cruises going there for 5 years, after that I've driven down there the past ten years. I've never seen anything like this. After the meal stopped at several motels with no luck. Then I drove through part of town where it was totally dark- power failure. Realized the town just wasn't there for me this time! Turned around and drove home, only in line 10 mins at border, officer asked none of the usual questions to see if I'm running the cartels with El Chapo and I sailed through. Stopped to watch a former bandmate's band in Carlsbad and had a nice reunion with him .Then got back on the freeway, home only another 70 miles, Just 1/2 mile before my exit in La Mirada I get in the right lane promptly run over a wheel and tire in the road. Both right side tires instantly cut down, and the fuel cut off switch turned on, so it wouldn't start, now Im stranded in the lane. A car narrowly missed me as I was sitting there trying to start it. Jumped over the fence to get off the freeway (how many times do you hear about people killed in situations like this at 3am???) and called AAA and 911. As I was on the phone, I really thought I was watching my car's last moments at 283000 miles, and that it was going to get totaled sitting there in that lane. CHP arrived promptly and pushed me to the exit and nearby hotel parking lot. Get this, they said they could take a report, but I would be LISTED AS BEING AT FAULT for hitting something you cannot see that is not supposed to be there, that 3-4 other people also hit!!!!???? No thanks. No report. Then got towed three miles to my mechanics. My home is only a 15 minute walk from my mechanic, so the journey that began 12 hours earlier finally ended on foot back where it started. Thankfully just needed the two tires and a right front axle and alignment , this set me back about 300 bucks. Thankful it wasn't worse. Still, annoying, I drove almost 400 miles and I almost made it home!!! We went out tonight and got off the same exit, I think the vehicle that left that wheel bounced off the retaining wall that's just before that spot at the Artesia exit. There's tire marks indicating that on the wall. My car has a large dent on the lower running board under the door, but everything else is fixed. Thankful I didn't center punch that wheel and do a lot more damage. The initial hit moved me to the left so it then was just side swiping the running board and rear tire. Lately I've had to do an alternator, clutch, transmission rebuild and chase a chugging problem (buddy diagnosed it instantly- cat converter- should have listened to him), now it's running perfect, so loosing it now would have devastated me. Most importantly, thankfully the people in the 3-4 other vehicles stranded and myself were not injured and damage was minor. Thanks to Hadley Tow and the CHP , they were very prompt and helpful. I guess I'm just not meant to go on vacation.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Fatal-Rollover-Crash-Chula-Vista-I-805-Main-Street-Auto-Park-Drive-164101586.html
Smooth ride rest of way, finally got to Ensenada and every motel and hotel was sold out!!!! Ate at my favorite seafood restaurant Bahia, waiter said it was some kind of motocross event( not a 500 or 1000 Baja). I worked on cruises going there for 5 years, after that I've driven down there the past ten years. I've never seen anything like this. After the meal stopped at several motels with no luck. Then I drove through part of town where it was totally dark- power failure. Realized the town just wasn't there for me this time! Turned around and drove home, only in line 10 mins at border, officer asked none of the usual questions to see if I'm running the cartels with El Chapo and I sailed through. Stopped to watch a former bandmate's band in Carlsbad and had a nice reunion with him .Then got back on the freeway, home only another 70 miles, Just 1/2 mile before my exit in La Mirada I get in the right lane promptly run over a wheel and tire in the road. Both right side tires instantly cut down, and the fuel cut off switch turned on, so it wouldn't start, now Im stranded in the lane. A car narrowly missed me as I was sitting there trying to start it. Jumped over the fence to get off the freeway (how many times do you hear about people killed in situations like this at 3am???) and called AAA and 911. As I was on the phone, I really thought I was watching my car's last moments at 283000 miles, and that it was going to get totaled sitting there in that lane. CHP arrived promptly and pushed me to the exit and nearby hotel parking lot. Get this, they said they could take a report, but I would be LISTED AS BEING AT FAULT for hitting something you cannot see that is not supposed to be there, that 3-4 other people also hit!!!!???? No thanks. No report. Then got towed three miles to my mechanics. My home is only a 15 minute walk from my mechanic, so the journey that began 12 hours earlier finally ended on foot back where it started. Thankfully just needed the two tires and a right front axle and alignment , this set me back about 300 bucks. Thankful it wasn't worse. Still, annoying, I drove almost 400 miles and I almost made it home!!! We went out tonight and got off the same exit, I think the vehicle that left that wheel bounced off the retaining wall that's just before that spot at the Artesia exit. There's tire marks indicating that on the wall. My car has a large dent on the lower running board under the door, but everything else is fixed. Thankful I didn't center punch that wheel and do a lot more damage. The initial hit moved me to the left so it then was just side swiping the running board and rear tire. Lately I've had to do an alternator, clutch, transmission rebuild and chase a chugging problem (buddy diagnosed it instantly- cat converter- should have listened to him), now it's running perfect, so loosing it now would have devastated me. Most importantly, thankfully the people in the 3-4 other vehicles stranded and myself were not injured and damage was minor. Thanks to Hadley Tow and the CHP , they were very prompt and helpful. I guess I'm just not meant to go on vacation.