Discussion
Was thinking today (too much time on my hands) about lucky escapes.
I think my first one was the Hatfield train crash in October 2000.
I had booked a seat on the train and actually missed my taxi at the departure end. Didn't make the train. My mum assumed I was involved and was shocked when I turned up few hours later.
2nd one - more trivial but car related. Had my new (to me) 911, bought 2 days before.
Sunday evening and for some reason I decided to go for a drive at 10pm. With work the next day (6am start) it was pretty silly, but I guess any excuse with a new car.
That evening about 10 mins later a drunk driver came round the corner and totalled next door's Honda CRV and front wall. Left her number plate as a souvenir. Had my car been parked there it would have been totalled.
I lived in that house for 7 years (350 weeks) and that was the one week my car wasn't parked there Sunday night.
I think my first one was the Hatfield train crash in October 2000.
I had booked a seat on the train and actually missed my taxi at the departure end. Didn't make the train. My mum assumed I was involved and was shocked when I turned up few hours later.
2nd one - more trivial but car related. Had my new (to me) 911, bought 2 days before.
Sunday evening and for some reason I decided to go for a drive at 10pm. With work the next day (6am start) it was pretty silly, but I guess any excuse with a new car.
That evening about 10 mins later a drunk driver came round the corner and totalled next door's Honda CRV and front wall. Left her number plate as a souvenir. Had my car been parked there it would have been totalled.
I lived in that house for 7 years (350 weeks) and that was the one week my car wasn't parked there Sunday night.
Meeting friends in Tel Aviv for drinks, we had a great time and we decided we needed food, they all wanted Pizza, i moaned and suggested anything but bland Italian food, and why would i fly thousands of miles to eat expensive bread.
Finally, my friends agreed to placate my grumpiness, 10 mins later a suicide bomber walked into the pizza place.
Finally, my friends agreed to placate my grumpiness, 10 mins later a suicide bomber walked into the pizza place.
Went out one night to pick up a takeaway. I was in my mx5, roof down as it was a nice night. Along country lanes and fairly late and very quiet roads. Got my food and headed back home. The road that I had been along not probably 3 minutes earlier was now blocked by a 18 inch diameter oak tree. Rung up and reported it and considered my self very fortunate. Would have been messy had I been unlucky.
A couple I can remember, flew in from Toronto to London with BA, next BA plane that came in overshot the runway.
In Toronto stopped for food in a mall, as we were leaving the mall heard some alarms but thought nothing of it - saw on the news later it was the day of the mall shootings.
Owned a gold edition prelude, took 5 weeks to get from dealer as waiting for SVA, rolled it above M4 motorway after 3 weeks, slid down a hill on its side and just missed a sub-station before hitting a tree. No injuries!
Riding my motorbike through some lanes, tight corners, slowed down as I'm quite a new rider and it was blind - HGV comes flying round the corner taking up the whole road where it narrowed. If I was a few seconds quicker he would have been wearing me.
In Toronto stopped for food in a mall, as we were leaving the mall heard some alarms but thought nothing of it - saw on the news later it was the day of the mall shootings.
Owned a gold edition prelude, took 5 weeks to get from dealer as waiting for SVA, rolled it above M4 motorway after 3 weeks, slid down a hill on its side and just missed a sub-station before hitting a tree. No injuries!
Riding my motorbike through some lanes, tight corners, slowed down as I'm quite a new rider and it was blind - HGV comes flying round the corner taking up the whole road where it narrowed. If I was a few seconds quicker he would have been wearing me.
Edited by ozzuk on Sunday 28th June 17:39
Edited by ozzuk on Sunday 28th June 17:40
Used to go to a nightclub 20 miles away every Saturday night without fail , my mate drove as he didn’t drink.
One week I had an offer of the local bike as her parents where away. As a 19 year old lad I took up the offer.
Next morning early on I find out they crashed on the way home and all got killed.
One week I had an offer of the local bike as her parents where away. As a 19 year old lad I took up the offer.
Next morning early on I find out they crashed on the way home and all got killed.
Whistle said:
Used to go to a nightclub 20 miles away every Saturday night without fail , my mate drove as he didn’t drink.
One week I had an offer of the local bike as her parents where away. As a 19 year old lad I took up the offer.
Next morning early on I find out they crashed on the way home and all got killed.
Apologies for making light of a grim topic, but at 19 the only bike I was riding was my Raleigh burner One week I had an offer of the local bike as her parents where away. As a 19 year old lad I took up the offer.
Next morning early on I find out they crashed on the way home and all got killed.
As a kid was on the Herald of Free Enterprise within 24hrs of the disaster.
In March 2005 wife and I were staying in Egypt all inclusive and needed to escape the hotel. Rented a private taxi and went to Dahab. It was April 2006. What a dump it was too. Found a cat infested place called Alladins and sat there alone eating our meal which we shared with a million flies and almost as many cats. The next day a terrorist bomb killed some American tourists where we were sitting. Very sobering.
In March 2005 wife and I were staying in Egypt all inclusive and needed to escape the hotel. Rented a private taxi and went to Dahab. It was April 2006. What a dump it was too. Found a cat infested place called Alladins and sat there alone eating our meal which we shared with a million flies and almost as many cats. The next day a terrorist bomb killed some American tourists where we were sitting. Very sobering.
A couple come to mind.
I was working on the Piper Alpha.
Left the rig on the Friday.
By the Wednesday, it was gone.
In 1990, I had to fly to Malaysia on the hurry up.
Our travel agent gave me the choice of BA or KLM business class.
I'd recently flown BA & wasn't impressed so chose KLM.
The BA flight had a stopover in Kuwait and was the day Saddam invaded, with the passengers ending up as Human Sheilds.
I was working on the Piper Alpha.
Left the rig on the Friday.
By the Wednesday, it was gone.
In 1990, I had to fly to Malaysia on the hurry up.
Our travel agent gave me the choice of BA or KLM business class.
I'd recently flown BA & wasn't impressed so chose KLM.
The BA flight had a stopover in Kuwait and was the day Saddam invaded, with the passengers ending up as Human Sheilds.
Whistle said:
Used to go to a nightclub 20 miles away every Saturday night without fail , my mate drove as he didn’t drink.
One week I had an offer of the local bike as her parents where away. As a 19 year old lad I took up the offer.
Next morning early on I find out they crashed on the way home and all got killed.
So you rode a bike 20 miles to the nightclub instead of going in the car with your mates.One week I had an offer of the local bike as her parents where away. As a 19 year old lad I took up the offer.
Next morning early on I find out they crashed on the way home and all got killed.
Wise decision.
Sister should have been in New York on 9/11. Missed a connection to the cross Atlantic flight that would have got her into NY on 10//9. Flew next day but ended up being grounded in Newfoundland somewhere. Her agenda for 9/11 would have had her at her bank in the twin tower!
Boxing day storm in 1998 I was in Norn Ireland. I'd stopped to speak to the police to see if the B road short cut I was going to take was open, we'd already come across three trees down that evening and were two hours, one quarter distance in, to a journey that usually took 1hr 45mins.
Spoke to the police and they reckoned the short cut would be better as it went over a moorland, rather than through woods South of Strabane where there were more trees down on the A road. So after a few minutes discussion we then set off again. No trees on the mountain road but going over the top a mile or so in front of us we saw an awesome electric storm as the electric poles (wooden) went down and the power cables snapped and were arcing onto the road surface. If we'd not stopped and spoke to the cops we'd have been on that bit of road.
Boxing day storm in 1998 I was in Norn Ireland. I'd stopped to speak to the police to see if the B road short cut I was going to take was open, we'd already come across three trees down that evening and were two hours, one quarter distance in, to a journey that usually took 1hr 45mins.
Spoke to the police and they reckoned the short cut would be better as it went over a moorland, rather than through woods South of Strabane where there were more trees down on the A road. So after a few minutes discussion we then set off again. No trees on the mountain road but going over the top a mile or so in front of us we saw an awesome electric storm as the electric poles (wooden) went down and the power cables snapped and were arcing onto the road surface. If we'd not stopped and spoke to the cops we'd have been on that bit of road.
couple of work ones
a pallet of bricks fell off the scaffolding about 6 stories, just as we left, the crane had dropped it hard,
2 ton of bricks landed 20 foot behind us,
talking to builders saying the gable they were working on wasnt safe, I was 30 foot back, they got down to talk to me, just as a truck went past, the end of the building collapsed.
a pallet of bricks fell off the scaffolding about 6 stories, just as we left, the crane had dropped it hard,
2 ton of bricks landed 20 foot behind us,
talking to builders saying the gable they were working on wasnt safe, I was 30 foot back, they got down to talk to me, just as a truck went past, the end of the building collapsed.
hungry_hog said:
Was thinking today (too much time on my hands) about lucky escapes.
I think my first one was the Hatfield train crash in October 2000.
I had booked a seat on the train and actually missed my taxi at the departure end. Didn't make the train. My mum assumed I was involved and was shocked when I turned up few hours later.
Family legend is that a great-grandfather narrowly missed this train:I think my first one was the Hatfield train crash in October 2000.
I had booked a seat on the train and actually missed my taxi at the departure end. Didn't make the train. My mum assumed I was involved and was shocked when I turned up few hours later.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Bridge_disaste...
Can't think of any involving me personally but my wife (then girlfriend) had this land behind her just as she passed under the bridge.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-new...
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-new...
spikeyhead said:
The plane that crashed whilst displaying at Carfest a few years ago landed 80 yards behind me
I've fallen off when 60 foot up whilst rock climbing free solo. Managed to grab hold of a ledge after dropping about 10 foot.
...and I also grew up in Luton
I've fallen off when 60 foot up whilst rock climbing free solo. Managed to grab hold of a ledge after dropping about 10 foot.
...and I also grew up in Luton
shocked about Luton most of all 
I was working for Transport for London at the time of the 7/7 London Bombings, and saw all the power outages suddenly appear on the monitors at Centrecomm, where the main office speaks to most of the bus and tube drivers. I was working in their head office. My heavily pregnant wife was on her way to work for Camden Council at their Town Hall at Kings Cross, the train in front of hers was the one that was attacked. She had to walk down the tracks in a dark tunnel from Caledonian Road to the next station before trying to get a taxi home after all the buses were suspended. I had to walk home from Victoria back to our house in North London, but couldn't ring her as all the phone lines went down, including mobiles.
The Carpetright store at the end of my street was the one torched
in the Tottenham Riots in 2011, I knew a family who escaped un harmed from the flats above the carpet shop with only the clothes on their back
2005 had earmarked two car's for sale one in Bristol the other in London had I not bought the one in Bristol we would have been in London on the day of the 7/7 bombings.
2007 went to Liverpool for a few day's, gets off the bus to walk the last few hundred yards to where we were staying had to leap out of the way of a hoodie'd chav on a pushbike speeding down the pavement. Shortly afterwards we were passed by more 5 series police cars than thought possible for one force to have. Put the tv on once back in the hotel only to find out we'd just walked past the scene of the Rhys Jones murder!
2007 went to Liverpool for a few day's, gets off the bus to walk the last few hundred yards to where we were staying had to leap out of the way of a hoodie'd chav on a pushbike speeding down the pavement. Shortly afterwards we were passed by more 5 series police cars than thought possible for one force to have. Put the tv on once back in the hotel only to find out we'd just walked past the scene of the Rhys Jones murder!
Edited by finlo on Sunday 28th June 22:39
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