Do you have any interesting stories to share?

#1

I live in the country, in a small town, and I had been “driving” by sitting in my Daddy’s lap or my Pops’ lap. This was in the late 70s-early 80s (I was born in 1972). By the time I could reach the gas pedal, I was driving our family pickup truck all over the place, but not in town or where traffic was heavy. Anyway, my family and I were staying at our lake house the summer I was 13. I thought I was hot s**t because I could “drive” without a license. Hell, I’d been doing it for years without getting caught, so I naturally felt invincible with my haughty teenaged self. Then, lo and behold, I was making my way back to our house from a friend’s when I saw him behind me…and his big a*s blue light and honking siren. I was scrambling to come up with an excuse before he reached the truck, but panicked. Sadly and fortunately, everybody knows everybody in a small town, and mine was no exception.

It was well-known that my mother ruled with an iron fist and rarely deviated from her traditional ways, which actually worked in my favor. My daddy was firm, but also more understanding. Finally, after what seemed like years, Officer Gratic and I were in agreement that he would not issue any ticket for driving without a license or tell my mother (he would tell my daddy), but I had to agree not to get my license until I was 16 and only drive with my permit, assisted by an adult. I gave him my word, he spoke with my daddy the next day, and I escaped unharmed by the Iron Fist. When the officer spoke with my daddy, he revealed that it was well known that I’d been driving underage for a while and that he just happened to be the one who caught me first. Wow!!! I had no idea it was a competition to see who would be the first to catch me! Hahaha Luckily, this part of a small town community is definitely a pro!

And I kept my word, too. I didn’t get my license until I was 16 and had my permit when I was 15. And I had to get that bastard renewed a few times since it kept expiring.

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fredneobob90 avatar
Huddo's sister
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad had been driving similarly before he turned 18 (our legal driving age). When he went for his license test it was done by the local policeman. He got there and the cop said "you know how to drive right?", I think had him just drive around the block (or not even that), and said that was enough and gave him his license.

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#2

i am not the legal age to drive so idk if this counts but yk the mini cars that are for kids and they actually work? when i used to play with the younger kids in the neiborhood, one of them had one of these cars they let me try it out so i drove around on it lol. i was obviously too big and it was hilarious :D

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#3

Was driving on the highway, listening to news radio, and it started to rain heavily. There was a serious risk of aquaplaning. Then, just as I was passing a big truck, the news came on that a plane had hit the Twin Towers. At the same moment my view was temporarily blocked completely by a spray caused by the truck driving through water. For a short moment I strongly felt The World Is Ending Right Now.

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#4

I drove a golf cart yesterday and ran over a fire hydrant. It was my first time driving in my defense (I’m 14)

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#5

Early 90s. Driving back up the M1 from London. Very hot day so I had both passenger and drivers windows down. Somewhere between Watford and the Blue Boar service station steam was coming from the engine so pulled onto the hard shoulder to let it cool down. No such luck. Walked to the nearest emergency phone to get help. Loads of people passing shouting and laughing at me but no one stopped to help and it wasn’t long after a woman on her own stuck in the hard shoulder had her throat slit. As I hadn’t joined RAC or AA all they could do was tow me to the nearest service station and leave me & the car. What do I do now, I’m panicking. No idea where the main road or train station is or how to get there as I was very wary of begging a lift from strangers. About 6 hours later I realised I had no option but to ring the parents at home in Yorkshire and beg, grovel, plead for help. So they drove all the way down to get me and after a short coffee break they set off again with a very ashamed me. The next day, Monday, I bought myself a mobile phone.

The car? The engine was totally screwed because it had blown a cylinder head gasket. Turns out that with the windows down and radio on rather loud I hadn’t heard the sound of the engine complaining - I’d driven all the way in third gear! Got it repaired then it ended up being stolen the year after.

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#6

My dad's answer to teaching my older sister to drive nearly killed us all.


He threw her into a stick shift Ford van, on an interstate full of tractor-trailers in a hurry, and screamed at her for not knowing how to drive in those conditions.



The only thing she'd ever dfriven before? The farm tractors. And those had different shift patterns. So naturally she wasn't getting from 2nd to 3rd gear in a frigging passenger van.

Finally, we got home, and I discovered that day I could speed-pray a rosary. My sister was too scared to drive again for almost five years. I refused to let my dad teach me at all.

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leiladebacker avatar
bluegal (they/them)
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow. That is horrible. Your dad should've known that she wasn't ready to drive in traffic or at an intersection without learning how. I'm sorry you guys went through that.

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#7

I got my driver’s license in California where you were required to use your own car to take the driving test with the person testing you. This was awhile back when cars often came in ‘stick shifts’ as well as automatic but I only knew how to drive an automatic and the only non-stick shift car I had access to was my mom’s brand new Corvette. Well, needless to say, sport cars don’t drive the same and I failed my test halfway through because I kept (not intentionally) going too fast leading me to run through a stop sign and red light, etc. The guy I tested with said that was the scariest test he’d ever been on and that he hoped that for the public’s sake, I didn’t get on the road again anytime soon! LOL

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom took me to a cemetery to learn how to drive a manual transmission. Yeah, it was learn how to drive up an icy hill in Minnesota or knock over some grave stones. Let's just say that I am very proficient in driving a stick shift in the snow.

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#8

The day I got my driver's license (17 yrs old) , I asked my dad if I could borrow the car for an hour. He asked "why?" (my mom was all, why not?)
I had never driven alone with my learner's permit and for once I wanted to drive the car without someone hitting the imaginary brakes on the front seat passenger side or telling me what to do.

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#9

A few days ago I was driving on a freeway where the speed limit, like it matters, was 75. It was raining so hard we were down to 45 to 50. The wipers could not keep up with the rain. When I finally got home I just sat in the car for a bit to thank the whatever that I made it home.

Got hooked, shoved and spun by a semi on I35 in Austin Tx. Only to end up in the far left break down lane and get front ended by a box truck. Went into the repair shop after the tow, and said "I need a new bumper". They gave me a ride home. That one bent the frame. Then the ex decided to total it.

Back in my teenage years I did a full 360 in the snow, and then another one. White knuckled it to the next exit ramp off the highway. Yeah, I'm a bit skittish about driving these days. New Mexico is the worst state to drive in. I walk to the grocery store.

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capndad1 avatar
R.A. Haley
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rain-x is a gift from god. Saved my bacon a few times, especially once coming back from Reno over the Donner summit. The entire sky opened up and dropped every ounce of rain there was in the world on my head, but I could still see. Rain-x... Believe in it.

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#10

I was nine. That summer Friday my dad got home from work, and after a bit got into the car to go into town, as we were leaving on our vacation to Cape Cod in the morning. Two weeks on the beach! Backed down the driveway, something in the rear end went 'clunk!' Car is broke. Three disconsolate little boys. Next morning I'm out on the driveway with him to help him fix the car. My brothers were off somewhere playing. He found the problem, the auto parts store had the broken piece, and brought it out to us, and my dad found that he didn't have the right tool to put it back in. But my small hand served as well, and we got it back together. We took it for a test drive, and all was well. When we turned into our street, he pulled over and asked me, "Want to drive?" I sat on his lap and worked the steering wheel, he did the pedals, and we came down Buchanan Street at about 15 miles per hour, with me at the wheel. My brothers were so mad. We left Sunday morning, and when we got to Cape Cod, to assuage their fury at the praise our dad had given me, my brothers threw me down a 100 foot high dune. I rolled to the bottom, honor was satisfied.

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love that story. NE has really great people. My old banger, a manual transmission Mazda, brakes went out. I pulled off the road in Washington County NY and some nice people stopped to check on me. They followed me to the brake store, first one was closed so they directed me to another one. Took about four hours, but they fixed it and I went along my way to the farm house. Good people.

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#11

I'm working on getting my license for the first time at age 50. Half the classroom portion of lessons seems to be about not driving with ten of your friends in the car and the stereo full blast. At my age, I need something about how not to forget where I'm going or why I was going there...

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#12

Now, I'm a terrible driver and have never had beyond a learner's permit...that said, when I was deployed to Iraq the powers that be thought it would be a good idea to put me behind the wheel of a combat vehicle...it didn't go well. Let's just say that those mirrors are in a better place now...

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#13

My amazing wife booked a driving experience for me for my birthday! I finally got to get behind the wheel of one of my dream cars: a Ferrari 360 Modena. I was given some driving tips by the gentleman who worked at the facility (don't slam the shifter k**b around, avoid gaps in the road surface, the torque is high enough to simply let one's foot off the clutch, etc.), and then I was off! I drove around the highways out by Denver International Airport feeling tingles everywhere as the sultry V8 exhaust note reverberated in the air. As I finished my trip in the glorious red exotic car, I went beneath an underpass, dropped a gear, and buried the throttle. I will never forget the screaming snarl from the motor, the feeling of being shoved into the seat, or the thrilling moment of terror as the back end slid out (just a tad)! Nothing about the experience was disappointing, and I cannot wait to do it again someday!

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I started holding my breath at the first sentence. I lived off Baker Rd in Eden Prairie MN. Those curves were a lot of fun. A friend told me I drive like I'm in a race car. Downshift is the key. I would also bike on that road. Surprised I wasn't flattened.

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#14

This will get buried but anyways ...

It was the first winter after I got my driving licence (this was in Germany, so I have been 18 at the time).
I was working at a discotheque at the weekends and been ready to head to work. It was mildly raining but also freezing, so the streets and everything was covered in a layer of ice. My car was free of it all, thanks to the garage it was in, so I decided to just go and work when my friend and coworker called, asking me to pick her up because her garage froze over and she coldn't get her car out of it. Sure, I'd go and catch her. Driving carefully the ice on the streets wasn't bothering me much when I suddenly faced the opposite direction I was heading to. My car lost grip and just turned 180 degrees. Glad that nothing happened, I just went to work, not bothering about my coworker anymore. Got safe to the discotheque and called her, explaining why I wasn't able to pick her up for work. She wasn't amused (wouldn't earn money that night), but my safety was more important to me.

Sorry about my bad english, it's obviously not my first language.

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Your story resonates. I get it. when I was in high school I wanted to go buy some weed. The locks were frozen over so I put a bunch of extension cords together and used a hair dryer to thaw them out. Just don't ask me about the 540. That is trauma territory.

#15

In the early spring of '99 I was a 17 year old junior in high school and was allowed to drive the extra family car; ( an ugly early '70's brown station wagon with a huge dent in the fender, the dent had been there for years I wasn't the cause of it). I hated that car, but wanted to drive. That car would get vapor lock if not warmed up first. It was a damp cold day & when school let out I was ready to go home. Well halfway home the car stalls & I cant get it started. Trying to think of how to keep the choke open while trying to crank I decided to hold it open with a quarter; which I subsequently dropped in the carborator. By the grace of God the car didn't crank after that. A passing moterist let me use her cell to call home. My Dad was very mechanical & was able to fix the car. About a year later that car threw it's timing chain & my Dad finally bought a decent extra family car.

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not even sure what that means. I've had the manual "push it down a hill" and put it in 2nd to get it going. Is that similar?

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#16

This was many years ago and I was the passenger…it was my birthday and my friend Paige was driving me and another friend to see our boss’ band play in downtown Houston. It was pouring rain and we were all high as f**k driving on I45s. All of a sudden a man appeared in the middle of the freeway! Paige was like a race car driver and was able to swerve to avoid hitting him and still stay in our lane, thus avoiding hitting any of the cars around us. It all happened so fast that after we were like, “did that just really happen?” Needless to say we all sobered up pretty quickly!

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep.In my 20s we did a coke run in blizzard. I stayed in the ruts. That was 30 years ago.

#17

we were on a round road like one of those curvy things on the highway to ket you turn without crashing. It was winter and we drove on it, lost control and did a spin we were tryng to get back to normal when a truck came in behind us we got moving again just in time

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#18

On a first date, (23 years after we lost touch after High School) he took me off-roading in his 4x4. Asked if I wanted a go driving. (I’ve driven for 22 years, never off-road though.) I made his 4x4 fly by hitting a bump too fast. Twice.

Worked out well, he’s sat next to me 2 years later playing Snowrunner!

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That reminds me of when we were hammered at an upstate NY farm and they put me on a four wheeler in a dead corn patch. They were all yelling at me about how to drive. I just said something less than "be quiet" and took off bouncing over the corn field. I'm still alive so it went well.

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#19

OP. I'm sure we all have flat tire experiences. Please share.

The first one for me was in high school. I was late for class and for some odd reason a key ended up in my tire. I heard the hissing and said WTF? Didn't want to be late to class and ran into my ceramics teacher. Mel. I asked him what is up? A series of mishaps in a day.

He said "Jame, it can happen all at once and you can get past it, or it can happen over time. Get through this."

I did and a friend helped me change out my flat for a spare.

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R.A. Haley
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9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had a wheel come off once. Felt a rumble in the front end and failed to realize the lug nuts weren't tight enough. Wheel flew off on the freeway, car dropped down on that corner and I ground a good bit off the A-frame before coming to a stop. Managed to get it fixed, then snapped the crankshaft in two about a year later.

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#20

The very first thing I did with my very first car was go out at night, nearly miss a red light and skidded sideways into an intersection. Wound up facing an off-ramp full of traffic waiting to see what the idiot was going to do for an encore. I pulled into the on-ramp just beyond me and got a cop behind me that must have been in the crowd on tge off-ramp. He just asked me if I was all right, no ticket. I squeeked out "yes", and he let me go home.

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think you should write short stories. Definitely have the gift of humor.

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#21

When I was 2 years old I pulled the emergency brake off in my parents car. Back then it was a pull lever under the dash. Anyway I fell and rolled under the middle of the car as it rolled backward down the hill into the road. Didn't even phase me. I was 2. what's danger?

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You have about 8 lives left? Glad you survived. Maybe your next challenge is the NYC subway.

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#22

I was driving at night for the first time and everything seemed to be going well, but out of nowhere I see something. I suddenly realize it’s a guy dressed in all black riding a bike full speed towards me, going the wrong way in the direct middle of my lane. I had like .2 seconds to react and wouldn’t have time to stop, luckily there was no one coming the other direction so i was able to swerve around him. I looked in my review mirror and he just continued on his merry way, like he didn’t almost get hit by a car

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#23

This happened just yesterday!!!

I was driving back from the corner market to get some dessert, and as i cross the stop sign, this white car comes careening towards me and i had to turn to get tf out of the way. I was so shaken up and i got home and told everyone about it, then went about my business as usual.

Today, I went to my friends’ to play some card games, and my very best friend comes up to me and says “lol i almost hit you yesterday.” I don’t think i’ve ever been that irritated with them before lmao

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justacog avatar
Orchard
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did you hesitate for a reason? Something similar happened to me. I was about to pull out of a gas station and I asked myself "why am I hesitating?" Seconds later a car comes careening through. If I had pulled forward I would have been t-boned.

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#24

Did you ever whip a s****y? Pull up the emergency brake and mess with your passengers?

I was the designated driver in high school. There were three streets we could take to get to Anne's house and I would call them door 1, 2 and 3. They never knew which one I would choose, but we always made it home safe.

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#25

I drove on acid. Will NEVER do that again. Chicks bickering in the back seat. had to yell at them to shut up.

On the highway there was a rail road crossing under the highway. But I was tripping and thought it might cross the freeway. I knew where I was and pulled off in a neighborhood. Almost kicked the girls out. They ended up crashing at my place. Thankfully mom was conked out, so I took them home the next day.

For the record, Imma chick.

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#26

When I was 16 my father took on the responsibility of teaching me to drive. This would not be so different than many families if it were not for him bringing a drink and a pipe with tobacco also having me drive his corvette versus the Monte Carlo. He made me so nervous. Come the day to get my license I called Dad at work to ask when he would be home. He asked why, I explained I was going to DMV to take driver test. He said I would not pass if I took the Vette that I had to take The Monte Carlo. I explained I have never driven it. He said I will do fine….
I passed with a 97!! So happy that day. This was in the 70’s.
After I got my license I never drove the Vette as I was not insured due to price hike. Go figure!!!🤪

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#27

my experience is good and I'm happy with him

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#28

I won first place on Rainbow Road on Mario Kart Wii seven times ina row once!

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#29

Going cross country on two motorcycles. We hit Iowa City in a blinding downpour. My friend is on his bike about 75 yards in front of me. Out of the rain comes a Greyhound bus. My friend is right in it's path. I'm sure it's going to end badly but at the last moment, he swerves out of the way. We stop under an overpass and I say "Close call with that bus!" He looks at me and says "what bus?"

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#30

The other day I drove through a nasty rainstorm. We were going 50 in a 75. I love driving but I've been skittish after I was hooked pulled and dragged by a semi. When I was driving through SE Texas I pushed my car to 100 when I knew I had the straight away.

It felt like liberation.

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justacog avatar
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9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is up with the negative? Stare down death on a highway an you may think different. I landed safely in the break down lane and then was front ended by a box truck. Every panel on the car was smashed and the frame was bent. Yes, I was pushed by a semi truck that spun me across five lanes. He couldn't see my car in front of him. Hence pushing my car. It was terrifying. I was just glad to end up on the side of the road. At that point, a box truck was a piece of cake.

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#31

My dad almost ran over a dog.

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#32

Was at a Cali golf course with my boss & my husband they wanted a few rounds of golf I wanted the beach I lost they're on the 8th hole & the sprinklers suddenly come on I'm in my swimsuit so I start frolicking thru the sprinklers meanwhile the 4some behind us are just watching me my hubby says hon I think they want to play thru all of them go no no it's OK she looks like she's having fun I was so now fast forward to the 16th hole we're out of beer so I say I'll go I get in the cart and Maria Andretti is born I start zooming to the clubhouse for a few cocktails sun is shining bird's are singing I'm probably doing 35mph all of the sudden a mama duck and 4 of her babies are crossing the pathway I scream turn the cart not wanting to hit them I hit a bush like tree flip the cart but mom and babies are cool I think the littlest one actually stopped started quacking at me shook it's little head as if to say women driver's I tell him hey look I was trying not to hit y'all maybe next time I just hit you got a bump on my head walk back to the guy's to have them upright the cart for me didn't notice the blood on my leg minor cut get back to cart go for cocktails come back to now 6some men all waiting on me for their stupid cocktails being all smug like men do when there's a bunch of them but being as I only had a 6pk someone wasn't getting 1 and that someone was not me they each gave me 20 asked if I wouldn't mind running back for more sure np 120 booze will cost 40 I got a discount on account of my swimsuit that's 80 profit yeah me gran 18pk get to the 17th just in time for that little baby duck to come make his presence known again I tell him to get lost he pecks my foot so I plucked him in his forehead he's all squawking impertinent little duck I sat down to tell him the ways of the world and that at least 3 of those men had designs on taking him home raising him just so that 1 day he'd be duck-alo'range served with some asparagus tips and rice pilaf we chatted about 15 minutes or so before his mom came boy she gave him a what-for poor little guy I made sure to bring them a couple of cookies before we left we turn the cart in gather our thing's before heading out all in all it was a pretty nice summer day I loved it

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