Did you ever do something so stupid you could have died?

by NewYork44M 24 Replies latest jw experiences

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  NewYork44M

  My experience, and shame on me. In a snowstorm in PA on a highway, I ran out of gas.

  This was one of many mistakes for the evening. The general rule is that a person should stay in the car and wait for help. But of course, not me.

  After a few minutes, person stopped and offered me a ride to the nearest gas station. I took the ride and after getting a few gallons of gas in a container I began walking back to the car, which as I soon realized was a hell of a long way walking in a snow storm. As I walked up the exit ramp, a state trooper stopped and after asking why I was walking along a higway in a snowstorm offered to take me to the car.

  The trooper took me to the car, I filled the car with gas and for whatever reason was not able to get the car started. Just as this crisis scenario was taking place a tow truck appeared. I and the trooper explained the situation. The tow truck took me to the nearest exit, to a hotel and I was safe and sound.

  I have gone through this chain of events many times since that night. I realize now how stupid I was and how many opportunities there were for this event to turn into a life threatening tragedy. As far as I am concerned, my experience is proof that god takes care of fools.
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  Think About It

  My first and only attempt at surfing off the coast of Hawaii almost ended with me drowning. It was stupid of me to go that far out, not have a board tether, and be the last one in the group to surf in. This was my first attempt at surfing, and I thought because I was athletic that it would be easy. Almost paid for that stupid decision with my life. People really need to be knowledgeable of this sport before trying.
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  SafeAtHome

  That's why a AAA membership and cell phone are worth every penney if they are used, even if only rarely, in a situation like this. So happy you are safe, don't be too hard on yourself. Sounds like you learned a valuable lesson and won't get yourself into a situation like this again.
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  Glander

  I was in Wyoming in December, 1964. Out of boredom, I thought I would climb up nearby Sundance mountain. It was not difficult to hike up near the summit what with the snow making footing easy. Then I decided to traverse a 200 yard wide snow field that was on about a 45 degree angle. Halfway across I realized I was on a giant tilted shelf above a 200 foot sheer cliff. I was afraid to move for fear the shelf would simply slide off. i turned around and crept back in my own tracks, scared to death I would be swept away at any moment. ( snowfield was on the edge of the escarpment seen in the summer pic.)

  
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  designs

  In my years of alcoholism there were many times I drove drunk, actual black-outs, I don't remember getting home. So dangerous it scares me to this day, thankfully no one was injured.
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  ballistic

  I decided to visit a large waterfall in a very remote montainous area, but instead of walking to the top of it along a marked route,

  I would find my way, with my wife, to the bottom of the falls, by scaling some cliffs and steep hills.

  We arrived at the falls a couple of hours behind schedule and I had to decide whether to go back (but it had been such a difficult terrain)

  or to go on, even though I didn't know the way.

  I choose the second option which involved scaling to the top of the waterfall, over 1000ft, and after it had been raining heavily all day we had to cross many tributaries and rivers in flood.

  At one place, cold and frightened, my new wife, said "just leave me here to die, you go on!"

  I said there's not far to go, and finally reached the car after wading thigh deep in a frezing cold river in the pitch black that was just up from a large water fall we could hear. There was no moon out there that night and going through water in the pitch black with the noise of that water fall, was a time I had to keep my nerve.
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  Simon

  Hi Ballistic - long time no see ! Hope things are going well :)

  I've done plenty of crazy things when I was little.

  We used to play all along the banks of the what we called "the old river" (Irwell) and the Manchester Ship Canal.

  

  This is just in front of Irlam locks and the bridge carries a railway line. We used to play on both. Tarzan rope swings over the canal. Hanging on to the bridge as trains rattled past. Going down to the water as boats went past and then racing up the bank before the wave swept you in! Round the corners were abandoned air-raid shelters and bomb-craters from WWI that seemd awesome to play around.

  Holy crap, how the hell am I here?!?!
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  Simon

  Wow, lots more memories here: http://citynoise.org/article/4343
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  Hortensia

  After visiting someone at a hospital late in the evening, I gave a ride to a woman who ran up to me and asked me to give her a ride home as she thought someone was following her. What a stupid asshole I was. Should have said, "let's go in the hospital and call the police." Instead I gave her a ride home, at which point she said, "do what I say and you won't get hurt." Some pals of hers were coming toward the car. Luckily I hit the gas and got out of the neighborhood. She started screaming to get out of the car, so I dropped her off a few blocks away and went home shivering.

  I've never forgotten that. And I don't ever ever let a stranger into my car or house.
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  Satanus

  As a kid, i often made mistakes or forgot things in the farmwork i had to do for my dad. He generally made me feel so stupid that i might as well die. That's a little different, i guess.

  S