Speaking of exciting...

Many, many years ago...I was following a VW bug on the Schuylkill Expressway where the bug driver was signaling to get off at City avenue. The exit lane had a notorious "bump" in the road where the bridge surface met the road - it was subsiding.

Anyway, the bug hit the bump and the right rear tire shot out from under the wheel well - launched into the air about 40 feet or so and then hopped across all the opposite lanes of traffic without hitting anything.

The funny part was that the bug kept going - balancing on three wheels for another hundred yards or so. It was not until the driver moved left to exit the road that the car unballanced and the rear settled to the ground dragging until the car stopped.

I pulled in behind it and got out to lend a hand as the driver stared at the open space where his wheel used to be. He could not believe it was gone.

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Another night, my wires and distributor in my Pinto got wet in a horrendous downpour and I had to get to a phone to call my friends to pick me up. I had stopped at the top of one side of a hill and after about a half hour or so after I got back from the phone, I saw my buds come over the hill and drive on down into the valley between us.

The valley unfortunately was impassible because there was about 40 feet of flooded road and no way to get around it. (Funny, this was on Conshohocken State road – not far from where the bug lost it’s tire years before (or after I don’t remember.))

I watched as my friends turned around and headed back up the road and over the hill on their side. I figured I would be stuck in the wet cold for another 20 minutes or so while they found their way around the flood.

About two minutes later, I saw the bug come roaring over the hill again and gain speed as it came down the hill. I thought to myself that this would have a bad outcome as a few 4x4 trucks had tried to cross, but were not able to due to the depth of the floodwaters. But my friends were coming hard anyway.

They hit the waters with a huge splash and then proceeded to bob left and right across the water until they got to my side and gas it again when the wheels hit the ground once more. The climbed the hill stopped and said “get in.” I was amazed as they turned around speed up again and floated across to the other side again as we headed on home.

I have always been in awe of bugs since that time.

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2006 X5 Sport 4.4i