OK, hereÆs the storyà The whole, entire, long-drawn-out story:


Miss Kathy and I have a neighbor that lives across and one house up the street from us (No, not the redhead û this is another one) û Anyway, in-and-among several other dilemmas û as if she didnÆt have enough to worry about alreadyà like her sweet and angelic little 3-year-old daughter suffering from a neurological disorder - most recently, on Friday, her furnace gave up its ghost.

Well, after staying with us for the weekend, their new furnace arrived this morningà However, with her derelict car sitting in her driveway, blocking the installation process, it fell upon me and the power of the mighty`Zu to extract her Toyota Celica from its long-sedentary resting place.

(DonÆt worry thoughà Quite some time ago Miss Kathy took out a loan on a Mitsubishi Galant, and has offered it - indefinitely - for all of their transportation needs. --- What can I say? - The woman has a heart of pure goldà That's why I love her! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> )


Anyway, back to the Toyotaà

With 3-inches worth of packed snow on the street, and sub-zero overnight temperaturesà needless to say, things were mighty slick. --- Still, with my Rodeo in Tera 4-Low, I effortlessly made my way up the hillà and everything looked like it was going to be a breezeà that is, until I discovered that the back of her Toyota had a pair of very small closed-loop tow points û far too small for me to loop and interlace my open-ended tow strap through.


[* Insert the image of me wanting to kick myself in the butt for not previously getting a D-Ring *]


Soà The quest was on. --- I drove to a number of local establishments in search of a sturdy D-Ringà without success. --- And I was actually about to give-up on the idea, when I suddenly remembered that I had once seen a number of them hanging on the wall at the Farm Bureau. (DonÆt you just love small rural towns?) --- Soà it was off to the Farm Bureau I wentà

I made my way down to College Avenue (just about the only truly flat street in town), and soon found myself behind a Ford Explorer that was traveling quite slowlyà slow even for the road conditionsà like maybe 10 MPH.

Well, I settled-in behind this vehicle for the painstakingly slow journey across town, maintaining an adequately reasonable distance, of courseà


[* Note the foreshadowing! *]


àAnd after a couple of blocks at this paceà I sneezed.

ThatÆs ità nothing moreà just your garden-variety æAH-CHOO!Æà



But as luck would have ità it was at that very same exact moment, the driver of the Explorer decided to suddenly and inexplicably bring their vehicle to the curb for an abrupt æstop-and-squatÆ styled dead-stopà

No prior warningà No advance signalà No nothingà They simply came to a halt in front of meà

And given the road conditionsà It was so amazingly sudden that I actually suspect they threw it in park to do so.


Anywayà in retrospect, I believe that the driver in front of me was aware of how slowly they were traveling, and they were merely trying to be courteous, and let everyone go around.


Unfortunately, on this particular 4-lane-wide street, whenever we have a snow storm, everyone tends to move away from the sides of the road, and thus, they make their respective tracks become notably closer together than when the weather is clear. --- As such, after the Explorer stopped, the oncoming traffic was far too close for me to risk going around on that sideà

And wouldnÆt you know it, I was hindered from going around on the other side of them too. --- Sooooooooooà


[* Insert the sound of an Isuzu Rodeo walloping the back of a Ford Explorer *]


[* Now insert the sound of the driver of the Rodeo repeatedly beating his right fist on the steering wheel, while using approximately two-thirds of the colorful language in his repertoire *]


After the collision, I watched in my rear view mirror as the car behind me slid sideways, and very narrowly escaped making contact with my rear bumperà

Then I directed my focus ahead of me again, to the Explorerà And watched as it started to DRIVE AWAYà and rather hastily I might add!


ôHUH? û What theàö


My first instinct was to grab for my cameraà But wouldnÆt you know ità In my rush to get that Toyota moved, I apparently failed to put it on my belt before leaving the house. (And anyone who knows me can certainly tell you how totally out of character it is not to have my camera with me, at all times!)


So, with the Explorer speeding away (And me wondering why they hadnÆt been driving that fast in the first place!), I quickly gathered my thoughts, put it in gear, and followed them.

They turned right at the next intersection - and instead of pulling over - THEY CONTINUED ON!

Soà I kept following.

They then made a left onto the next streetà and soon after - I guess realizing that they were not going to loose me û they finally pulled over.



As driver got out of the Explorer, I opened my door and called out to herà
ôFirst of all, ARE YOU OK?ö

I think this question was an utterly unexpected surpriseà It completely allayed any fears that she might have had about me being some stereotypical redneck in a lifted 4x4à It must have, because her posture instantly changed completelyà She seemed to immediately relax quite a bit, and called back to meà

ôOh, IÆm OK, Honeyà IÆm just shaken.ö

ôAre you SURE?ö

ôYeahà IÆm fine.ö


By then, we were both looking at the rear of her Explorerà More specifically, we were looking at the long vertical line that was pushed into her tail gate, courtesy of my brush guard.

Not horribleà But bad enough to be noticed from about a block away.


About then, I turned to look at the front of my Rodeo, expecting to see all of my lights smashed-out. --- Instead, much to my surprise, they were still there (Although, I have since learned that I have apparently lost some bulbs)à

I saw that my factory bug shield, and the front edge of my hood didnÆt fair very well.


As I was tugging away at part of my broken bug shield, she said:
ôWell, this isnÆt so bad, and yours looks OKà You want to just leave it at that?ö

ôUmmmö

ôI meanà I know you didnÆt mean to run into meö

ôAhhà Absolutely notà No!ö


[* Insert the thought of me saying: ôWTF-were-you-thinking-just-stopping-like-a-rock-on-a-slick-street-for-absolutely-no-apparent-reason-like-that-anyway?!?!?!ö *]


ôWellà I guess IÆm gonna go on thenö û And with that, she got back in her Explorer, and simply drove off like nothing had ever happened.



I hopped back in my Rodeo, and headed onà Until a little farther down this narrow neighborhood side-street, when I soon found myself behind her again!

This time I tripled the distance that I had maintained between us beforeàAnd itÆs a darn good thing too!

Once again she stopped abruptly û and this time, it was right in the middle of the street! --- A few seconds later, she moved forward about 30-feet, and pulled off to the sideà

Once she was far enough out of the way that I had a safe passage, I went around herà and as I drove by, I looked over to see that she had her hands at ten-and-two, with her eyes clenched tightly closed, and her head was slumped down and pressed against the steering wheel.



I wanted to stop and comfort her, or at least see if there was something that I could do, but I was on a missionà A mission to get a D-Ring, in order to assist my neighborà

Remember the D-Ring?


Well, I managed to make it to the Farm Bureau unscathedà And I was rightà It turned out that they had exactly what I wanted. --- So, as I was walking out of there, and back to my Isuzu, with my new shiny-black D-Ringà It was at that moment that I happened to notice where my front fascia had also sustained some damage.


[* DOH! *]


Anyhow, I was making my way back across town (on a completely different, and much clearer street!), when the thought suddenly occurred to me that this might all be some sort of scam, and that I should probably stop by the police station on my way homeà

So, I did.



The dispatcher listened intently to my tale, and raised an eyebrow when I got to the part where it was *ME* that had rear-ended someone else. (Like he was thinking: ôOK, this is a new one!ö)

And that eyebrow of his went even higher when I told him that it was the *OTHER* driver that had left the sceneàAnd that I actually had to follow them. (Like he was thinking: ôWOW - This really IS a new one!ö)


And then, when I was through laying it all out, he askedà
ôSo, what were the damages?ö

ôWellà ThereÆs a nice vertical impression on the back of that ladyÆs Explorerà And I have a bit of a dent in my hood, lost part of my bug shield, and some of the grill.ö

ôAnd are you OK with that?ö

ôWellà Yeah, I guess. --- Heck, IÆve done worse to mine while out on the trails. ---(He laughed)--- I just want to make sure that this doesnÆt come back to bite me somehowà I mean, IÆve heard a few horror stories in my time.ö

ôWell, from what youÆve just told me, you should be fine.ö

ôOK thenà Thank you very much, Sir.ö û And out the door I went.



Upon arriving back in front of my neighborÆs driveway, with a big beefy D-Ring Shackle in-hand, I soon learned that the guys from the heating company had only minutes before carried the new furnace around the other side of my neighborÆs giant blue spruce û thereby avoiding the tight squeeze between it and her Toyota û and that furthermore, they had gone ahead and made arrangements to return on a warmer day to collect the remains of her old furnaceà

In other words, I made the whole blasted trip for NOTHING! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />


[* Insert the sound of my right hand smacking my forehead *]



Despite my numerous and firm protests û apparently, as a gesture of her appreciation for all of the assistance that we have provided, and perhaps to rid any feelings of guilt that she might have as a result of my Isuzu being Æhurt-in-the-line-of-dutyÆ whilst on her accountà Our neighbor is flatly insisting that we let her cover the cost of the replacement bug shieldà And she is adamant that it be the exact same kind that I lost... ie: It has to be a factory piece, with the word æISUZUÆ inscribed on it.

(Yes, sheÆs obviously noticed my obsession with all-things-Isuzu!)


Kathy and I have already tried our best to dissuade her of this notion, but my neighbor is just about as willful as they comeà So when Miss Kathy looked at me and just shrugged, I knew that we were both out of ammunitionà


Soà If anyone happens to have an original first generation Rodeo bug shield that they want to part withà Bless her heart; I happen to know someone whoÆs looking to buy it for me.


Oh! - And as long as IÆm at ità If anyone has a 1996-97 front grill fascia, please let me know! --- And by the way, that item will be on my dime.




So whatÆs the moral of the story?

Wellà I could probably go with æNo good deed goes unpunishedÆ, and leave it at that - But IÆm just not quite that cynical. (Well, not yet anyway û But I think IÆm getting there!)


So, how about this instead:

If you donÆt already have a good tow strap AND a D-Ring Shackleà For HeavenÆs sake, go get `em! --- Whatever you do, donÆt do like I did, and wait until the last minute!


Oh yeahà And donÆt try to cheat, and get one of those straps with the hooks already attached û Those things are just plain dangerous! --- Get yourself an OPEN-LOOP STRAP, and the best D-RING that they haveà


Trust me; otherwise, YOU might be author of your very own hard-luck story (and thatÆs if youÆre lucky!) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />



AND LASTLY:
(Heyà I heard that! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" /> )

Just so no one hits me with that little annoying æThis Thread Is Worthless Without PixÆ graphicà Here ya go:







^^^ I think now I know about how a child must feel when their Daddy has always had a mustache, and then one day he decides to shave it off!

àAnd YES, IÆve got Jingle Bells on my brush guard û-- æHappy HolidaysÆ to you too, Bubba! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

[*Insert Drop jaw Smiley*]

I have no words Smiley, simply no words. Sorry to hear about your bug shield though. Atleast you got a D-ring out of it.




So inflame the price...... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />


Happy Holidays Everyone!

Nick <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Ah yes... I can feel the love! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />


[* Insert the sound of my front door just now closing, with my neighbor and her daughter on the other side of it, heading over to their nice-warm home *]


All's well that ends well, right? --- Heck, since the collision, my starter has kicked on the first or second try... I guess that's sort of a gift if you look at it the right way.


Now... If you will excuse me... Miss Kathy and I finally have the house to our selves for the first time in DAYS! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

Just so you know, I'm guessing the "tow points" you were looking at were actually tie-down points. A subtle but important difference...every vehicle sold in this country must have tie-down points; they are intended for securing the vehicle while transporting it across the country on a train or truck to the dealer. They are not particularly strong and are not intended for towing.

While I am sure they would have survived fine for your planned task of pulling the car out of the driveway, they are not suitable for more rugged duty, such as pulling a vehicle out of a mudhole out on the trail.

Severe pulling on one of these tie-down loops could result in it giving way entirely, with possible injuries resulting when the tow strap is released suddenly (such as you were alluding to with the hook-type towropes).

As for the encounter you had, Smiley, it sure sounds like the gal had her own reasons for not wanting the police involved...we can only speculate <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drunk.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

Smiley, you have really out done you self this time....

We need to zip your posts for the dail-up people...

LMAO

Chase

I hear Arlo playing in the background.

So, you managed to tie in the Sheriff and you probably passed a church during your travels, but where are the circles and arrows on the pictures? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Hey Smiley, you could have just driven to my house and taken the D-ring off of my rear bumper. But I guess that's not an option now.

Too bad the damage wans't greater to your front end, you could've ended up with a indy or dor bull bar type bumper.

I lost my bug deflector, hood and front portion of fender because of that brush guard. They look nice and all but suck for protection. It tends to flex back into the hood and cause probably more damage than if it wasn't there. I actually lost above items twice and thats when I decided to build my own ARB style bumper. Of course I haven't run into anything since then so don't know how it will fair but it has to do better than the factory set up.

Glad everyone was ok though. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Agreed! û And thank you for pointing out the difference! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

(I had intended to draw the distinction myself, but as some of you who were the very first to read my novella can attest, I missed dotting a few æIÆs and crossing several æTÆs in my haste to hit the post button. --- IÆll go back at some point today and correct the oversight.)



That thought almost made it into the story as well, but geeeeeez, wasnÆt it long enough already? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />
[/quote]



<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> TouchÚ, Se±or Chaseà TouchÚ!
[/quote]



Brother, you have no idea how hard it was for me to resist the urge to put circles and arrows on those photos! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />
[/quote]



[* Insert the sound of my hand smacking my forehead, AGAIN! *]

It honestly never even occurred to meà And I bloody-well wish that it had!

As it just so happens, I drove down the hill, AND RIGHT PAST YOUR HOUSE, on my way from Cumberland to College! --- As a matter of fact, I was approaching the stop sign, and at about the end of your back yard when I saw that fateful Explorer go by on College Avenue.

Ya just gotta love hindsight! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />



Just because I was lucky, and the damage was relatively minorà DonÆt think that the thought hasnÆt crossed my mind! --- Believe me; since it happened, IÆve had Joe DarlingtonÆs signature line running through my head every time IÆve looked at the front of my Rodeo!
[/quote]



Actually, mine at least managed to protect all of my lights û the headlights & both sets of auxiliaries. --- IÆm really not sure if this was a fair trade (the lights for everything else), but for the moment, IÆm at least fully mobile, and will only be out-of-pocket for a pair of H3s (one for my off-road lights & one for the fogs).



And hopefully, with any luck, youÆll never actually have to test its fortitude û At least not in traffic!
[* Fingers crossed *]

As for fabbing-up a custom steel bumperà Only time (and a bunch of pinched pennies) will tell! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />



Amen to that!
[/quote]


And in related news:
Via IM, Captain 'Tree Killer' Nemo (DougH) has just informed me that my new nickname is 'Demo(lition) Man' <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

My welds held <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> I had the honors of extending the stock brush guard 3 inches up when we did his body lift.

That would be the first real good test of anything I've built, well other than the shackles I'm running.