So ... what strange things happened near YOUR home?

[vacationhopeful]

Was minding my own business inside my house and then, WHAM! Out my front door and just 25 feet from the edge of my driveway .... I had to take a picture. Mid-morning, week day.

A teenager managed all by himself to NOT hit any other car, person, animal, etc. He was NOT hurt nor did the police stay around. I am standing on my next door neighbor's front yard. The tow company FLIPPED the car back into its wheels ... then used a flat bed tow truck to take it away.

Was about a 30 minute event ... so much for getting my work done at home.

 

[Passepartout]

So how does one get their car to assume 'Dead Cockroach' position?

 

[vacationhopeful]

Find a teenager driver!

And this is NOT a speedway or fast traffic roadway... like a 15MPH type of place. There were parked cars on the street ... and several parked car owners got asked to move their cars as to flip the car back onto its wheels. It was amusing for sure. And that is why I took a picture.

 

[Talent312]

He prolly served to avoid a cat in the road.
At least that's what a guy told the police after hitting my parked car.
.

 

[bluehende]

That looks like my car. Luckily mine is still in the driveway in an upright position. Weirdest thing here was me seeing a coyote last night as I took the trash out.

 

[DeniseM]

There was a Bail Bondsman across the street at my very nice and professional neighbor's house. They don't seem like the kind of people that need the services of a Bail Bondsman, but who knows.

 

[heathpack]

When we lived in the Hollywood hills, our house was on a curve in the road between Hollywood proper and the San Fernando Valley. Late at night, drunk or high people leaving clubs would regularly crash in front of our house. My husband would go out to see what was up.

One time, he engages the driver who tells him all about himself- he was a former child actor who play Ralph Macchio's nemesis in Karate Kid 2. The wasted guy tries to demo some karate kick at my husbands head, but loses his balance and falls over. Husband puts his foot on the guys neck and kept him pinned to the ground like that until the police arrived. I never went down to the road when these crashes happened, but I'm a little sorry I missed that one!

Also: helicopters. They would either mean a fire or a celebrity getting arrested. If we heard helicopters, we'd go outside and look for smoke. No smoke? Go inside and turn on the TV. Lol, that's how we figured out that Paris Hilton lived right near us. News helicopters covering her arrest!

 

[rapmarks]

I wish I had a picture to explain this better. There is a low narrow ditch between two houses, about three feet lower than the driveways. My friend went outside one morning to find a car, in the ditch, perpendicular to the road, but facing the road. Police were called and since a parking tag with villa 48 on it was hanging off the rear view mirror, they went to villa 48 where the occupants denied all knowledge of the incident. Some time later they came out and claimed the car.

 

[Lydlady]

Speaking of helicopters, we see quite a few. One year, after seeing one after another, we turned on the news and sure enough there was a pursuit going on the freeway nearby.

 

[Kel]

Wow. Entertainment in the neighborhood. Glad no one was hurt.

No. 1. When I was in high school (1970 something) a VW bug came around the corner behind our house and rolled over and landed upside down. All we heard was crunch crunch crunch. My Mom, my sisters and I ran and looked out the upstairs window and saw four guys crawling out of the VW bug. They rocked it back onto its wheels and took off. It happened so fast. All we could do was laugh. What can I say, it was the 70’s and they all looked a bit like Jeff Spicoli.

No. 2 A neighbor’s car (parking brake wasn’t working) rolled across the street from their driveway and landed in our next door neighbor’s front yard and bumped into the front of their house. We were all home at the time. No one was hurt and the damage was minor. But, the bump was loud and we all thought it was an earthquake.

Stuff happens.

 

[VacationForever]

We live an a very nice luxury condo and we hear stories from our neighbors where police showed up and sometimes hauled someone away for threatening spouse while drunk and such. We are always the last to hear about it. That is about as exciting as it gets where we live.

 

[DaveNV]

When I was about twelve we moved to a corner house, on a thoroughfare heading out of town. The street had one curve, basically at the corner of our front yard. We had a run of something like six weekends in a row where there was a wreck of some sort right in front of our house on either Friday or Saturday night, right around midnight. A truck hit a telephone pole. A car hit a parked car (my older brother's car - he wasn't happy.) Two cars collided coming around that corner. A speeding car jumped the curb and hit the neighbor's house. (Two women who were racing to get to the gas station out by the freeway so they could use the restroom - let's just say they didn't make it, and had to change clothes when they got home.) It was a crazy time.

Nobody was ever seriously injured, and nothing quite as dramatic as your picture, Linda. That's wild!

Dave

 

[clifffaith]

Eons ago we lived near where there was a railroad track down the center of the street. The RR right of way was probably as wide as two traffic lanes. Regularly we'd see someone stuck on the tracks because they'd make a left turn and turn too sharp -- they'd end up stuck in the median on the tracks instead of in one of the west bound traffic lanes. It was a weekly occurrence.

 

[rapmarks]

We live an a very nice luxury condo and we hear stories from our neighbors where police showed up and sometimes hauled someone away for threatening spouse while drunk and such. We are always the last to hear about it. That is about as exciting as it gets where we live.

Twice last August a police car was in the drivewAy next door. I had met the lady, a little heavy set, and her eleven year old daughter. When I returned in May, they had been replaced by a slender lady and a three year old boy. Same man, he just changed families over the winter

 

[rapmarks]

We were talking about an old friend and his old vw bus. We all drove down to Florida, and as we drove through St. Petersburg, someone opened a window and the entire window fell out. The guys were running down the highway, trying to rescue the window.
Well a few yeArs later, in another old vw bus, the same guy is with five other guys riding through Barcelona with a Christmas tree in the bus. The door fell off, the guys got out, put the door in sideways between all the riders, and took off.

 

[geist1223]

We live across the Street from one of the nicest and largest parks in Salem. The Dining Room and Living Room both have large picture windows. One time during a dinner party we saw flames coming from the bathroom at our end of the Park followed shortly there after by several fire trucks. Then another time a drunk trying to escape the Police and drove into the Center of the Park and crashed into a large Oak Tree. Oak Tree won.

 

[Talent312]

In my neighborhood, the most excitement is EMS showing up at someone's house.
Given how dull this place is, its what we need to get neighbors talking to each other.

 

[DrQ]

So how does one get their car to assume 'Dead Cockroach' position?

In my case, it was a gustnato which blew a small travel trailer into my Datun 200SX. We were living in Married Student Housing and when the gust hit the apartment, I looked out the window. I said; "Hey somebody's car is upside down in the road ... hey ... that's MY car upside down in the road!!"

 

[Passepartout]

Maybe 10 or so years ago, I heard a humongous clatter and doorbell about 1:00 a.m. and looked out front. Some young guy celebrating his 21st birthday had attempted a shortcut through our yard and hit a 'castle block' planter which both high centered his car and knocked down a bunch of those big blocks. The kid at the door asked if I could help him get his car off the blocks. I told him I thought the project was a bit much for the two of us- and meanwhile the wife called the cops. They- and a wrecker showed up and removed the car- and the kid, who was knee-walking drunk. I think the young man spent some time in the hoosegow, but over time he paid the cost of repairing the damage. One day he returned and thanked us for calling the police and getting him arrested. Actually it was a good thing that the incident happened, as his girlfriend lived in a town over 50 miles away and that was where he was headed. He acknowledged that our getting him off the road may have saved his life. He did some serious growing up that night.

Jim

 

[moonstone]

When we first moved up to our current rural house I was nervous of staying here with our 3 young children when DH had to be away overnight for work. One fall evening when he was away I noticed a blue flickering light (like a TV was on) in the window of our neighbours house. I knew they used that place for a ski chalet and only ever came up in the winter. I couldn't see a car in the driveway or any other lights on in the house. Since I had their home/Toronto number I decided to call and let them know. They said somebody must have broken in and they'd call a relative who had a key and lived nearby, if I'd call the police to report a possible break-in.

When I called the police and gave them the details the operator asked me if I was home alone. I replied I was here with our 3 young children. She said they had just received reports of a shooting in the house behind me and thought the 2 incidents may be related. She then advised me to go with the kids down to the basement. We all ran to the basement and I opened a rear facing basement window slightly so we might be able to hear what was going on.

We had only been downstairs a few minutes when a neighbour from up the street phoned. He wanted to know what was going on as he had to detour around the block to get home due to the police having the area in front of our house blocked off and a bunch of police with rifles running around. I told him what was happening and that the police had told me to stay in the basement with the kids.

After about 30 mins there was a knock on our front door and I heard a voice saying it was the police. I told the kids to stay in the basement while I went up to answer the door. The officer said they had searched the house across the street but there was nobody there. He said obviously somebody had been in there as the TV was on and there was food wrappers in the kitchen and most of the liquor bottles were empty. I asked about the reports of a shooting in the house behind me. He said it was unrelated to the break-in, but rather an attempted suicide after the guy's wife had told him she was leaving him. We didn't know the family at all, but sad as their situation was, I was glad that's all it was.

The next day when DH returned home the kids were excited to tell him all about our adventures from the night before. DH looked out the front window and asked was it a blue light like that? Yes it was! I knew the neighbour's relative had turned off the TV and locked the door the previous night because I spoke with him in our driveway after the police had left. So once again I called our neighbours and the police. This time when the police showed up they didn't use their sirens or lights and they were able to catch a young man climbing out the bedroom window and attempting to run into the woods.

As our oldest DS said at the time, the moral of the story is, if you are going to break into a house -don't put the TV on at night! A few months later DH took another position with his company that didn't involve any overnight travel! The neighbourhood has been pretty peaceful ever since!


~Diane

 

[Glynda]

Hmmm...strange? It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.

Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.

 

[DaveNV]

Hmmm...strange? It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.

Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.

Glynda, what's your address? Sounds fabulous! I want to come visit.

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.

Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card.

These, I am used to.

I sort of imagine it like the animals in a zoo describing their life. Sorry Glynda, I can't say I'm envious. Oh, I'm envious of the grandeur you live among, but not of being the 'spectacle' that others come to point, think, "Oh, how quaint!" and act like jerks waving their selfie sticks about.

Paula and I have both thought about how magical a place you live in. like a living museum. Yup envious. It would be nice though, if visitors could be more thoughtful of people like you who live there.

Jim

 

[VacationForever]

Hmmm...strange? It's strange to me that tourists think that it is OK to just walk through our partly open gate, down our driveway and into our back courtyard/pool area to look around and snap photos. One even came up on the back porch peering in the French Doors! Another got in our golf cart to have her friend take her photo at the wheel. I don't think I'll ever get used to that kind of audacity.

Hundreds of people walk past our house weekly, sometimes daily, taking photos. Horses and carriages and tour vans go by and pause. We often have film/TV production companies filming on our block. Apparel retailers photographing models for their catalogues and web sites. Brides having their photos taken by professional photographers...families for their annual Christmas card. We've even had a ballerina in a tutu, "en pointe." We get "second line" like bridal parties walking down the middle of the street on the way from church to reception, musicians of various sorts leading the parade. These, I am used to.

What kind of home do you have? Are you a celebrity?

 

[frankf3]

Wow. Entertainment in the neighborhood. Glad no one was hurt.

No. 1. When I was in high school (1970 something) a VW bug came around the corner behind our house and rolled over and landed upside down. All we heard was crunch crunch crunch. My Mom, my sisters and I ran and looked out the upstairs window and saw four guys crawling out of the VW bug. They rocked it back onto its wheels and took off. It happened so fast. All we could do was laugh. What can I say, it was the 70’s and they all looked a bit like Jeff Spicoli.


Stuff happens.

Major props for the Jeff Spicoli reference!! (And apols for the OT post, I just couldn't resist...).