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I was driving from an appointment today back to work when a new light on my dash came to life. A little red gas pump looking thing I'd never seen before began to flicker and dance. Weird. I stopped at Wal-Mart and checked my oil. Fine. All of my gauges? Fine. "I'll have to head to a garage before stopping back at work," I thought.
Fifteen minutes down the highway from the exit where the Wal-Mart was, I heard a clunk! and a skree! and saw a cloud of smoke shoot out my car's ass end. "That's new" I thought. As I began to slow my vehicle and find my way to the side of the road, the car began to seize and jerk as white smoke poured out from under the hood. "Oh goody, this will be fun!"
I exited the vehicle, grabbed my iPod, and dialed my phone. I told work I'd be late, told my parents I might need to borrow their spare vehicle, and began to call AAA. As I spoke to the operator, I noticed it. A plume of smoke. Roughly even with where my car had uttered its cry for help. "Oh dear god... I've started a forest fire!" I walked calmly back down the side of the highway and found tiny flmaes flickering in the grass and brush. I stomped them out vigorously, but in the hot summer sun, they rapidly relit. As I attempted to hurry through my service call, the fire department arrived and doused the flames.
Whatever had shot off of my car, all hot and smoky, had seemingly ignited the underbrush along the highway. I not only couldn't prevent the fire, I damn well started it!
An hour in a tow truck later and I either have to make repairs on my car that'll be more than it's worth or try to find a new car that I won't be able to afford. Just glad this didn't happen in the middle of the mountains this past weekend! Ugh.
Fifteen minutes down the highway from the exit where the Wal-Mart was, I heard a clunk! and a skree! and saw a cloud of smoke shoot out my car's ass end. "That's new" I thought. As I began to slow my vehicle and find my way to the side of the road, the car began to seize and jerk as white smoke poured out from under the hood. "Oh goody, this will be fun!"
I exited the vehicle, grabbed my iPod, and dialed my phone. I told work I'd be late, told my parents I might need to borrow their spare vehicle, and began to call AAA. As I spoke to the operator, I noticed it. A plume of smoke. Roughly even with where my car had uttered its cry for help. "Oh dear god... I've started a forest fire!" I walked calmly back down the side of the highway and found tiny flmaes flickering in the grass and brush. I stomped them out vigorously, but in the hot summer sun, they rapidly relit. As I attempted to hurry through my service call, the fire department arrived and doused the flames.
Whatever had shot off of my car, all hot and smoky, had seemingly ignited the underbrush along the highway. I not only couldn't prevent the fire, I damn well started it!
An hour in a tow truck later and I either have to make repairs on my car that'll be more than it's worth or try to find a new car that I won't be able to afford. Just glad this didn't happen in the middle of the mountains this past weekend! Ugh.
I still think it was Kupocat.
