Okay, I'm back.
My incident happened in my old 73 corolla.
In new housing subdivisions they will often wait to put the last layer of asphalt on until after most the construction is done, so the new homes can have brand new and clean paved streets.
I was driving thru the project before that final coat was down, and so all the manholes and utility access covers were all sticking up about 1" above the pavement.
I was young, and so still a rather aggressive driver.
I was clipping along weaving around the manholes, when I began to hear a grinding noise as if something metal was under my car dragging.
Which I quickly figured out was my muffler dragging - not dragging along, but rather the part that came loose was a section that was actually being pushed.
And then all of a sudden the muffler dragging, or rather; being pushed along, caught a manhole. This threw my whole car's rearend into the air - seriously into the air - I was in a nose dive, and my engine was screaming.
The back of my car sweeped to one side as it dropped back to the ground. I jumped out, heart racing, wondering what the heck just happened.
The muffler pipe was shoved all the way thru the floor, thru the back seat, and thru the gas tank that sits behind the backseat in those 70 corollas.
Story over?
Not by a long shot.
I then realized that the pipe going all the way thru the gas tank was causing my gas to leak out all over the ground. Yes, I was pretty observant as a youngster
So my youthful insight kicked in and I figured I had better hurry and get home before I ran outta gas. Seriously, yes, seriously.
But that's not all....
As I raced to get home, I saw the gas gauge dropping fast, and figured if I was to make it home, I had better stop and get some more gas before I ran out.
Here in Oregon we're not allowed to pump our own gas. So I ripped in and said; 'give me ten, cash, regular.'
The attendant is pumping the gas and says; 'hey, you're leaking gas pretty bad.' I said; 'I KNOW! JUST HURRY UP!'
In case you're wondering; I made it home alive.
The End.
Looking back almost 30 years ago, I think; 'what an idiot I was' and how foolishly lucky I was that thing didn't blow me up in a big orange corolla ball of fire.
