Don't know if they're unlucky, stupid, or doomed

[muttmeister]

Some of you will remember that, a couple of years ago, difficult child 2 and his wife got a really nice car; had it a couple of days and wrecked it. Car gone, two hospital bills, wife broke an arm and a leg, cost us all mega bucks. They'd been driving POS cars since then.

So at the beginning of this month I bought a new car; sold them my old one; they were supposed to make payments to me for 1 year. So last night they got it stuck in a corn field and in the process of pushing it out it caught fire and blew up. so now I am probably out $2400, they have no car and need to commute to work. Nobody else was involved and it was off the road so they just left it and difficult child was planning to go pick it up tomorrow. Sheriff was just here and said it had been found and was being towed so I suppose there will be a bill for that too.

I was only trying to help; I guess no good deed goes unpunished. What a mess!

 

[Hound dog]

Mutt, I'd say maybe they have some heavy karma going on. Let them solve this one.

Sorry you're out so much. I know that had to hurt as the value of the car is no small change. Please tell me they had insurance on it or that you did.

Hugs

 

[muttmeister]

Nope, no insurance except liability

 

[AnnieO]

Having liability will help. Farmers can sue for lost crops. been there done that - I landed my first car in a cornfield. (Stupidity on my part.)

The first car, well... Hmm. This one, though - Umm. One, how did it get INTO the cornfield? Two - pushing it out, it caught fire? Errrr something doesn't add up...

 

[InsaneCdn]

Having liability will help. Farmers can sue for lost crops. been there done that - I landed my first car in a cornfield. (Stupidity on my part.)

The first car, well... Hmm. This one, though - Umm. One, how did it get INTO the cornfield? Two - pushing it out, it caught fire? Errrr something doesn't add up...

Pushing it out, it caught fire?
THAT, I can see...
1) If they didn't turn the engine off, the heat of exhaust system esp. muffler, can ignite a grainfield (so I'm assuming cornfield is similar) if it is in contact for even a few seconds.
2) Even if they DID turn the engine off the instant they hit the field, there can be enough heat in the muffler and other components to light the field beneath them.

Cars don't belong in fields. That's why farm vehicles have much higher clearance... and/or exhaust systems going out the top.

That does still leave the question of how the car GOT there in the first place, though...

 

[AnnieO]

IC - at least around here, it couldn't have been very far into the field... because corn hasn't been harvested yet. Those stalks only LOOK skinny. They're tough. When I did my cornfield run, it was early December - so only stubble was left. And it still had to be towed out... About 20 feet...

They'd have HAD to have left the engine on...

 

[muttmeister]

Got a little more of the story; they were on an access road through the field. It was an irrigated field so they fell in a mud hole and got stuck. In the process of trying to get it out, the car overheated and set the grass beneath it on fire. difficult child was burned badly (6 weeks in hospital) when he was in third grade so when he sees fire he (wisely) runs the other way. At least nobody was hurt. I thought it would be a good car for them but it was 10 years old and had nearly 200,000 miles on it so I guess it could have been worse. NOt sure what they're going to drive now though. difficult child's wife has to work today so she will have to walk the 3 kiddos about 10 blocks to the baby sitter in nearly 100 degree heat. I guess they're young and tough.

 

[AnnieO]

That's now making a LOT more sense!

Sounds to me like the access road was a bad idea, but mostly it's bad luck...

 

[SuZir]

Isn't it odd how they always manage to end up to freak situations; even when they are not really doing anything (that) wrong? My difficult child is also very talented in this. And it seems to be common talent among the difficult children all over. I personally know several families whose difficult children have this same unique talent.

 

[DammitJanet]

Oh Cory did this too but Billy had towing service and they came and got the car out of the field. The towing service was none too happy let me tell you. Luckily the car didnt go up in flames though. Cory thought he was going to a pecan field. That was only a myth. No pecan field back there. Cory loves pecans plus they pay through the roof for them around here. Normally we have a tree that bears really well but the last few years it hasnt.