Snow and ice and trapped vehicles.
My brother was the only one who was working on Christmas Eve and while they *did* close early (1pm) due to weather, it was not early enough for him to avoid the clusterf*** that was the expressway. He got stuck six times in my sister's truck before the final 7th time when it finally refused to start.
Things might not have been all that bad but for a few other problems.
-His phone died because he didn't charge it so he had to walk to a gas station that had a pay phone.
-No tow trucks were available (or even answering their phones) except one who estimated about 40min-1hr and then 2hrs later was still a no show (not that I blame them with the number of multiple car pile ups and emergency vehicles stuck)
-At one point he locked the key in the cab of the truck.
Now, a friend of ours has a 4wheel drive AND knows how to use it well AND actually lives a couple blocks down from where he got stuck so that was a stroke of luck...BUT she couldn't get there for a long while because the windsheild wipers had broken (new ones were in my sister's truck) and she had to rig the one on her back window to work on the front.
After jumping a couple curbs and going through someone's front yard, she finally made it out of her apartment complex and to where my brother was (now within a block after walking for awhile toward her complex since none of us were even sure our friend with the 4x4 was going to be able to make it.)
THEN. Couldn't go back because the lane was blocked by stuck and abandoned vehicles. After some phone calls and a bit of deliberating finally agreed to go the wrong way down expressway rather than trying to take the long way around to her apartment.
Trying to get home was out of the question so he spent the night at her apartment with her and her boyfriend.
They all joined us Christmas Day at about 1-ish and we had the unwrapping of presents followed by the making and eating of Christmas dinner.
Nobody died, the truck is running and back at the house. And everybody made it back for Christmas.
Happy ending! yay!
Things might not have been all that bad but for a few other problems.
-His phone died because he didn't charge it so he had to walk to a gas station that had a pay phone.
-No tow trucks were available (or even answering their phones) except one who estimated about 40min-1hr and then 2hrs later was still a no show (not that I blame them with the number of multiple car pile ups and emergency vehicles stuck)
-At one point he locked the key in the cab of the truck.
Now, a friend of ours has a 4wheel drive AND knows how to use it well AND actually lives a couple blocks down from where he got stuck so that was a stroke of luck...BUT she couldn't get there for a long while because the windsheild wipers had broken (new ones were in my sister's truck) and she had to rig the one on her back window to work on the front.
After jumping a couple curbs and going through someone's front yard, she finally made it out of her apartment complex and to where my brother was (now within a block after walking for awhile toward her complex since none of us were even sure our friend with the 4x4 was going to be able to make it.)
THEN. Couldn't go back because the lane was blocked by stuck and abandoned vehicles. After some phone calls and a bit of deliberating finally agreed to go the wrong way down expressway rather than trying to take the long way around to her apartment.
Trying to get home was out of the question so he spent the night at her apartment with her and her boyfriend.
They all joined us Christmas Day at about 1-ish and we had the unwrapping of presents followed by the making and eating of Christmas dinner.
Nobody died, the truck is running and back at the house. And everybody made it back for Christmas.
Happy ending! yay!