h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tuesday night I had to drive four hours to meet the school group I was working with, I'd been up since 5am packing trailers with them and then had spent a good chunk of the day sitting around the US consulate waiting for my visa interview.
I was about 20 minutes away from my destination, only doing about 80km/hour cos it's dark and I'm sleepy and then a pair of fricking roos appear out of nowhere in front of me - I managed to slow down pretty quickly (with no front brakes - eat your heart out, roadworthy inspector!) but one of them jumped into my left headlight...there's glass flying in the air and all I can see is this poor roo flying over and over through the air in front of me. By the time he stops flying I've stopped my car - the engine's still going and the radios still going, which shocked me last I had an accident too - I got out and the poor thing was trying to crawl away from me, he's got blood pissing out of his nose and his legs are screwed. Within a couple of minutes a car came past and I flagged it down - I was shaking and starting to fall apart - one of the guys in the car was the ranger's son, so he called his dad to come out and shoot the roo while I called the RACV to come and tow my car (the radiator was shattered - Matilda would waltz no more), then my boss from the school to say I'd be late.
Long story short; the tow truck driver was a freak ("jump in before you freeze your...well I won't say it but you'll freeze your t*ts off"!), my car is being sold for scrap, and I was very lucky to write my car off and score not even a bruise.

Moral of the story? Powernaps, kids. Powernaps save kangaroo lives, and possibly even your own.

I'm glad to know you're okay, Cafram.




Poor Roo. I cringed reading that. We have to watch out for deer in this neck of the world. They do much the same thing ... running out in front of cars unexpectedly.

Or right *into* cars.

I've seen deer jump fences that are about 10 feet high to dash across a road in front of traffic going about 65 mph or more. Scary.


Glad it was the car that took all the damage, Caf.

Sounds like the Roo took all the damage, actually.

Yeah, I guess both were totalled.

yep, matilda and the roo - may they rest in peace.
The two roos were just jumping down the side of the road - I slowed down fast because I know that they like to dance in headlights, I've had them cross over in front of me before and know how erratic they can be - unfornately this one copped it. Without the guys who pulled over I would have had to taken the car jack to the back of its head - I don't think I could have done it. In fact I'm pretty sure I couldn't have.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't have either, Caf ... but seeing it suffer like that might have given me enough motivation.