Really? . . . REALLY!!!????

Oldyeller · 01-30-2022, 01:06 PM

So I was sitting here typing a message in the Skooliepalooza thread and got a call from my friend. The friend who owns the farm where my bus is parked. The farm that's in the sparsely poplulated western part of New Jersey. The farm that's a mile back a narrow blacktop lane and a dirt driveway (which can be seen in the first drive videos in my Leavuntaun thread). That farm.

He tells me someone hit my bus. "What?", I ask. He replied, "A FedEx truck hit the rear of your bus." I ask, "How is that even possible?" "He was trying to back out and managed to get himself stuck on a rock and against the rear of your bus."

If you understood how isolated my friend's farm is you could appreciate how improbable the entire conversation was. "Hey, the bus you parked under the trees at my farm 3 months ago was just in a traffic accident."

I'm waiting for pictures now from my friend. I'm going to assume there's no significant damage done so far but now the tow truck is there and that could change depending on the skill of the tow truck driver.

I mean, is the earth about to be hit by an asteroid as well? What are the chances?

s2mikon · 01-30-2022, 01:46 PM

First off, sorry to hear that. But if the last 2 years haven't taught us all to expect the unexpected I don't know what would. Maybe his mask slipped up over his eyes as he was backing up?

Oldyeller · 01-30-2022, 02:16 PM

Since I made my initial post my friend told me the tow truck was able to pull the FedEx van out without doing any additional damage to the bus. I saw the picture of my bus and there's a single dent on the left rear corner of the bus just above where the bumper would be if it was on. If I can succeed in getting the picture to download I'll post it. It's not a big deal, just so incredibly improbable. I should probably buy a lottery ticket this week.

s2mikon · 01-30-2022, 02:19 PM

Let me look in my crystal ball... I see a fedex driver in the unemployment line...

TheHubbardBus · 01-30-2022, 02:24 PM

Man, that sucks. So sorry to hear this. I can see how this would be the last call you'd expect to receive.

Then again, if it's just cosmetic, and you can live with it and/or repair it yourself, and/or you have someone who can do the work for cheap, it might end up being a financial win.

Rwnielsen · 01-30-2022, 02:32 PM

I'm sorry to hear about your mishap but, dammit that's funny.

Oldyeller · 01-30-2022, 03:55 PM

I should add that I have no intention of pursuing a claim. The driver is a contractor and I'm not going to jeopardize his job for an additional dent in my old, junker bus. The fact that he had to drive into my friend's isolated location in a large FedEx deliver van is probably punishment enough. If any of you watched the video I posted in my build thread of me backing my bus down the hill, that's the road he was on.

The damage to the bus is unimportant, what got me was the level of improbability. I'm sure if I had the bus transported to the moon a FedEx or Amazon truck would probably manage to hit it there as well.

Like I said I think I'm going to buy a lottery ticket this week, maybe lightening will strike twice . . . oh, I probably shouldn't have mentioned lightening?

Anyway, here are a few pictures to entertain you on this winter afternoon.

cadillackid · 01-30-2022, 04:02 PM

My superior has a couple dents like that in it when it came to me.. Lots of school busses have dents there.. still sux that it was parked like as far away as possible and still gets Tagged!..

Oldyeller · 01-30-2022, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillackid

still sux that it was parked like as far away as possible and still gets Tagged!..

Well, that's the point. When my friend called it took a while for me to understand what he was talking about. It just didn't register. "What? My bus got hit by a FedEx truck while parked on your farm?" Was he looking for a specific year, model and color bus to hit and finally found it on your farm?"

I can imagine the driver when he saw it, "Hah! There it is, the exact bus I want to hit . . . I finally found it - now it's time for RAMMING SPEED!"

Man, spring better get here soon, I think I'm starting to lose it.

EastCoastCB · 01-30-2022, 05:13 PM

ah dang it. A love tap from fedex.

TheHubbardBus · 01-30-2022, 09:22 PM

Ok, that's not that bad. All below the floor-line, right?
It's almost worth having the dent just to have the cool story to tell about how you got it.
It is pretty funny (especially since it's you, and not us)

milkmania · 01-30-2022, 10:59 PM

from my experience with FEDEX and our deliveries...
what they don't break or destroy, they crap on!

It's like a contest to them... "let's test the burst strength of this box!"

and don't even ask what I think of the boys in brown

Mercuric Mind · 01-31-2022, 02:31 AM

Talking with my local FedEx driver, he said lots of the drivers are employed from 3rd party contractors. The drivers take it as a challenge to beat up the vehicles. I bet the dude was trying to break the land speed record in reverse and didn't see your tiny bus!

Too bad they didn't leave the FedEx van there, I think it would be a nice platform for a conversion.

Oldyeller · 01-31-2022, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercuric Mind

Talking with my local FedEx driver, he said lots of the drivers are employed from 3rd party contractors. The drivers take it as a challenge to beat up the vehicles. I bet the dude was trying to break the land speed record in reverse and didn't see your tiny bus!

Too bad they didn't leave the FedEx van there, I think it would be a nice platform for a conversion.

Yea, about the step van being a nice conversion platform. I was considering step vans but, in my mind, the biggest problems with them is they sit too low and engine access would suck.

Oldyeller · 01-31-2022, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheHubbardBus

Ok, that's not that bad. All below the floor-line, right?
It's almost worth having the dent just to have the cool story to tell about how you got it.
It is pretty funny (especially since it's you, and not us)

Only problem is there are so many dents on the rear corners that nobody will ask about one specific dent. Maybe I need to paint under it, "FedEx dent", as a conversation starter.

peteg59 · 01-31-2022, 02:32 PM

Bizzaro story but pictures bring proof positive it was real!

Luckily not a bad dent that could be fixed fairly easily, and not too much $$ involved.

What really has to suck is IF the rear bumper was still on, there might not have been any damage other than a paint scratch?

More motivation now to get it done, so another random "hit" doesn't happen!
Good luck...

musigenesis · 01-31-2022, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkmania

from my experience with FEDEX and our deliveries...
what they don't break or destroy, they crap on!

It's like a contest to them... "let's test the burst strength of this box!"

and don't even ask what I think of the boys in brown

As a school bus driver, I can say that FEDEX/Amazon/UPS drivers are our mortal enemies, with Amazon drivers taking the gold medal. USPS drivers at least make some effort to keep out of our way.

Mercuric Mind · 02-01-2022, 02:13 AM

My bus is stored in a similar situation, On a farm in the middle of nowhere, but in the past the owner's wife chased the UPS driver off their property with a shotgun for driving too fast on the driveway. So I think it might be safe from kamikaze deliveries. I hope.

musigenesis · 02-01-2022, 04:48 AM

I think it would be easier to fix a dent than shotgun pellet holes.

TheHubbardBus · 02-01-2022, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musigenesis

I think it would be easier to fix a dent than shotgun pellet holes.

The trick is to use low-base dove/quail loads. Like my father did when he shot my chevelle in the driveway. I think he was trying to scare coyotes, but for some reason, the only thing that stands out vividly in my memory was my car getting shot. That sh$t, did - in fact - buff right out.

You may also like: