Hah you're right Ovr. I should have realised the young crowd wouldn't have experienced the 'thrill' of damn near getting your thumbs broke in the steering wheel.
My first experince was when learning to drive an almost worn out Model 'A' Ford a neighbor (and close family friend) owned. I remember there being lots of open space.
This was on his property (about 200 acres I think)
and he asked me if I wanted to try and drive it. What kid at 11 years old would say no?
He started it and sat in the passenger seat and showed me how to shift and how NOT to stall it.
I didn't graduate out of first gear when the hard rubber tire hit a stone on his driveway and the steering wheel kicked and spun.
Well, when you've no idea when or what to expect, and you have a firm grip on the wheel (with your thumb on the inside of the wheel) and all of a sudden you find yourself hollering in pain and holding your hand, you tend to forget you are supposed to be in contol of a rolling vehicle.
To this day, my left thumb still makes a loud snapping sound when I bend it all the way. It was never set properly and didn't grow the way it was designed to. Let me tell you, it's something you NEVER forget.
Only one other time I nearly had it broke was one day while helping another working partner attempting to steer a Maddil mobile steel spar into position. This thing was a real heavy pig to maneuver (at any time). This day was no exception.
I was standing on the cab step (with the door open) pulling on the huge steering wheel with the driver when the wheel spun in my direction. No place to go but fall off and that's what I did.
I felt like I had been kicked by a mule!
My hand swelled up twice it's normal size in seconds until the driver had managed to get out of the cab and run for a bucket of ice in a cooler.
NOTE: ROB, do you know if S. Maddil still has a plant in Naniamo? They used to build the 90-110ft mobile steel spars.
It's hazardous working in the woods, but this incident is a very minor one compared to some I saw during my 10 years growing up in a camp plus another 4 years working in the bush at various levels.
Starting engines without a starter.
It happened to me a few times during my younger years. Once trying to crank start an old farm tractor, (Minneapolis-Moline) that was a beaut.
Trying to start an old one lung (cylinder) Marine (diesel) Easthope where you turned the flywheel until it came up TDC (you could feel the pressure) and then gave the flywheel a real hard fast turn and hoped it would fire up.
That thing dislocated my Dad's shoulder one year.
Some of you 'coasters' might not know or remember the engine but you can hear the distinct sound it makes when running. Ker-chuk, ker-chuk, ker-chuk.
(Cut the last 'k' short and you've got it) They weren't very powerful but they used to last forever.
Ahh, the 'good'? old days. These days of pavement all over the place and power assist steering prevent all those happy days!
