Vulture meet my windshield....

[LittleBeast]

-----Well, I went to Austin for Texas Relays (the biggest track meet in Texas over 50,000 in attendance standing room only), I competed in the 110m hurdles, I did fine and went home (to Waco) saturday after the meet to celebrate my little brother's 18th b-day (we got him a PSP those things are amazing! and I would pay well over the $250 they sell for new). Things were fine until I drove back to Houston sunday morning on Hwy 6 just on the Houston side of College Station......
-----A vulture had just landed in the middle of the road to eat some road kill, and I was in the slow lane going 70mph so I thought no big deal I will just stay over here and I won't even spook him, right? Oh no!!!!! A truck with a big trailer in tow was coming the other way in the fast lane and spooked the HUGE BIRD just as I was passing, and the bird happened to see the truck and trailer and not see me as the bird flew directly into and I mean INTO my windshield. The glass immediately shattered and glass sprayed into my VX and the top of the roof was dented slighty. When I say the glass shattered I mean that some glass stayed in place and a lot of glass was now inside the car chilling with me! Luckily it hit the passenger side so I just got glass on my arms and legs and nothing in my eyes or anything. But my rear view mirror now gives me a great view of my self and I can barely see out the front at all.
-----I called a couple of windshield replacement places and I got two quotes I felt comfortable with ($165 and $240). But after doing a search and seeing the incredibly high prices everyone else paid on VX.info I decided to go with the $240 because they were a bigger company with a better guarantee and coverage for cracks and what not, and didn't feel too good just paying $165 for the whole job, even though I checked and they use the same glass (PPG). They both are same day installation places, but I think I will trust a $240 installation over a $165 install after reading people's stories of paying over $200 just for the glass.
-----I will try and post some pictures of the broken windshield, because it still has feathers in it and it looks scary and hilarious at the same time.
-----PS-For all you animal loving tree huggers, yes I know the bird died and I am happy to know that, considering what he did to my VX just because he was hungry! Seriously though, I am just happy I didn't freak out and swerve or hit the thing dead on and have a new passenger flopping around, or get shards of glass in my eyes, I kinda need them. But in other world news, after that kind of terrible day yesterday, God really blessed me today and I got a call from New Balance today, and they want to sign me to a contract. "And my God will meet your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
In Christ,
Ryan Harlan

[jimbo]

The Navajo, in prehistoric times, believed that a vulture flying into your windshield was a lucky omen.

So there ya go

[Triathlete]

Sorry 'bout the windshield, but its replacable. Congrats on the NB deal. Tell'em if they want they can throw some "extra" shoes my way! While you were blazing over those hurdles I was trotting at a lesser pace through Ironman Arizona. I am sore as hell. Think I would have learned after the first 9.

[BumbleV-X]

LittleBeast,
Driving my kids to school a couple of years ago in the VX a lug nut thrown from a vehicle going the other way sailed.... I mean SAILED into my front windshield. It inbedded into the glass and sent small glass splinters throughout the VX. Everyone was fine except for small glass splinters. When we replaced the glass we noticed a difference. The new replacement glass has a sun shield on the top. The original glass didn't come with it. It does take time to get used to. When the seats of the VX sits so high anyway, it makes a difference.

PS- one less vulture in the world. Thank you is in order. Sorry to hear about your dent though.

[Raque Thomas]

Ha! I'll be sure to tell my GF's father about this - Vultures decided to use his boat as a "hang-out" when it was parked in the cove behind his house one day, and literally DESTROYED the interior (claws, beaks, defecation ) - He'll be happy to hear about one less vulture in the world!!

[crager34]

"prehistoric" times.... flying into a "windshield". I've always wondered what cars looked like back then?

[LittleBeast]

A prehistoric windshield probably looked a lot like my modern windshield after getting quickly introduced to the now dead vulture, which looks like this....

Fred Flintstone probably looked through a windshied much like this one while he was spinning his feet and laying down some serious skin on the asphault, I mean uh road, uh path, well whatever they drove down.
In Christ,
Ryan

[Anita]

"prehistoric" times.... flying into a "windshield". I've always wondered what cars looked like back then?

What else: Pontiac Aztec

[geshaw30]

I too suffered the fate of a "heat & glass seeking 18 wheeler airborne lug nut" that took out my windshield. It was on my way home from work at 4:30 am---not another vehicle on the road but us two---3 other open lanes of westbound Interstate travel options--and I get hammered. Such is life.

Ryan- that sounds like a decent price. I remember paying $337 ($199 for the glass...$20 for the quick set glue...$100 labor...+ tax) and that was back in '02. Got mine done at Able Auto Glass out by the 'dome and remember them telling me I got the only VX windshield, at that time, in Houston. If you still plan on meeting up with us on the 23rd please bring the photos. Should make for interesting conversation out back by the cement pond.
________
Arizona medical marijuana dispensaries

[BBVX]

The hurdle thing caught my eye. Professional decathlete?? Wow! That's pretty cool. In high school track, I did shot and disc, and was looking for a running event to compete in. My coach got me interested in the 400 hurdles, and I loved 'em. I wasn't really good at it, ( 6', 220 lbs.) but I had a lot of fun doing it. I think my best time ever was 66.2, not too bad for a big "loaf" as coach used to call us 'field' guys.

Brian

[Maugan_VX]

speaking of things flying off trucks and hitting vehicles... on the way home from a regatta this weekend we saw a whole wheel/tire fly off a 3-axle enclosed cargo trailer being pulled by a big truck. The tire hit something, bounced up in the air OVER a pontiac sunfire, and then started rolling down the hill on I85 just north of Charlotte. Thing is, it was rolling right down the white dash line in the middle of the highway. We had to pick our slot to pass it given the 8'6" wide boat we were hauling. Glad it didn't cause any damage to anyone.

[LittleBeast]

Ryan- that sounds like a decent price. I remember paying $337 ($199 for the glass...$20 for the quick set glue...$100 labor...+ tax) and that was back in '02. Got mine done at Able Auto Glass out by the 'dome and remember them telling me I got the only VX windshield, at that time, in Houston.

Yeah, the guy came out and did the replacement Monday, and while he was putting in the new one after he got the old glass out he noticed that the new glass was kind of distorted at the upper most passenger corner, and was definitely flawed. So he said that he would definitely need to put a different windeshield on the VX. So he called ALL of the glass distrubutors in Houston and then had them all check there inventories and there were no more windshields in TEXAS! He found one in Columbus, Ohio. So he went ahead and put the defective one in for now so I can at least drive it around, and then after the week or so it takes for the new (hopefully unflawed) windshield to get here, he will come out and replace it at no extra cost, still $240.

The hurdle thing caught my eye. Professional decathlete?? Wow! That's pretty cool. In high school track, I did shot and disc, and was looking for a running event to compete in. My coach got me interested in the 400 hurdles, and I loved 'em. I wasn't really good at it, ( 6', 220 lbs.) but I had a lot of fun doing it. I think my best time ever was 66.2, not too bad for a big "loaf" as coach used to call us 'field' guys.

Brian

I would say that if I was going to "pick" an event the 400m hurdles would be at the end of the list. They are one of the two hardest, most challenging events in track and field. The other being the 800m (two laps around the outdoor tracks for all the none track people). The 400m Hurdles and 800m run hurt so bad, training for them is not fun either. 66.2 is respectable. My roommate Ben (who also went to the Olympic Trials last year) runs the 400m hurdles and last year he ran around a 49.2 I believe. My other roommate Jason (who also went to the Olympic Trials last year) is a triple jumper and he went around 55'3" last year. It was crazy the 3 guys that went to the Olympic Trials for Rice University were all roommates you know? Anyways, I know how you feel exactly, because as you probably know the last event of the Decathlon is the 1500m (about 90 meters short of a mile). And being 6'4" 215lbs I was not meant to run the 1500m, but it is 1/10th of what I do, so each time I line up for the 1500m and it seems like after 9 events over two days there is no way I can finish, I know I am just going to have to reach down for strength not of my own and over come. 'Jesus looked at them (the disciples) and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."' Matthew 19:26
In Christ,
Ryan Harlan

[Todd Adams]

During Easter jeep Safari I left the VX in camp on Saturday and road with Linda on Cliff Hanger. When we got back there was a crack running all the way across the VX windshield. I had it replaced as soon as we got back. It was $223 with lifetime repairs. The installer was amazed at the high cost. Their list price was $815!

I have a friend that was a long haul driver until he retired. He had a dead badger dropped through his windshield by a golden eagle in Wyoming a few years back. Came through his side and landed in his lap!

Todd