Up the Curb without a Tow Truck

By Julie Suzanne Capouch | August 24, 2009 |

Ever noticed that there is a pretty large curb at the edge of the Taco Bell parking lot on Fort Campbell Blvd?

That little piece of information was unbeknownst to me Thursday evening as I attempted a hasty short cut through the parking lot.

Because of the construction on the building, the exit from the parking lot was blocked by a big crane, leaving the drive-thru line the only option for an exit.

Rather than patiently waiting through the line and giving a quick “Just trying to get out of the parking lot” or ordering a small Mountain Dew at the order box, Miss In A Hurry here did not want to wait.

So, with no one behind me, I wiped my Town and Country into reverse and began to navigate my way out of the parking lot. Everything was going fine until a car pulled up behind me. Clearly set on his intentions of going through the drive-thru line, this driver was not at all eager to back up and allow my exit; despite the image of an orange mini-van coming it’s way.

With Little Man and Little Lady in the back seats, and bedtime drawing near, I was undeterred. Resolved in my decision to avoid a wait, I attempted to back up and go around Mr. I’m Not Going to Move.

Now I have no trouble driving in reverse– as long as I am going in a straight line. Throw in a turn of the wheel and things get a bit more complicated. Long story short, I got stuck on the curb.

Not bumped the curb, not hit the curb, not grazed the curb. I drove up and over the curb, leaving a wheel on one side and my axle resting on the concrete. I was stuck. There was no way around it, my van would not budge.

My stuck van

Witnessing my clearly humorous predicament, a group of young men stopped to offer their help, but my van was clearly not going to move. I made the decision to call Roadside Assistance and patiently waited to be pulled down off the curb.

As I sat in my van, stuck on a curb, I realized something: Good Samaritanism is very much alive and well in Clarksville. I has no less than twelve different people stop to offer help and make sure that I was okay. It almost became a chore for me to roll down the window every time and let them know that help was on the way.

Chad and Lori from Gateway Towing were very professional. They skillfully pulled my van down with no damage to the axel, so I was very impressed with their abilities.

I learned some valuable lessons from my experience with that curb. First, Roadside Assistance is quite the asset. If you do not have it, get it. Second, slow down. If I had not been in such a hurry, I would have never ended up stuck on a curb in the Taco Bell parking lot. I know I will be taking things a lot slower from now on!

About Julie Suzanne Capouch

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