Laughed, then felt terrible

+1 Subby

Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint. The stolen part is an unfortunate diversion; U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps under normal circumstances as well.

I'm just glad these children were here to witness this frontier gibberish that passes for news reporting today.

Bravo!

Subby is evil... :)

LoneVVolf: Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint. The stolen part is an unfortunate diversion; U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps under normal circumstances as well.

They're a shiatty company in general. Used them once and will never ever again.

Good Riddance. If only more stupid people should die this way.

I remember seeing reports/specials on those rental trucks. They definitely are rolling death traps/kill machines.

That's why I try to get the heck away from them when I see them on the road. Just a matter of time before a tire blows on one of them or something while I'm behind or passing one.

The reporter missed a line, I believe. I'm guessing the article should have included, "Alcohol was a factor."

Did she leave angels hanging round for more?

Seeing as how it was stolen, is this Karma, or Darwin?

RIP Antonie Walker

/got nothing
//loves the shimmy

My guess; her ex-boyfriend/soon to be ex-husband was moving out, she stole the UHaul with the intent of rolling it over and trashing the contents.

Probably reserved a 10 foot cube van and got "upgraded for free" to a 53 foot transport.

Subster +1
Good Riddance. If only more stupid people should die this way. +5

LoneVVolf: Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint. The stolen part is an unfortunate diversion; U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps under normal circumstances as well.

I've never seen a front wheel drive UHaul. And if you're talking about the one the trucks actually have driving the rear wheels, I would think the truck would just grind to a halt if it snapped.

Uncle Joe strikes again! Or, maybe it was booze...whichever.

Link (new window)

Insane drivers? In my Houston?

I worked for Uhaul's corporate HQ for two years.

/No worse company
//Trucks are deathtraps
///"We're all out of 10-ft trucks...take this 26 ft. truck instead for the same price, even though you're just moving a TV!!"

StarshipPooper: I remember seeing reports/specials on those rental trucks. They definitely are rolling death traps/kill machines.

That's why I try to get the heck away from them when I see them on the road. Just a matter of time before a tire blows on one of them or something while I'm behind or passing one.

Had a friend that was moving and the damn truck gave out on her. Reason why? The exhaust pipe was tied in a knot. WTF?

LoneVVolf: Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint.

hej:I've never seen a front wheel drive UHaul.

We don't have any front wheel drive trucks here in Europe, maybe it's different in the US. In any case a UJ or CV going has the same result; vehicle just stops. Tie rods etc nearly always go at low speeds when they are under greatest strain.

What I have noticed however is that rental vans and trucks are usually driven badly by people who have little or no experience of driving goods vehicles. I'd bet that this was the case here, someone didn't know what they were doing because they had insufficient training/experience.

How did they even find a u-haul truck that would run?

I see at least one of those things broken down on the side of the road every day.

hej: LoneVVolf: Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint. The stolen part is an unfortunate diversion; U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps under normal circumstances as well.

I've never seen a front wheel drive UHaul. And if you're talking about the one the trucks actually have driving the rear wheels, I would think the truck would just grind to a halt if it snapped.

I'm guessing he meant ball joint. You definitely don't want one of those to break.

FTFA --
"Witnesses said the woman was swerving for almost a mile before the accident."

Yeah... Sudden mechanical failure...Whatever you say...

Police said around 6 a.m., the woman was travelling northbound on Antoine when for some unknown reason, she lost control and went into oncoming traffic.

That's some fine editing, first off. Secondly, it explicitly states a woman was driving, then states there is some "unknown" reason for this accident, WTF?

I rented one to move some furniture. First, all the neighbors came out of their houses to help me move. When they found out I was only moving some stuff. They got disappointed and went back in.

I returned the van with only 2 new miles on the odometer. That made the rental guy mad because it was one of those $19.95 deals and he could only charge me $24.

Farknuck:
///"We're all out of 10-ft trucks...take this 26 ft. truck instead for the same price, even though you're just moving a TV!! sucks to be you, girl who has to move 100 km today."

That was my friend's experience... They "found" her a truck half a day later, but her moving plans were still very screwed up. I guess U-get-what-U-pay-for, and don't trust that your reservation a month in advance means anything....

she was in it for the long haul.

LoneVVolf: U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps under normal circumstances as well.

This.

LoneVVolf: U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps

Every last one of them. Had the unfortunate experience of using them a few times (why no, I don't learn quickly, why do you ask?) from different locations - horrid equipment. On the other hand, their boxes are quite nice. (*snicker*)

StarshipPooper: That's why I try to get the heck away from them when I see them on the road.

This is wise. Many should learn from this statement. Not, however, just because they are rolling wrecks. And not just UHauls. *Every* rental-moving-truck is an accident waiting to happen. I have >>100,000 miles of driving experience, in a variety of vehicles, including towing 30+' boat trailers, and *I* was astounded I could rent a giant moving truck and trailer on the back, no questions asked.

"You have a drivers license? Credit card? Here ya' go!" seems like insufficient screening.

More terrifying was the giant "DO NOT TAILGATE" sticker on the dashboard -- how many people rent a 20+'-box truck and trailer then need to be told not to tailgate?! (Yeah, I know, dumb question.)

The Angry Hand of God
Police said around 6 a.m., the woman was travelling northbound on Antoine when for some unknown reason, she lost control and went into oncoming traffic.

That's some fine editing, first off. Secondly, it explicitly states a woman was driving, then states there is some "unknown" reason for this accident, WTF?

The reason she crashed is simple, she's a woman.

I keed, I keed.

Seriously though, if you ever have to rent from U-Haul, always ensure the "Check Engine" light is functioning before you leave the lot.

I moved from Vegas to Houston one time, and had to get a U-Haul (only rental truck available in town that allows my car to be used on their car haulers), and broken down overnight in Fort Worth.

Sure, things happen. But the problem with my truck was the speed sensor in the transmission had went out. To access it, you have to remove a giant skid plate with monster Torx heads. So rather than replace this failing sensor, some mechanic @ U-Haul just disabled the Check Engine light. So when the sensor finally did fail, my truck locked in 3rd gear and wouldn't go above 10mph. In the middle of the interstate in Fort Worth.

The mechanic who came out to get my truck back on the road did it in about an hour and a half, and did so by using a cut-off wheel to slice through that skid plate to get access to the transmission. He was very professional, and I was grateful. Except for the fact that I had to wait 24 hours for him to come out. Why? It was New Years Day when I first broke down, and U-Haul didn't want to pay OT to this guy.

So fark U-Haul.

Subby: "Woman dies after crashing driving a stolen U-Haul truck."

U-Haul is, bar none, the absolute worst company in America for which to work. The people they hire are dispicable and most managers are so pissed off all the time because management is continuously hounding them to cut people's hours. What normally has to happen is that managers end up working 80-100 hours a week when everybody else is only working 20ish.

It's a farked up system and U-Haul pays crap for the amount of frustration and crap management that you have to put up with when working there.

/worked there for a year in college
//worst job of my life

U-Hauls are cool. Up until a couple of years ago, my alma mater, the University of Virginia, played basketball in a U-Haul.

Good to see her family has decided to mourn by feeding the trolls in the article comments.
Everyone benefits.

Rent Budget trucks. They are so much better and a little bit cheaper.

I rented one of those pieces of shiat once and got pulled over because it had been reported stolen.

I rented a Penske truck for moving cross-country. They gave me a brand new truck with under 10,000 miles on it. I was smitten from the experience and rented another for the drive back a couple of years later. This time I got a 100,000 beast that still made the trip, but wasn't the flawless ride the first one was.

The next time I did the trip (I've moved back and forth several times) I bought a van and then sold it once I arrived. It ended up being way cheaper; $1,300 for the Penske (+ trailer) vs a total $300 cost after selling the van. On top of that the van got a slightly better mpg, which adds up over 3,000+ miles.

The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.

//Guy = tree

I've used U-Haul a dozen times and I've never once had a problem. I guess the moving gods like me.

eddyatwork: I've used U-Haul a dozen times and I've never once had a problem. I guess the moving gods like me.

You're right. You're much luckier than any of these people: (google) "u-haul" won lawsuit.

And no, the results aren't about u-haul winning lawsuits.

MBooda: U-Hauls are cool. Up until a couple of years ago, my alma mater, the University of Virginia, played basketball in a U-Haul.

At least no one was kidnapped there. And Jeff Jones kicked ass.

Cornell University tore down all the U-Halls on West Campus and replaced them with much nicer, more modern dorms, but most upperclassmen still prefer to live off-campus.

StarshipPooper: I remember seeing reports/specials on those rental trucks. They definitely are rolling death traps/kill machines.

That's why I try to get the heck away from them when I see them on the road. Just a matter of time before a tire blows on one of them or something while I'm behind or passing one.

I doubt it's just a matter of time. I don't know, maybe if you lived to be 500 it would be different.

And why is this story marked sad? Is there a new meaning of sad I don't know about? Did I miss a memo?

ethics-gradient: LoneVVolf: Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint.

hej:I've never seen a front wheel drive UHaul.

We don't have any front wheel drive trucks here in Europe, maybe it's different in the US. In any case a UJ or CV going has the same result; vehicle just stops. Tie rods etc nearly always go at low speeds when they are under greatest strain.

What I have noticed however is that rental vans and trucks are usually driven badly by people who have little or no experience of driving goods vehicles. I'd bet that this was the case here, someone didn't know what they were doing because they had insufficient training/experience.
---------------------------
Nope, they're all rear wheel drive here, too. I think that that guy just doesn't know a whole lot about automotive technology. A CV joint or a U-joint breaks, and the vehicle becomes a huge rolling brick... just pull over, hit the brakes, and stop it. Make sure you set the parking brake, though, as there's no longer a physical connection between the transmission and the wheels.

As for this incident being a lack of experience, well... it's very possible. But U- hauls are notoriously badly maintained, and even many many news- segment demonstrations of worn- out tie rod ends and ball joints, bald tires, failed taillights, etc. have made them change their ways. I prefer Penske myself- late model trucks, friendly people, and realistic mileage for one- way rentals. U- haul gives you the exact physical distance between the city limits of the town you're leaving to the city limits of the town you're going to. It's impossible to not go over on mileage.

misanthropologist
LoneVVolf: Probably snapped a tie-rod or CV joint. The stolen part is an unfortunate diversion; U-Hauls are rolling deathtraps under normal circumstances as well.

They're a shiatty company in general. Used them once and will never ever again.

THIS.

I won't bore this thread with my story of how awful u-haul was (it included not having a dolly available at multiple locations) but luckily when we went to move we had a friend who used to work as a truck driver available to drive the truck.

My husband learned a valuable lesson though - the two-three grand it costs to pay somebody else to do it all is TOTALLY WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY.

Greek: Nope, they're all rear wheel drive here, too. I think that that guy just doesn't know a whole lot about automotive technology. A CV joint or a U-joint breaks, and the vehicle becomes a huge rolling brick... just pull over, hit the brakes, and stop it. Make sure you set the parking brake, though, as there's no longer a physical connection between the transmission and the wheel.

Make sure that you're not on an incline if you do that with a U-Haul vehicle. This guy (new window) was awarded $84 million "thanks" to U-Haul, but it won't give him his health back.

Fano: And Jeff Jones kicked ass.

/just barely after my time
//Ralph Sampson was in my physics class
///football physics, I needed an elective
////he sat in front of me
//DIRECTLY in front of me
//excuse me, would you mind sitting down?
//oh...you ARE sitting down

my last experience with uhaul was when i was picking up a car i bought on ebay. my father and i rented a tow dolly so we could get it back to his house from 3 hours away. we get there to pick up the dolly, sign all the liability papers, then the guy sets about getting our info for the rental

uhaul: what is the tow vehicle?
me: a chevy colorado I5, 4wd, extended cab
uhaul: what are you towing?
me: a 1985 porsche 944
uhaul: it won't let me rent it to you, the nose is too low to get up on the dolly
me: we're going to remove the air dam to give it clearance
uhaul: we can't do that.
me: we've already signed the liability papers... all damage is our fault, we've acknowledged that... what's the problem?
uhaul: we can't do that.
me: fine... the car has suddenly transformed into a 2001 hyundai elantra
uhaul: but you just said...
me: ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR????
uhaul: um, ok... bring the truck around to the side and we'll hook it up.

oops, 1985 should be 1986 in my above post

hate it when those damn trees jump out into the middle of the road.