My Emu Story..

When I lived in oregon, I often had to drive people to the airport in the wee hours of the morning..very dark and lots of open land..

One early morning, I was at a stop light before heading out of town and noticed a blinking yellow light..

when the stoplight turned green I cautiously ran the car up to the 50 mph that was posted, at which point, as I drew closer to the truck with the blinking yellow light, all of a sudden something big and hairy charged right in front of my car..

As I slammed on the brakes, my first thought was "Holy Crap! I just hit Bigfoot!!"

I slammed into the creature at 50 mph and the force of slamming on the brakes caused whiplash..(I didn't get treated for it, it took several weeks to feel better)

The impact of the car on the creature caused the craetures long neck to slam onto the hood of my car and splat all over the windshield..

As I got out of the car, I noticed the blinking light truck across the highway parked on the side of the road..the guy got out and I realized he was a state worker..

He said..."Why didn't you stop? I was trying to herd this emu off the road.."




Anyways, he called a cop so I could report, which then ended up in the Grant Pass newspaper the next week..and I went home and scraped the brains off my windshield and pulled emu feathers out of the grille..

$1500.00 damage and whiplash..


funny thing happened a couple weeks after that..my car decided to give up the ghost when I was driving home late one night the power steering went out.

I managed to steer the tank into a gas station so I could call a friend to come get me..

While I was waiting for the friend I was talking to the gas station guy..I mentioned the big bird incident and he said "oh, so that was you who hit the emu, I read that in the paper a couple weeks ago.."

and then he says to his co-worker, "hey Steve! This is the one who ran over the emu!"

Steve replied, "Oh cool!"

egads..


anyways, the reason I bring this up is this..

http://www.wral.com/news/strange/story/6046477/


Miss. police use Taser, handcuffs on wayward emu

Posted: Today at 3:26 p.m.

FOREST, Miss. — Officers had to use a stun gun and handcuffs to capture an emu running loose on Interstate 20 in central Mississippi on Sunday. Police Officer Kiley Culpepper told WLBT-TV in Jackson that motorists had been calling 911 since Friday to report sightings of two emus on I-20 and nearby U.S. Highway 80.

Authorities had been unable to find the animals until Sunday, when one was spotted near an I-20 entrance ramp.

The big bird was dodging traffic. Culpepper and deputies were able to surround the animal but has to use the Taser and handcuffs to finally get it off the road.

After being captured, the animal was taken to the Scott County Forest Coliseum.

and my question is...
*Where were they when I needed them?*

Flame...you're famous!

You were in the middle of nowhere. It would have been kind of weird for the authorities to jump out from behind trees. Though you're right...they should have!

I didn't know emus were such a hazard on the road. I'll watch out for them.

emus are really, really big.. you won't miss them..