What on earth was that?

[Sp!ke]

Today was a bad day at work.

At about a quarter to one, I finally left the office bound for home after something like a 17 hour day with only a 26 mile drive ahead of me.

Nearing home, just past Kew bridge, nothing else on the road, I see an old ford escort approaching from the opposite direction with only its parking lights on and with what appears to be a few people in the car. I can see the windows are wound down and an arm is visible hanging out of the back windows. Bit strange I thought.

As I pass the car, there is a loud thwack. I blinked and ducked simultaneously, looked up and to my horror, I can't see a thing. My windscreen is now white, plastered in something horrible and I can barely make out the road ahead. I eased on the brakes and tried squirting the windscreen but the wipers just smeared the substance completely, covering what little there was of the windscreen that I could, up till that point still peer through.

Nothing left for it, I'm on the brakes again and come to a halt in the middle of the road. My heart is beating fast.

I get out the car and the windscreen is covered in some sticky looking congealed substance. I don't know what it is, could be milk, maybe eggs... maybe some nasty chemical or paint stripper - god knows. It's all over the windscreen and up over the roof of the car and more splatters of it down the off side.

Being conscious of not wanting to touch whatever it was, I managed to wipe a section clean from the windscreen with a rag so I could see something and then headed towards the nearest all-night garage so as to at least get a bucket of water over the car to dilute whatever substance it is and reduce the risk of damage should it turn out to be a chemical of some kind.

So I've just got home after dousing the car down with water and theres still lots of stuff all over the car. I still have no idea what was thrown at me and the car now has a very peculiar smell inside and I'm pretty pi$$ed off with the whole string of events that have formed my day.

I guess I should be counting myself lucky I didn't hit anything but more than anything, I'm completely puzzled and fail to understand the thought process of the people that did this.

 

[Baron_Samedi]

Glad you got home in one piece, Spike!

I don't think many people think too much about the consequences of their actions these days.

It's just not something that is taught any more

 

[w124coupe]

Glad you got home in one piece, Spike!

I don't think many people think too much about the consequences of their actions these days.

It's just not something that is taught any more

Incident will almost certainly be on CCTV but of course the car involved will be without MOT or insurance driven by subhumans spending our taxes on petrol, mobile phones, fags and booze (and the white stuff).

Clearly not worth the Police getting involved as the occupants need our sympathy as they are clearly unfortunate and a product of our failed society rather than pondweed who should experience high-speed rotten fruit while in a public square restrained by stocks.

Rant over.

 

[whitenemesis]

Glad you're ok Sp!ke!

This happened to a colleague a while back, coming home late one night next he knew white fmuch all over screen. Turned out to be McD milkshake.. Scared the cr*p out of us!

Was half expecting some sort of car-jacking as we got out to clean the screen but no one in site.

The stuff did manage to mark the paintwork though...

 

[renault12ts]

I agree with everyone else. But if you can count your self lucky then do. There was a spate last year in NI of the same sort of thing except with bricks. No one died, but one poor chap was very seriously injured having been hit square in the face with the brick as it came through the screen.

 

[st4]

A similar thing happened to me a few years back. Driving along the M9 quite late at night and as I was about to pass under a bridge a nasty concoction was dropped all over my car. Didn't quiet have the effect you've had but it made a nasty mess. It would have been feral youths high on something that did this

 

[grober]

The fact its beginning to smell now points to it being organic. Possibly a McD milkshake or a made up concoction. Try to test if its water soluble-- warmish water and lots of detergent will probably remove it. Don't let it "cook" in the sun if at at all possible or any protein will "set"and be more difficult to remove. You are smelling it because its probably gone into the air intake at the base of the screen. You may have to do a bit of dismantling here to get rid of it. If its solvent based then things are a bit more tricky since anything that shifts it other than something alcohol based will probably damage the paint work too. It then enters the insurance claim territory I'm afraid. Take some pics before you start on the clean up job for evidence. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time and victim of Mercedes Envy rotten luck

 

[w124coupe]

Glad you're ok Sp!ke!

This happened to a colleague a while back, coming home late one night next he knew white fmuch all over screen. Turned out to be McD milkshake.. Scared the cr*p out of us!

Was half expecting some sort of car-jacking as we got out to clean the screen but no one in site.

The stuff did manage to mark the paintwork though...

If it eats through clearcoat imagine what it does to your innards!

 

[Spinal]

Very sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you're fine!

Similar thing happened to my flatmate, and judging from the cup on the side of the road he seemed to think it was a McDonald's milkshake (similar to others). It seems to be a "popular" choice of throwing matter... I've also had an egg thrown at me, but that was while walking... The milkshake did wash out fairly easily though...

Might be worth taking some pictures and calling up your local police station, even if only to get a crime reference number... I doubt the police will do much for one incident, but if the numbers start adding up....

Is the car ok? Any scratches?

M.

 

[robertjrt]

You may have a bit of a problem here. If the "white stuff" was a milk product the lactose in it will decompose and the smell will stay, and stay.

Remove everything you can and use a bio-logical cleaner, but, test first that it does not mark!

I once had a car in part-exchange where a pint of milk had been spilled on the carpet, in the end all the carpets had to be removed and replaced and a diluted acid used on the metal floor, the smell was appalling.

It is quite amazing how smells stays in a car, who eats a McDonald in their car?

 

[Chattonmill]

I just cant think what these sort of people are thinking of when they do this sort of thing.
No regard for anyone else, unfortunately a sad reflection of youth culture today.

 

[Will]

I agree with the others - probably a milkshake or something. After all, this sounds like an opportunist 'prank', as opposed to a pre-meditated attack on a specific individual.

There is a McDonald's drive-through place along from Kew bridge as you enter Brentford etc so perhaps some silly drunk/drugged up/mischievous kids coming back from somewhere playing stupid games.

A good thorough wash will hopefully clean the mess off, hope it didn't shake you up too much or damage your car.

Will

 

[BRABUSS]

thats just rotten, i hope you get the car cleaned up. mindless fools

 

[219]

who eats a McDonald in their car?

I do - but only once in every month or two . careful about not spilling anything , though .

Opening up various covers and blasting with a pressure washer ( with care ) might work .

 

[Meldrew2]

I've had my "contacts" check the local CCTV tapes. They think they may have identified whoever did it.

Is this the offender?

http://ceritium.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/mcdonald-wifi-gratis.JPG

.

 

[whitenemesis]

If it eats through clearcoat imagine what it does to your innards!

Fotunately one's innards constantly renews itself. Something MB haven't perfected yet..

 

[miro]

We had a spate of deaths in Australia. Bits of pavement, bricks, stone went through windscreens at 110 km/h. Instant death. One was a truck driver, another a child passenger and several drivers were killed.

Last month they missed with a concrete debris. It hit the passenger seat, bounced inside the car on the soft linings and broke the drivers left arm.

Its great that it isnt lethal - anything but a mindless road death. The cleaning is annoying but the funerals are far far worse.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Throwing it at your car in inexcusable.

However, if it was a mcdonalds milkshake I'm not at all surprised that the thrower got bored with it.

I tried one once and got fed up with trying to suck up freezing cold and thick wet sugar through a straw - made my jaw ache!

 

[GrahamC230K]

Any update Sp!ke?

 

[Spinal]

Just got this and it made me think of you:

To all students: Post-Examination Celebrations

Dear Candidate,

The Proctors are simply college tutors who are taking time out from
their regular duties. Like most tutors, we enjoy working closely
with students and are delighted when they do well. So we would like
to wish you the very best of luck in your forthcoming exams.

The purpose of this note is to ask for your help in preventing post-
exam celebrations from getting out of hand. We realise that the
exams are an intense and high-pressure experience and we're sure
that you'll want to celebrate and let off steam when they end. But
we ask that you do so responsibly and with consideration for others.
In particular, you should be aware that activities such as food-
throwing and fizzy drink-spraying are not harmless fun, but have
serious negative consequences for members of the University, local
businesses and the general public. For example:

- In 2007, two members of the public broke limbs slipping on flour
wet with champagne and eggs; the students who caused these accidents
were lucky that their victims chose not to seek financial redress.

- Last year the City Council charged the University £8000 towards
the cost of cleaning up the streets after post-exam celebrations.

- Very disappointingly, we have already received one serious
complaint this term from a shop on the High Street. Students
shouting and throwing food outside the shop for an extended period
scared off potential customers and left the shop staff with a
disgusting clean-up job.

So, having worked hard, enjoy finishing your last exam and meeting
others after theirs. Do come along and celebrate with flowers,
balloons and gifts. But please, don't bring any foodstuffs and don't
throw or spray anything. Nobody wants to see rotting food, broken
glass, vomit etc on the streets - they are a disgrace and
potentially dangerous.

The University's rules on this are given at:
<removed>

Note that we attach equal importance to these rules whether you are
taking your exams at the <removed> or at <removed> .

We wish you well in your exams, and hope that you enjoy celebrating
in your College when you finish.

<removed>

I've "anonimised" the email - but you should get the gist. I was surprised that the council could charge the university for the cleanup, after all, the university has no control over what students do in the evening... seems like an easy way out rather than finding the individual culprits...

M.