Morgan Bellwallaby in the headlights - some thoughts on night driving
September 18th 2008 16:06
driving along a highway (or freeway) after midnight is one of my favourite things to do, there are few other cars on the road and everything feels so crisp and clear . . . you can drive fast, really fast, and all the reflectors look so beautiful lit up by your headlights
i went on one such drive tonight, cruising along having a jolly old time - complete solitude
*exhale*
i drove for about an hour and only passed about four cars . . . when i see the headlights of a car coming in the other direction i dip my high beams until they pass out of courtesy . . . you feel like the king (or queen) of the road!
but there are a few casualties of night driving, especially on country roads, and a dodged a few carcasses along the way . . . rabbits and wallabys mostly . . . ive never hit one myself, but strewn along the roadside are a collection of dead bodies of the native animals that have come out for a feed or a wander
when i see the first flattened corpse it sharpens my senses and i pay extra attention to the road incase any little critters jump out
i see a car approaching from the opposite directions and dim my lights, as their headlights draw closer to mine a silhouette pops up out of nowhere and BANG the other car plows it down . . . no swerve . . . instant carnage!
it was and small wallaby in the opposite lane, he was hunched over looking as something on the asphalt and the car came upon him with such speed that he only had enough time to straighten into an upright position and turn his head . . . it all happened in seconds and by the time the noise resonated in my ears i was hundreds of metres away
i looked back in the rear view mirror and the death-mobile had not stopped, it was still flying along, it hadnt even slowed, the break lights hadnt even lit up . . . it was almost like he had aimed for it
the last thing that wallaby saw was a bright light and then his little life was snuffed out
i found myself thinking "what must animals think of these roads, and these big chunks of metals hurtling along them?"
for the perspective of the animal it must seem that humans have carved out these sprawling death canals . . . we sever the expanse of their habitat with our blazing trails and mow them down at speeds they can not possibly comprehend or anticipate
if you travel on the "Spirit of Tasmania" ferry to visit our triangular isle they often present info sessions on the native wildlife and how to preserve the endangered Tasmanian Devil - they ask tourists to avoid driving at night because thats when the little carnivores scour the sides of the highways for roadkill to feast on . . . ive never seen a Tazzy Devil but when i saw the untimely fate of the midnight wallaby the community service announcement flashed back to me
one of my parents cats went missing last week, presumed dead on the highway but we cannot locate the body . . . some neighbours testify to having seen the deceased remains but they mysteriously disappeared before my parents could identify them
when i try to put myself into the shoes of an animal looking at a big black road i really cannot imagine what they must think they are . . . they dont resemble any other naturally occurring structure . . . no wonder they are so unsuccessful at traversing them!
makes you think . . .
i went on one such drive tonight, cruising along having a jolly old time - complete solitude
*exhale*
i drove for about an hour and only passed about four cars . . . when i see the headlights of a car coming in the other direction i dip my high beams until they pass out of courtesy . . . you feel like the king (or queen) of the road!
but there are a few casualties of night driving, especially on country roads, and a dodged a few carcasses along the way . . . rabbits and wallabys mostly . . . ive never hit one myself, but strewn along the roadside are a collection of dead bodies of the native animals that have come out for a feed or a wander
when i see the first flattened corpse it sharpens my senses and i pay extra attention to the road incase any little critters jump out
i see a car approaching from the opposite directions and dim my lights, as their headlights draw closer to mine a silhouette pops up out of nowhere and BANG the other car plows it down . . . no swerve . . . instant carnage!
it was and small wallaby in the opposite lane, he was hunched over looking as something on the asphalt and the car came upon him with such speed that he only had enough time to straighten into an upright position and turn his head . . . it all happened in seconds and by the time the noise resonated in my ears i was hundreds of metres away
i looked back in the rear view mirror and the death-mobile had not stopped, it was still flying along, it hadnt even slowed, the break lights hadnt even lit up . . . it was almost like he had aimed for it
the last thing that wallaby saw was a bright light and then his little life was snuffed out
i found myself thinking "what must animals think of these roads, and these big chunks of metals hurtling along them?"
for the perspective of the animal it must seem that humans have carved out these sprawling death canals . . . we sever the expanse of their habitat with our blazing trails and mow them down at speeds they can not possibly comprehend or anticipate
if you travel on the "Spirit of Tasmania" ferry to visit our triangular isle they often present info sessions on the native wildlife and how to preserve the endangered Tasmanian Devil - they ask tourists to avoid driving at night because thats when the little carnivores scour the sides of the highways for roadkill to feast on . . . ive never seen a Tazzy Devil but when i saw the untimely fate of the midnight wallaby the community service announcement flashed back to me
one of my parents cats went missing last week, presumed dead on the highway but we cannot locate the body . . . some neighbours testify to having seen the deceased remains but they mysteriously disappeared before my parents could identify them
when i try to put myself into the shoes of an animal looking at a big black road i really cannot imagine what they must think they are . . . they dont resemble any other naturally occurring structure . . . no wonder they are so unsuccessful at traversing them!
makes you think . . .
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Comment by SL
I hit a dog once, when travelling alone. Poor little thing was terrified and wound up in the middle of the road. I couldn't stop and my other options were to hit a semi head-on or run another car off the road. It was hideous.
There's nothing you can do about wild animals on the road. But people who have pets should make sure they are contained and never get near the traffic areas.
My own dog got in the street once. And only ONCE. He was run over by a pick-up. He seemed surprised and limped around for a few days, but he never stepped on pavement again.
Personally, I drive as little as possible at night and go slower when I do. It's a terrible feeling to kill something because it was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Morgan. Next time you might be the one to hit the little wallaby.
Comment by S.L.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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i was surprised at the other driver not even slowing, i can only presume they did it on purpose (partly)
i drive at the speed limit but that probably doesnt make much difference to the little animals
i would only swerve if i was going at a low speed . . . luckily ive never been in the situation where i had to make that decision . . . they say alot of people swerve out of instinct not thinking of their own safety
thanks for sharing your stories!
Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling
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Just go for a walk in the burbs.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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yeah i guess the McMansions and roll-top curb arent exactly naturally occurring are they . . .
i presume the residents organic?
Comment by Jason King
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Total Randomness
Another time I swerved to try and hit a rabbit that bounced out in front of me. I was not quick enough and stopped the car. I was about 17 this time and I saw the rabbit was beyond saving but was in agony with half its body squashed and the other half trying to bounce away. In a cartoon it could have looked funny but it was the furthest thing from funny. Not knowing what to do - the passenger and I decided to roll the car over it to put the rabbit out of its misery. It was horrible. Never forget it.
My grandpa had a weird way of showing respect to dead animals on the side of the road - whenever he saw one he would spit out the window.
Comment by RubySoho
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I can't believe that car didn't even slow down.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks for the crazy stories!
the rabbit incident sounds really awful, and ill never understand people purposely aiming for cats or dogs with their cars like its some kind of sport . . .
your grandpa sounds like a classic!
hi Ruby,
i half considered stopping and turning around and seeing if it was alright but due to the volume of the noise i knew it would be splattered everywhere and grusome so i didnt really want to see . . . i thought the lack of slowing down was pretty dubious, not the kind of people i would want to come across in a dark alley
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Can't believe that car didn't even slow down. People make me wonder sometimes.....
Comment by Danceswithwords
Poetic Sedition
Inspiration
I'm caught in the headlights of yet another one of your posts...
I liken Orble to picking up your telephone to make a call and you hear these voices talking about everyday stuff. Do you listen or hang up? Maybe that's another post?
Yours are always intriguing in their simplicity imagery and thoughts on gee... a whole host of subjects. Thanks for you and your writings. A big smile goes here for your Deep Pencil.
In search of animals to run over... and yeah if the animals could write in here what would they say about it? We could walk everywhere and then understand that the world we feel of incredible safety, seclusion, and comfort in travelling in today's self steered transport systems - is an absolute privilege...
I feel for birds that fly into planes engines... and nocturnal animals drawn to the bright speeding lights. We haven't thought co-existence through very well have we?
I was traveling in a car with a girlfriend, who loved animals. She loved them more than people, and more than us it seemed. I was talking to her about her love of everything that was alive, but not human, and in a strange fated irony a large 'pukeko' (POO-KECK-OH) crossed the road. For the uninitiated it is a flightless marshland bird in New Zealand, and they tend to make nests and wander across roads in search of the other side. The roads are in their habitat. No fencing or any sensible signs posted that they could understand.
So here we are talking, and this Pukeko walks into our conversation... Ironic and touching, and just plain freaky. I consider swerving as it is too late to brake. There is an on coming car and the road is steeply pitched on either side across a wet marshland in Northland NZ. I look at the horror on her face and then all of a sudden she is pushing the wheel away to avoid the bird! We are swerving and the car begins to slide into the oncoming path of the car.
I didn't brake. There was no time to brake. It's like people who toot when you pull in front of them. If you have time to find the horn then you have plenty of time to find the brake.
So here we are sideways, rounding this bird that is nonchalantly wandering across the highway. I turn the wheel back the other way and the car grabs and starts to slide across to OUR side of the road. We narrowly, and to this day I still don't how, MISS the oncoming car which is braking to miss us and the said bird.
We come to a halt about 50 metres down the road with the front of the 4WD pitched into the Marshland. The car we had missed has stopped to see if we are ok. And the bird? It's standing in the middle of the road going like... "well I was waiting in the middle for you both to pass, what the hell were you guys thinking???"
My girlfriend said it was OK for us to kill the people going the other way (and US) as long as the bird lived!!!
We all lived, and the bird seemed none the wiser. I know that she did the right thing in her mind. In what she believed.
For me, I sadly value human life above that of animals who wander across roads. I have thought that if the birds were writing in Orble about running over humans stupid enough to walk out on motorways... I would have been roadkill years ago.
I love animals, though can't understand people who will save whales and not people. If we can't save and protect our own, what hopelessness do we face in protecting other life forms?
Dances
Comment by Geoff Egan
Cinema XYZ
Noise Fanatic
I've never hit one myself, but I've been in a car when a kangaroo has jumped out and straight into the car. Nothing that could have been done.
Acutally some friends of out family had their car run into by an emu. Yeah I said that right, they were driving along the road and the emu ran out of the scrub and into the driver's side door. There was an epic dint in the door!
Still the roadkill does do a bit of good, hawks and eagles are in abundance everyday chowing down on dead 'roos etc.
Not trying to sound upbeat, there it's a terrible shame and I hate seeing people hit animals, but I have become a bit desensitised to it.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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people are the strangest creatures of them all!
you dont really see other animals being cruel or sadistic towards each other . . .
hi Dances,
so glad you have been enjoying the Pencil! haha
flattery will get you everywhere around here, thanks so much for the confidence boost!
what a strange story about your girlfriend and the pukeko (and no i had not heard of that species of bird before so thanks for initiating me!) - i know people that can be a bit like that, watching people massacre and torture each other on the nightly news but when the topic turns to animal abuse they have to change the channel . . .
ultimately i do value the human life more, i dont know if its just sticking with our own kind or because i think we have a greater level of consciousness/intelligence (although sometimes it seems like we dont)
hi Geoff,
oh excellent point about the trucks!
the road in question is a major truck transport route so i imagine much of the roadkill is from trucks that dont have any other option . . . although the heinous dude who mowed down the unsuspecting wallaby looked like he was in an 80s model toyota corolla haha
ive heard a few stories about larger animals running into the sides of cars . . . perhaps they are more organised than we think? could it all be an elaborate plan of revenge?
thanks for the comments everyone!
Comment by Cheryl J
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Years ago I called the rangers because someone had smashed into a kangaroo that was still alive and flailing about in fear and pain. I used my car to block the lane but after 10 minutes of no ranger I flagged down a passing policeman who took out his pistol and shot it. I bawled all the way home but I was so relieved he had come along and did the right thing.
I have had a Roo hit my car though, not the other way around. I was doing around 80kmh and this thing bounded out of the bush and bounced into the back passenger door of my car. Scared the shite out of me! I stopped the car but he had hopped off into the scrub again. Very bizarre.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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ahhh so the police are at least good for one thing then!
maybe the roo that hit your car and bounced off was some kind of a circus roo? haha
thanks for the comment . . . nice to see you floating about the traps again!