One of the sportswriters at my newspaper actually died that way. It was before I got my job there, so I didn't know him, but it was really sad. He and a photographer had to cover a hoops game on one night in N.C., then one the following afternoon in Delaware. The photog was a pilot and they took his prop plane to NC, and went to come back to DE after the game real late. I guess they had the plane fired up and the pilot realized he left a chock under one wheel or something like that, and the writer got out to remove it ... well, he walked around the front of the plane. Game over. Really sad ... he was only about 30 years old. What an awful way to die. I also feel so sorry for the photog ... he apparantly (obviously) was haunted by what happened.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

I'll admit I'm very nervous about getting under the car, but not because I have any problem with the space (I actually fit under there pretty well). I'm just so afraid I'll do something wrong and it will come crashing down on me. I've read so many things about just the littlest mistake ending in instant (and awful) death. I guess that's somewhat good, though, because I'm really careful.

I'm afraid of people, for the most part, especially guys I like. I've overcome that on few occasions, but when I have it's ended in rejection or indirect rejection (which is no way near as cool as indirect injection) every time.

My more normal fears are rabid animals, rapists, murders, awful car accidents (I have to read about them all the time) and fire (not so much dying in it, but losing my home or car ... or worst of all, my beloved cat). I'm not afraid of heights at all, but I am afraid of falling hundreds of feet to my death.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Cottonmouth Moccasin
Diamond Back Rattler
Coral Snake

(Think I spend a little time "In the Woods"?)

(Oh, yes Tornados ['not mannerly as Hurricanes, which give days of warning])

I also must admit to using Railroad Tie Pieces stacked crosshatched...
['Real hard to "Scream for Help" when the car's on top of your chest.]

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'84 300SD sold
124.128

Sure, I would be glad to.

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When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

For some reason, I can't get over 3 foot off the ground on a ladder without my right leg refusing to work. Yes, I'm afraid of heights, but I enjoy Bungee Jumping and Skydiving...doesn't make sense about the ladder issue though.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I was in a masive housefire in 2007, where I nearly lost my kids due to being trapped. I am now so over sensitive with my nose, that I can smell a campfire a mile away easily. I refuse to go camping due to the smell, and can't stand winter time when the neighbor fires his fireplace up!

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

You are building houses now? That fear isn't good one to have when working on houses. The roof thing is fine, a few years ago I was painting a Third story dormer and had to stand on a cedar shake roof, well there was mold and mildew on the roof. It was a rether steep pitch and the obvious happened, I started to go down paint bucket and all. Luckily I grabbed on to the edge of the stile with my fingertips and stopped the fall. I wasn't scared of falling, I was scared of landing my options were land on the concrete sidewalk (ouch), land on the wrought iron fence complete with the spear like tips (not good) or land on the man made ravine complete with gynormous boulders (fantastico). I was messed up for years whenever we worked the site finally last year I got a grip and actually found some great work shoes that made a world of difference for me to regain my confidence, but for at least five years I was petrified when I would go on the roof at that site, my kids would flash through my mind and I would be done.

I have a healthy fear of heights, and I think it is a learned response.

As a crazy kid in college (WVU, Morgantown, WV), my friends and I would jump off of bridges into lakes and rivers. We started with the sidewalk on an old low bridge over Cheat Lake. It was about as high as the high dive at your neighborhood pool. Then we progressed to the top of the arched truss bridge. Sure -- drink some liquid courage and climb to the top of the bridge with wet bare feet. You put your feet on each rivet and place your hands under the lip of the beam. The top of this bridge was about 35' off the water. The beams are about a foot wide so it didn't seem to dangerous to just stand up there with nothing to hold onto. You can go off of either side. On one side, you have to clear the sidewalk (about 8' wide). On the other, there are power lines cantilevered off the side. Your choice. We started by jumping but soon were diving from that height.

Once that got boring, we moved down the lake a bit and tackled the I-64 bridge. There is an inspection catwalk that runs underneath it. Oddly enough, the access ladder had a locking mechanism, but it was never locked. So we'd climb up and walk out over the water. We estimated the catwalk was about 80' off the water. When you got to the jump point, you'd climb over the railing and hold on facing away from the railing. Then you'd step off and drop down THROUGH the triangular openings made by the trusses about half way down. Yo had to be careful to just drop straight down and not push off from the railing.

That was my height limit. Other daredevils jumped or dove from the top. We figured that was at least 100'. I knew a guy who broke his neck diving from there, so I never tried it.

But twice I jumped off the Suspension Bridge into the Ohio River in my hometown of Wheeling, WV. That was at least 70'.

Now I am spooked of open air heights. (If I'm behind glass, it doesn't bother me.) I reason that, based on my bridge jumping experiences, I have such a clear mental picture of falling through the air and remembering how hard you hit the water, I vividly imagine falling and hitting the ground.

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Behind every great man is a great woman. Behind every great woman is a great behind.

I'm guessing you wouldn't much enjoy this one then:

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1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife

Heights generally do not trouble me once I spend a few minutes orienting myself to the surroundings.2 or 3 shots of single malt and I do not even have to pause.

Until recently I've been scared *****less of bees and wasps due to an unfortunate incident when I was 4.I was running thru the the ivy,paused to retrieve a ball I had lost when 2 yellow and black insects with wings alighted on my arm and proceeded to give me the worst pain I had ever felt until then.

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Inverted flight in an open cockpit aircraft… Not a problem.
Steep turns in a helicopter without the doors on… Not a problem.

Walking up to the edge of cliff or building… Not a chance in hell.

And I don't think they make enough single malt to help me with that phobia.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

Back (in the 80s) before they changed all the rules related to flights over the canyon. I used to get a real kick out of flying as low and fast as I could (Usually about 10 to 15 feet above the ground.) and shooting out over the canyon. I loved the sensation of the ground instantly dropping hundreds of feet out from under me. Instant loss of ground effect was cool too.

But walking out on that thing. No way.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

I'll do anything for Love but I won't do THAT.

-meatloaf-

ooohhhhh....... that's bad.

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1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

Claustrophobia? no problem. Sit strapped very tightly in a blazing hot race car in the pits, not a breath of cool air, waiting for your turn to go, or go caving in places so tight you are glad you are slick & muddy..... I get a little weak kneed at heights, but it's more like a thrill. I can see myself rock climbing on a sheer cliff and really enjoying where I am.
But loose dogs....... I was knocked off my bike & mauled by a pit bull when I was a kid, in my 20s lived next door to dobermans that would attack me in my own garage or yard, and ever since that pit bull incident, dogs seem to sense my slight fear and go after me. Which of course compounds the problem.
I am a runner and still get attacked by dogs;.. so people, if you let your dogs run loose don't be surprised if I run it down on purpose. I have no remorse or sympathy for these 4 legged loose terrorists.
(I like good well trained dogs, I own one)

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"