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Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Fatman on February 05, 2010, 07:40:12 PM

Title: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: Fatman on February 05, 2010, 07:40:12 PM
This was on the same page as the mom shoots son story.


video here: http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/83465197.html (http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/83465197.html)

Quote
Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
By Diane Pathieu

Story Created: Feb 3, 2010

Story Updated: Feb 4, 2010

GREENFIELD - A mattress got stuck under her car, and it exploded.

She and her passenger lived to tell about it.

Now back home safe and sound in Greenfield, Kathy Rich has quite the story to tell.

"I was in the left lane the car ahead of me," said Rich.

"It was really packed, there were so many cars on the freeway, and all of a sudden I saw this car swerve a little bit. It caught the far end of this mattress, and I was next and went right over the center of it."

Kathy was on I-494 leaving the Minneapolis area on Sunday night with her friend Marsha Rodgers, when it happened.

Kathy accidentally drove over a mattress on the freeway, and it got lodged under her Toyota RAV-4.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

"We heard this bouncing and plunking, and we thought 'Good, we made it over it,' " said Rich.

"Little did we know that all these cars were tooting their horns, waving us off the freeway, and I turned down the radio and I said to Marsha, 'You know what? I hear a swishing sound. I bet you I hit that radiator.' "

Kathy pulled over to the shoulder, with seconds to spare.

"By the time we stopped, my friend opened her door and the flames just shot up," explained Kathy.

"It was like, 'Oh, my God, this thing is on fire!' People behind us were shouting at us to get out of that car get away from that car. It's going to explode."

It did explode, right before their eyes.

"I was in a daze i couldn't believe this car was blowing up in front of me."

Kathy and Marsha walked away without a scratch. The car was totaled, but she couldn't be more relieved.

"It wasn't until I saw the pictures on the internet last night that I realized, 'My God, I am so lucky to be alive because this thing could have exploded while we were still in it!"

Kathy's RAV-4 does not fall in the Toyota recall category.

Now, a show of hands. Who thinks the mattress exploded, other than the author?  Who thinks the heat caused by the friction of the wedged mattress scraping along the highway caused it to catch fire and that eventually made the fuel in the car explode?

Thought so. What do they teach in college?
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: TAB on February 05, 2010, 07:42:54 PM
its hard to say,  if a manufactor used the wrong foam, then it very well could explode.  Given all the import junk these days, you can't trust the lable.
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: Woody on February 05, 2010, 08:11:19 PM
 Damn terrorists. Or else it was Bush's fault.
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: tombogan03884 on February 05, 2010, 08:11:40 PM
This was on the same page as the mom shoots son story.


video here: http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/83465197.html (http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/83465197.html)

Now, a show of hands. Who thinks the mattress exploded, other than the author?  Who thinks the heat caused by the friction of the wedged mattress scraping along the highway caused it to catch fire and that eventually made the fuel in the car explode?

Thought so. What do they teach in college?

Based on some of the examples I've seen lately not much beyond how to make a beer bong, how to self mutilate with jewelry, and Socialism for the logically impaired.
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: texcaliber on February 05, 2010, 08:29:53 PM
You are all missing the point of this.

This is going to be the next "James Bond" anti-vehicle weapon defense.

I see it know:  Bond while making an outlandish escape, will borrow some unsuspecting movers vehicle. While evading massive vollies of gunfire pulls his Q-special-do-hickie to sever the rope binding the mattress and.............boom.

Bond written all over this. Just saying

tex   
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: tombogan03884 on February 05, 2010, 08:36:33 PM
Or Al Queda, I mean it IS less embarrassing than blowing up your shoes or BVD's.
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: seeker_two on February 07, 2010, 09:54:19 PM
Quote
Kathy's RAV-4 does not fall in the Toyota recall category.

...and yet the press wants to make a connection....  ::)


Tell me....what vehicle should I be driving to avoid the problem of exploding matresses?...  :-\
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: texcaliber on February 07, 2010, 10:04:31 PM
...and yet the press wants to make a connection....  ::)


Tell me....what vehicle should I be driving to avoid the problem of exploding matresses?...  :-\

H1 Hummer comes to mind.  8)

Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: seeker_two on February 08, 2010, 05:31:32 AM
H1 Hummer comes to mind.  8)



...before or after the improvised field armor?....
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: ellis4538 on February 08, 2010, 06:44:21 AM
I doubt the matress exploded...but the fire might have caused the gas tank to go with possible secondary if the tires went.

JMO

Richard
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: crusader rabbit on February 08, 2010, 07:48:54 AM
I doubt the matress exploded...but the fire might have caused the gas tank to go with possible secondary if the tires went.

JMO

Richard

I vote with Richard on this one.  Dragging=fristion.  Friction=heat.  Matress=combustable material. Combining the aforementioned=fire.  Gas tank resides immediately above fire.  Explosion ensues. 

Either that, or the underwear thing... ;D
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: TAB on February 08, 2010, 08:10:09 AM
gas tanks don't explode...  gas in its liquid form does not even burn really well.  Now when its in vapor form, watch out.

now if it got hot enough to vaporize the gas in the tank, and the vapor escaped, then there would be a chance for it to blow up.
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: BAC on February 08, 2010, 01:06:38 PM
Quote
Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
By Diane Pathieu

Was anyone else struck by just how badly worded that is?  Sounds like she hid under an SUV to escape an exploding mattress.  Maybe it's just me.
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: crusader rabbit on February 08, 2010, 05:43:44 PM
gas tanks don't explode...  gas in its liquid form does not even burn really well.  Now when its in vapor form, watch out.

now if it got hot enough to vaporize the gas in the tank, and the vapor escaped, then there would be a chance for it to blow up.

Burning mattress may just get hot enough to boil off some fumes.  Depending on the relative fullness of the tank, that could have resulted in improper venting at or near the combusting mattress.  As a general rule, I try to avoid having flaming mattresses in the general proximity of any of my gas tanks.  And gas tanks do explode if the fuel/air mix is right and there is an ignition source.

But, I remember the story about a trailer park guy rescued from his burning bedroom.  Fireman suggested the fact that he was smoking in bed may have triggered the fire.  "Nope," he answered, "the bed was on fire when I lay down on it."  Every story has at least one other explaination.

I may still go with the flaming underwear ;D ;) ;D ;)
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: PegLeg45 on February 08, 2010, 07:20:35 PM
Mattress gets caught under SUV.

Hot exhaust pipe ( @ around 500+ deg) ignites extremely flammable mattress.

Many gas tanks these days are made of plastic....yep, plastic.

Flames + plastic + gas = BOOOOOM!!!!!


That's my theory and I'm stickin' to it......  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: tt11758 on February 09, 2010, 05:07:14 PM

But, I remember the story about a trailer park guy rescued from his burning bedroom.  Fireman suggested the fact that he was smoking in bed may have triggered the fire.  "Nope," he answered, "the bed was on fire when I lay down on it."  Every story has at least one other explaination.


(http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp225/tt11758/wtf-cat.jpg)
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: sledgemeister on February 11, 2010, 08:40:43 AM
Ok if no one else will............................


Wouldnt be the first mattress to see a big bang!
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: brosometal on February 11, 2010, 08:54:36 PM
gas tanks don't explode...  gas in its liquid form does not even burn really well.  Now when its in vapor form, watch out.

now if it got hot enough to vaporize the gas in the tank, and the vapor escaped, then there would be a chance for it to blow up.

I vote this.  The tank would have to be closer to empty for any explosion.  Gas burns.  Rarely (other than TV) does it explode.  I would refer everyone to Google burning tanker trucks.  There was one on I-275 in St. Pete that burned enough to melt steel, much to Rosie O'Donell's chagrin...

As for this story, I would have to say it sounds like this lady could screw up a crow bar.  I'm just sayin' ;D
Title: Re: Greenfield Woman Survives Mattress Explosion Under SUV
Post by: BAC on February 11, 2010, 08:56:56 PM
Ok if no one else will............................


Wouldnt be the first mattress to see a big bang!

Thank you! I'll be here all week.  Try the veal.