Maximum Overdrive (IMDB) begins with a cantankerous ATM driven mad by comet dust and ends with Emilio Estevez shouting graphic Oedipal insults in Spanish at an Insane Clown Posse-esque truck whilst obliterating it with a hip-held bazooka. It’s a classic? It was also Stephen King’s directorial debut (as well as his finale), and it chronicles one of humanity’s obvious fears: vindictively murderous autonomous vehicles (and lesser machines like video games and vending machines).

I bring up this movie because we recently had some drama with our equipment truck and while the film is not the best description of the scene I happened upon, it is certainly the first description that came to mind.

WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK, THIS!!!

When I arrived at work early that day, this is what I saw: an abandoned truck lodged under a bridge just outside our building. There were no signs of life. Just the truck. Stuck. In the middle of the road. In my early morning haze, it just appeared as though the truck had come to life and tried to run away in the middle of the night only to be foiled by the bridge.

As it turns out, all the roads around our office were recently converted to a confusing web of one-way streets. And because it was an early call time, the roads were apocalyptically quiet when Google Maps sent Tyler, our long-time trusted crew member, into certain death-by-low-bridge. At the time of my arrival, Tyler had actually walked back to the office to make some calls and formulate an escape plan.

Eventually, we deflated the tires and were able to remove the truck, but the damage was irreparable. But all’s well that ends well. Right? The film equipment inside the truck was not damaged, insurance covered the cost of a new truck, and Tyler has a nice piece of shrapnel to help remind everyone of the fiasco. A real win-win-win. Right, Tyler?

Here is Tyler inspecting his work:

Oh, and back to Maximum Overdrive. Who on God’s green Earth approved this movie trailer?!