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Sunday Travel Funnies: Freeway Fondue

We’ve all heard of (or seen) highway accidents involving overturned semis. In most cases the truck in question spills its contents all over the road. I’ve personally witnessed overturned beer trucks and in one case a tractor-trailer carrying thousands of pounds of corn overturned near the freeway exit I take to get home.

However, neither quite compares to what occurred last week on a California highway. According to news reports, a tractor-trailer hauling dozens of gigantic blocks of cheese erupted in flames, turning much of its cargo into freeway fondue.

The good news: no one was hurt. The bad news: the boxes containing hundreds of pounds of provolone, cheddar, American and other cheeses oozed out of the burning truck and blocked part of Interstate 80 north of downtown Sacramento.

The truck’s driver told police he tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher. Once the fire started to spread the driver said he gave up and rescued his dog who was traveling with him.

No word on whether or not the melted cheese qualified for the world’s largest nacho dip.

Blood donors don’t typically get cheese as a thank you for their donations—they usually get juice and a cookie. But one Red Cross center in Detroit says they’re looking to super size their thank you gifts by appealing to individuals who like to hit the highway in style.

A Motown Red Cross center is currently offering a pearl white 2007 Lincoln MKX crossover as a way to entice more people to help ease a blood shortage. (According to local newspapers, as of a few days ago there was no type O blood supply, and other blood types were critically low.)

The vehicle is parked outside the center and has a sign that reads: “Win this car. Give Blood.” Other Red Cross locations in the southern part of the state are also appealing to travelers. They are offering gas cards valued between $25 and $200 to those who donate blood through Labor Day.

Speaking of freebies… An advertising promotion for a car dealership in New Mexico backfired in a big way.

The dealership used a direct mailing of 50,000 scratch-off games to give potential car buyers a chance to win a grand prize of $1,000. The small type said the odds of winning were 1 in 50,000. But an error in the printing resulted in all 50,000 scratch-off ads being $1,000 winners.

In the end the dealership provided “winners” with $5 Wal-Mart gift cards. The company also held another series of drawings where 20 people had a chance to win $1,000 a piece.

Related Articles:

Sunday Travel Funnies: Someone’s Not Laughing

Sunday Travel Funnies: Real Embarrassing/Real Deal

Sunday Travel Funnies: “OUCH!”

Sunday Travel Funnies: Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?

Sunday Travel Funnies- “Don’t Worry, It’s ONLY A Safety Problem.”

Sunday Travel Funnies–Not Everyone Is Smiling

Sunday Travel Funnies–So Weird You Have To Laugh

Sunday Travel Funnies: Snakes, Shoes, and Swiss Cheese

Sunday Travel Funnies-MapQuest: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be

This entry was posted in Auto/RV and tagged , , , , by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.