interesting finds on side of the road

[laoutdoorsman]

figured i would start a topic...whats some cool stuff youve found on the side of the road, that you actually stopped to pickup??

today(well, yesterday now..) leaving the house, got on the interstate, not far, and had a basically brand new blue igloo water cooler (round with the spout on the bottom--5 gallons or so)on the side of the road...i dont think it had even been used before...guess it flew out of some construction guys truck...ha..mine now..

funny thing is, on my return trip home today, got about a mile from my house(i live on/off of a winding hilly country woods road)....had to doubletake, but saw a new looking propane tank just laying on its side in the ditch...my first thought, was..hmmm---"pick it up just for an extra tank, go swap it at an exchange place--free tank"....well...i circle back, it was in the ditch in the mud, so i had to work for it a lil bit...but..it was brand new from the exchange place and full !!..free tank, free propane...i have to say, i would love to be able to return either of those items to whoever lost them, but...um...i live in the woods, and its no telling who lost them...lots of deerhunters moving about lately getting ready for hunting season and stuff...

now, i have found neat free stuff over the years, but this was 2 in the same day...i thought it was cool...

boat launches are the best...i have found coolers, umbrellas, trolling motors, batteries, paddles...

guess i tend to just have an eagle eye for that kinda stuff..always scanning the sides of the road...
on the other hand...im also fantical/OCD about securing my loads when hauling/traveling....i refuse to lose anything on the highway...
anyway...thats that...anybody else??

[chorizon]

Found a full set of pneumatic tools scattered all over a busy intersection. My wife and I had just started dating, and I'm sure she was wondering what kind of guy she had just met as I was dodging cars to grab all the stuff! I have used the 3/8 drive air ratchet from that set at work almost every day for the past 9 years!

My road-scanning OCD also encompasses nails, screws, etc... I'll stop and pickup anything that I think will puncture a tire. Figured I've ruined quite a few tires over the years because some idiot can't keep his tail-gate closed.

[bohemian]

A couple of years back wile driving on my birthday I spotted what looked to be money and of course I had to stop. It turned out to be a $20 Happy birthday to me.

[FireLion]

I've found everything from soccer balls to coolers to misc. clothing to tools to ladders. Makes me wonder, though, when I see 1 shoe. Ain't someone gonna miss that?

[hotrod]

I've found everything from soccer balls to coolers to misc. clothing to tools to ladders. Makes me wonder, though, when I see 1 shoe. Ain't someone gonna miss that?

I always wonder how the 1 shoe thing happens...

[Frosteez]

Years ago I was following a delivery truck with a heavy duty 2 wheel dolly on the back. Going across a bad railroad crossing too fast it fell off his truck. I pulled over, picked it up and tried to find him but he was going so fast I couldn't. A few scratches but otherwise it was ok. Still use it to this day!

[Minicamper42]

Those are all cool stories but I have the best one yet...it was about 8 yrs ago when I took a vacation from CA to AZ to visit my Mom...I lived in a neighbor hood that was know for drugs and gang violence and street fights...but at the time I moved in the kids were young...lived there about 12yrs...so I came home late Sunday night after a 2 week trip and as I was unloading the truck I notice what looked like money on the ground on my lawn, so I walked over to see what it was...MONEY! and lots of it!!...no kidding!...I had a $185 bucks in my hand ...I figured a fight broke out on my lawn while I was gone earlier that day and the cash fell out of the guys pocket...so when I got home, there it was...how cool is that?...I know it's not a side of the road find, but it's still mine

[rebapuck]

I was following a pickup that hit a bump. Shovel jumped out that I dodged. I honked and flashed til he stopped. When I told him he's lost a shovel. he denied having a shovel. Suit yourself, but someone is going to get hurt when they run over it. He still denied having a shovel, but did head back that way.

Can't figure out why he said he didn't have one. It's not illegal. ...Is it?

[B52]

I

Can't figure out why he said he didn't have one. It's not illegal. ...Is it?

It is if it's falling out of your truck!!

[madjack]

...once, while VERY lost, I found myself on the side of the road...and kept me...does that count........

[Alan Wood]

...once, while VERY lost, I found myself on the side of the road...and kept me...does that count........

Err that is a very existential question. Can you please rephrase it for us mortals?

[Alfred]

I found one of those long aluminum extension ladders. Used if for years but left it in Tampa when I moved to Asheville.

AL in Asheville

[Miriam C.]

...once, while VERY lost, I found myself on the side of the road...and kept me...does that count........

Err that is a very existential question. Can you please rephrase it for us mortals?

[Alfred]

This is probably slightly different than what you're asking for, but when I lived in Gainesville, FL my college years (Go Gators) I knew a guy who would get up early and traverse the garbage collection routes in his pick-up truck before the garbage trucks made their rounds.

He would find furniture, appliances, a lot of stuff abandoned by students when they moved, etc. left out as trash. He would take it home, clean it up, spray paint it if needed, change a broken cord, nail/screw/glue stuff back together, etc. then on weekends he would sell it at the flea market.

He claimed to me that he made enough money to live on and make his house payment.

AL in Asheville

[Steve_Cox]

...once, while VERY lost, I found myself on the side of the road...and kept me...does that count........

Wow man.... been down that road a few times


Back in the 70's, late one night while traversing I-44 just outside Stroud Oklahoma, I found a naked woman walking down the highway.