On A Dark And Stormy Night in Ireland . . .

by Dick Mac

This story happened a while ago in Dublin, and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it’s said to be true!

John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking late at night, in the midst of a big storm. The night was growing old and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. When he saw a car with no lights slowly coming towards him and stop he felt he had been saved. Desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, ran to the car, got in and closed the door. He saw there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't on.

The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the wheel. Paralyzed with terror he sat there as the car continued slowly forward. He watched again as the hand came through the window at another curve, but never touched or harmed him.

When John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, he made another decision. Gathering all his strength, he leapt from the slowly moving car, rolled to the side of the road, and ran to the building.

Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside. A silence enveloped the pub when the crowd realized he was crying. He told everybody his story about the driverless car and the mysterious hand. He ordered whiskey and sat quietly sobbing and drinking with a sympathetic crowd around him.

A short while later, the door opened and two men walked in, also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, they rushed over, and one said to the other: "Look Mike, it's that friggin' idiot that got in the car while we were pushing it!"