Was there ever a vehicle (truck, van, motor coach) stuck on Lombard St.? Stuck as in tow trucks having to pull it back up the street? Or cut the coach in half? The latter was supposed to have occured in the early 60s and I would like to verify this traumatic event.

-- Jay Archibald (jbird2@jps.net), January 31, 2005

Answers

I can answer your question with a bit of lore. I grew up in Daly City, and my best friend Jack's father was a truck driver, cement mixers to be specific. Back in the late '60s, Jack told me how his dad's supervisor had ordered him to make a delivery at an address on Lombard Street. Dad responded that was the crooked section and there was no way his truck could negotiate the turns. The supervisor ordered him to make the delivery -- so he did, and ended up high- centering the cement mixer.

Supposedly the tow trucks had a hell of a time getting it out of there, given that truck was full of concrete. They had to pump it out before even starting the tow.

Or so the legend goes.

I always thought the story was a bit far-fetched, but sounds like maybe there's a grain of truth in it.

-- John Martini (jamartini@slip.net), January 31, 2005.