Have You Ever Caused or Been On the Receiving End of a Book/Reading Related Accident?
I had so much fun with our last discussion question, what’s the most horrific way you’ve ruined a book? (which by the way went straight to my top ten most commented posts!), and with my last video chat where I showed off all the destroyed books in my house that I thought I would continue a theme of sorts by asking another strange question. Have you ever caused or been on the receiving end of a book/reading related accident?
Weird, I know. But I want to know! So some hypothetical scenarios. Will you admit that you read books at red lights in the car? Has it distracted you enough to cause you grief? ( Heaven forbid, please don’t tell, you read books while actually driving.) Or has listening to an audio book while driving distracted you enough to almost cause an accident? A more likely scenario: have you ever had your nose so far in a book that you’ve walked into walls? Into doors? (I won’t tell you about the time I walked straight into the glass doors at K-Mart once – not book related though). Have to many books in the house that you keep tripping over them? Carry to many books that you drop them on your toes? Has cooking while reading caused a mishap at the stove? Have you been on the receiving end of having a book thrown at you? Have you ever collapsed a bookcase because it’s too full?
Okay, you get the idea. For me, I had to think really, really hard on this one. Sure, I’ve had the occasional paper cut. The last one on my knuckle. That hurt. But that’s boring. Perhaps the most abuse I’ve received is while reading books with kids in my lap, it doesn’t take much for them to fling the book up and hit me in the face. But that’s not very exciting either. I’ve never toppled over any furniture. Surely there are some great stories out there that are much better. Can you think of any? I have a feeling that either there are some funny (or not so funny) incidents out there or this post will be a total dud!
So basically, it boils down to this: has a book ever been the cause of receiving an injury or caused an accident in your life or somebody you know?
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Actually I have read in really heavy traffic, but even that is dangerous! Since then I have graduated to audio books, which is only a tiny bit better! I listen to audio when I am doing my drudgery work, such as yard work. Once I was carrying limb through my back yard while listening Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and I was so distracted that I fell in the pool…with my phone in my pocket and iPod on my hip. I won’t even tell you the meltdown I had. Not necessarily over the phone but my brand new 160 gig iPod. I could care less that I twisted my ankle going in…I needed another iPod NOW!!!
on March 12th, 2009 at 3:38 amI also find audiobooks quite dangerous – there was the time I was listening to one on a drive from PA to MA and ended up missing an exit (okay, I didn’t notice until I was 4 exits later) because the book was at an intense part.
There was also the time when I was 8 that I was reading in the car (not driving, I was only
but so into the book that I ignored the tell-tale too-much-reading-in-the-car feeling and tossed my cookies all of my brother. You’ll be happy to hear that the book, however, was vomit-free!
on March 12th, 2009 at 4:20 amHaha – just looked at my comment. It should read: I was only 8 – not I was only a cool kid in sunglasses. I don’t think I was a cool kid in sunglasses until I was at least 11.
on March 12th, 2009 at 4:22 amI have walked into things while reading. Poles, doors, you name it. When I was little, I used to pretend I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast and insist on walking about reading everywhere. I have also caused avalanches while just walking in my room because I’ll run into a pile of books. Sadly, nothing more exciting that that. I’ll be reading other people’s answers though!
on March 12th, 2009 at 4:34 amMy mother missed a plane while reading in the waiting area. She was so engrossed in the book that she didn’t hear or notice when the passengers boarded the plane. When she finally looked up, she was alone at the gate and the plane had pulled away from the terminal!
on March 12th, 2009 at 5:42 amWhile I’ve definitely been tempted to read while driving, I can’t say anything other than my 16 month old son throwing books at my head. I read so long just sitting outside once while at the beach that I got a really bad sunburn and had to take my reading inside the rest of the week. I used to get yelled at when I was little for reading at the dinner table. Nothing really awful, thank goodness! Great question
on March 12th, 2009 at 6:23 amI have definitely walked into poles, garbage cans, people, you name it while reading. I usually read on my subway ride to work and don’t stop there but read as I navigate the steps and the tunnels out of the train station. I’ve gotten pretty good at avoiding things, but every now and then I’m on with a collision course with something.
I have had to train myself to be mindful of stepping out into traffic. I have also missed my stop or gotten on the wrong train several times when deeply absorbed in un-put-downable (I know that this is probably not a word!) book or another. Then I had to walk extra blocks home or ny commute takes an extra half hour.
on March 12th, 2009 at 6:50 amI was so into the book I was reading that I missed not only my stop on the train, but several after that. I had to borrow change from someone at a bar to use the pay phone (that’s how old I am) to call my father to come and get me and to do him justice, he found me. I have no idea how. I have also walked into light poles and mailboxes galore because I was reading while walking.
on March 12th, 2009 at 6:58 amI’ve walked into things whilst reading, definately. And missed my bus/train because I was reading.
I think the worst though, is when I was supposed to be cooking dinner but I was so distracted and wanted to get back to my book that I forgot to put water in the saucepan where I was trying to steam vegetables. And then I forgot about them altogether. I took the lid off of the pan and the lid had melted! Melted! Sadly, it wasn’t just the once that this happened!
on March 12th, 2009 at 7:32 amMine is a college injury. I was reading a novel (probably for an English Lit class) and walking down steps at the same time. I twisted my ankle – bad enough that I needed crutches. Adding insult to injury: all my classes were on the third floor, and the closest building entrance was on the first floor. Man, that was a long two weeks!
on March 12th, 2009 at 7:44 amI can’t think of anything! But I’m loving the answers you’ve got so far, especially Beth’s and her mom that missed the plane. That’s some major “tuning out” talent going on!
on March 12th, 2009 at 9:05 amThe only really thing that has happened to me was when I use to take the bus/metro to work and I would always read on them and that I would either a)miss my stop or b)getting off too soon. Yes getting off to soon. I would miss judge a turn thinking the bus went by my stop cause he would speed up around the corners.
on March 12th, 2009 at 10:21 amI’ve slipped on children’s books left carelessly on the floor by my kids but never actually fell. The worst was probably when I was reading on my way to the soccer field and I stepped into a gopher hole. As I was going down, I heard a snap and then I blacked out. When I woke, my kid was still walking away from me and no one even knew what had happened to me. My foot/ankle was not broken but badly twisted. I could not even stand and I was pissed that my book fell into the mud.
on March 12th, 2009 at 10:21 amI feel like such a dud. I only read when I can curl up in a cozy chair. I could never walk and read at the same time. I really would have an accident if I did that. I have become so absorbed in a book that I forgot something was cooking on the stove…No injuries occured, but my husband got mad.
Shari
on March 12th, 2009 at 10:29 amMy saddest book accident is the time a dropped a heavy paperback onto my guitar. The sharp corner of the book made a huge crater of splintered wood…sigh.
on March 12th, 2009 at 11:13 amI meant HARD back…sorry!
on March 12th, 2009 at 11:14 amI only listen to audio books while driving, and like Tiffany, I missed an exit in MA while listening to a good audio book, which caused me to drive 30 minutes out of my way to the next exit. I deserved that I guess..LOL
on March 12th, 2009 at 12:36 pmHow fun to go from causing books injury to receiving it from them! I used to read while walking around when I was in high school, I’m sure I bumped into a few people but nothing major. Occasionally I’ve missed my stop while reading on the bus. But the most painful is when I’m reading a picture book to my kid and she bumps it and I get banged- once the corner of the corner got my eye. Ow.
on March 12th, 2009 at 2:58 pmI can’t remember accidents caused while reading and walking. I guess I don’t do that a lot. However, I was walking up the stairs in Jr. High and tripped, dropped my textbook, and it slipped under the railing and hit an upperclassman on the head on its way to the lower level. I was just a little 7th grader and so embarrassed. That is the only notable book accident I’ve caused.
I think the winners so far are missing the plane and falling in the pool. I think I’d be so mad if I’d done that.
on March 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pmI’m back just to let you know that today I gave you a blog award.
on March 12th, 2009 at 6:17 pmSlipped on kids books– check.
Read at red lights– check. (very rarely, though)
The other day I nearly killed myself tripping over a box of books… which was stacked on another box and came crashing down…. You get the idea.
on March 12th, 2009 at 10:23 pmI can’t think of any accidents or tragedies (I’m so boring for your discussion questions Natasha!) but I definitely read at red lights, in traffic, in the drive through..I just hate wasting all that time!
on March 12th, 2009 at 11:15 pmThe accidents usually target the books, in my case. When I was in art school, a bottle of china ink opened in my backpack, coating all my books in black. Oh, and those were library books, of course..
on March 13th, 2009 at 11:05 amToo funny! I haven’t been in any actual accidents because of books, but I have certainly done my fair share of reading while driving. Mostly in grad school in between classes when I hadn’t read my secondary reading (articles and boring stuff). Not sure how I thought trying to read here and there during my 5 minute commute would really help! Now if I get really anxious in traffic, I’ll reach for my book. Mostly not because I will read, but because I know that as soon as I do start reading the traffic inevitably starts moving again. Like a charm every time.
on March 13th, 2009 at 3:05 pmBy the way, I’m going to do my best to answer all the interview questions THIS WEEKEND. I keep thinking how much easier and fun it would be if we lived in the same town and could get together and do a video or such. *Sigh*. I’m making YOU my priority tomorrow. Well, you and laundry and ironing and cleaning bathrooms.
on March 13th, 2009 at 3:07 pmI’ve fallen down the stairs twice while reading. Once I took a bit of a tumble down the stairs at home, but it was only a couple of stairs and I didn’t think anything of it.
When I fell down two flights of stairs at school because I was reading, I decided that reading and walking needed to be mutually exclusive things for me. Amazingly I was not seriously hurt — a few bumps and scrapes and a very bruised ego. The thing that still baffles me is at least two teachers saw me headed for the steps, completely oblivious, and neither one of them tried to stop me! If I saw a second grader headed for the stairs with her nose in a book I think I might say something to her. (Probably, “Whoa! You REALLY don’t want to do that, trust me!”)
on March 13th, 2009 at 4:26 pmI’ve still got a scar related to my book/cat accident.
It happened seventeen years ago. I had just had a baby and my mom was in town to help for a little while. I was taking advantage of the opportunity to get in a little reading, and had settled down on our sofa in front of a large picture window.
Those of you who have cats know once you get a book in your hand the cat things he or she needs a little attention, so do kids for that matter. The cats (not the kids) often sit on top of the newspaper or book you are reading, or sit right in front of it blocking your view.
Well, that’s exactly what my cat did. He climbed up in my lap, blocking my view. I didn’t want to put the book down so I just lifted the book a little higher and continued reading.
In the mean time the baby was sleeping so my mom thought she would take advantage of the time and clean off the porch.
So there we were, the cat and sitting on the sofa in front of a large picture window. And my mom outside cleaning. By this time she had decided to do a little watering and began watering the flower beds outside the window.
It then occurred to me that the cat may just get a scared from the sound outside the window and that I should put him on the ground. But I didn’t move him. I couldn’t put the book down.
Just then my mom decided to spray off the picture window we were sitting in front of. When the full force of the water hit the window, the cat cat screeched as he jumped in the air. As he did one of his claws got my arm slicing it up about six inches.
Oddly, it was honestly one of the most painful minor injuries I’ve had. Imagine a six inch paper cut that wouldn’t stop itching.
on March 14th, 2009 at 11:43 amSince paper cuts aren’t exciting–what if they’re in weird places?, still boring???–I’ll have to go back a ways. When I was shelf reading in high school–I was library aid–I once had a shelf of nonfiction (top shelf) topple down on me when the shelf gave way.
on March 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pmI totally let this post get away from me without responding to comments so please forgive me for not responding individually. I love Sandy’s pool story and Beth’s mom missing her plane! Leisa’s story sounds painful! And everybody has missed an exit or a stop before! Love these! Keep them coming if you have a story to share!
on March 16th, 2009 at 12:31 am