25. "RE: ROOTS BUS CRASHES IN EUROPE, EVERYONE OKAY" In response to In response to 0
>http://www.okayplayer.com/news/ROOTS-CRASH-BUS-IN-EUROPE-EVERYONE-OK.html > >This morning, as I was checking my inbox I was shocked to find >an email from ?uesto detailing the horrifying tourbus crash >that The Roots experienced last night in Paris. Thankfully, >everyone is okay. To give you an idea about the severity of >the situation, we are talking a Euro tourbus, which means a >tall double-decker bus with a full lounge and bathroom on the >1st level, and all the sleeping bunks up top. I spent a few >tours through Europe with The Roots sleeping up top as the bus >careened through the French countryside, worrying that an >accident just like this one could occur. How would we get out >of the bus if it crashed? You OKP vets may remember when one >of The Roots' buses crashed during the Okayplayer Tour in >2000, where again, luckily, everyone was alright. Read >?uestlove's email after the jump for the full play-by-play of >last night's experience, including all the frightening >details. > >"I used to live life, like there was no manana >Now I'm treatin every breath, like it was "your honor" >malik b, 1999 "the spark" from things fall apart > > >well...since we are sitting on the side of the road. what >better way to pass the time while the ambulance comes then >to....blog. > >--actually i spoke too soon....the above was written an hour >ago. now im in a roadside motel trying to make sense of this >all. the last things i remember are eating 2 pieces of cold >pizza and a bowl of rice krispies and watching will ferrel's >nuts dance on top of john c. riley's drumset in step brothers. >because it was the ghetto bootleg barbershop version i was >more or less wondering when the guy in the theater was going >to say "watch....this is the good part" to me as the movie >went on. > >as usual i fell asleep. now normally i woulda been working >overtime in preparing my dj set for my paris afterparty on >friday but something actually said "meh leave it alone"-- > >i don't wanna get all deep like it was an omen but those that >know me (look at my twit/facebook/myspace/okayplayer/blip >history) know that when not onstage i am glued to my computer, >doing some sort of activity like converting music or tv shows. >but this was a rare occurrence in which i actually went to >sleep. > > >next thing i knew was the most surreal feeling ever.... > >was i upside down? > >why am i covered in cereal? > >oh shit....that coffee pot is coming for my face!!! > >in reality the crash was all of about 7 seconds....but to do a >360 on the highway and end up ramped up (the van that crashed >into ours was UNDER our double decker bus) in the >air....is....well... > >a frigging miracle. > >my first thought was not move a fucking inch. i always had >fear that we would fall off a cliff while in high mountain >traveling like denver or switzerland. i couldn't tell where >gravity began and ended. i felt like i did 3000 crunches so >obviously my side of the bus was now on the ground (the only >way i can describe the position was imagine yourself on a bus >sitting down.....now postion yourself sitting on the left side >of the bus....now overturn the bus so that it tips over and >falls to the right side. now on top of all that position the >front of the bus to stand smack dab in the middle of the air >as if a ramp was holding it up 90 degrees. > >now add in my drill sgt of a tour manager keith mcphee being >keith (which is basically to say no one does intensity or UBER >intensity like he does. i >....was......try....ing......to.....rea....ch....my ....ipod >so i can channel him out. its like every word he yelled was >making this situation much worse than it was.... > > >"......effrom you alive?!?!?!? (yes).........."frank are you >alive!?!?!?".......frank?!!?!?!!?!? >FRANK?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!.......---" > >it was then i realized the severe nature of the accident and i >was NOT in the mood to prep myself on whether or not the >remaining 12 people upstairs (i know its a dumb reference but >look up the Spiceworld movie on youtube and you can see the >type of double decker bus that we were traveling on. i hold >court downstairs cause noone can stomach the stench of the >urine induced potty in the downstairs lounge. ---after 15 mins >you dont notice it all that much)---so i was holding court >downstairs and the 12 of them were asleep in the bunks. > > >i dont do bunks and this day proves why. > >i just wanted someone to calmly tell me the weight of my body >was NOT going to push us down a mountainside. then i wanted >assurance that the bus was NOT going to explode. > >my drum tech d was the first to make sure i was okay and since >the Mcpheepanic mode was setting in...the way he was asking me >was rather.....panicky (thanks palin) and based on the fact >that he was walking on the ceiling indeed let me know that >this wasn't no fender bender i was in.....this shit might be >the real deal based on how he managed to spiderman walk on the >ceiling. > >or....am i now on the ceiling? > > >and why do i have to use every stomach muscle just to sit >upright?....wait..... > >am i upside down? > >damnit.....im upside down......lemme just shift my body >to.....oh shit....just.....wait if i can just....lift >this....leg to.... > >damn. i need something to hold on to to hoist myself up in the >air. i grabbed on to the table and somehow forgetting that i >am NOT smedium (riiiiiiiiiiiip!) the entire table ripped from >its foundation and was now on the ceiling....which is now the >floor. > > > >this is also when i noticed that i am covered in coffee and >tea and bread and about 3 bags of cereal multiple water >bottles and dvds and broken glass. and....oh god....did the >bathroom fluid overturn too? (yes....and YUCK) > > >hearing cars outside i now know that i am not going to fall >down the mountain side.....were are on the highway. but i can >see out the right side of window and i see trees and >hills....but i hear car horns and yelling. > >and where the hell is the ambulance?!?!? > >keith is yelling and im begging him "please don't yell"---but >keith dont know calm.....but now he got me thinking something >is gonna happen is i DONT get off this bus. problem is the >door that i would get out of is now the ground. and i am >disillusioned and have no sense of direction. he is telling me >i must make my way upstairs and crash my way through the >window and escape. im yelling "where is everyone else?!?!" and >i am informed that me and the driver are the only two trapped >downstairs. now the problem is....im not the smallest person >in the world and now i have to use uber arm strength to climb >my way out of this bus and figure how to hoist myself without >the aid of anything to hold on to. > > >hard shit indeed. > > >i made leeway to the stairs when it hit me that all my ID and >wallet and lifeline are in my personal >bag....allllllllllllllll the way on the other side of the bus. >i do the contemplate should i shouldn't i ("i should" won) now >it was "how?!"--- > >the only way i can describe it is that scene in back to the >future when doc is in the clock tower and had mere seconds to >connect a broken plug that will power marty mcfly's car with >1.8 jiggawatts of lightening power. and winds up using every >body part to ensure this goes down the correct way. so my left >arm is hoisting my body up and my right arm and left leg >are.....trying ......to >.....grab......within......inches....my......bag.....(accidents >wind up giving you strength you never knew you had....i >carried my bag with my legs while i crawled my way upstairs >like i was joe the paraplegic on family guy---all the while >keith is being keith > >ahmir ARE YOU OK!?!?! AHMIR PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!!!! > > >im like....wait...am i even alive? like what if i "think" im >alive when in actually im not like the movies?----the next 2 >minutes proved how alive i was for i managed to crawl through >spaces and holes and broken shattered glass like a >contortionist blindfolded.... > > >when i got outside.....and looked at what i crawled out of? > > >man. > > >i just couldn't believe it. > > >i mean....how in the hell did we experience this? > > >how did we manage to....man..... > >dog we are soooo alive right now. > > >and yes we went through all that shit people go through when >they go through accidents. > >dazed. amazed. grateful. laughing? > >of course as i type this its a whole nother story: i think the >ambulance workers have caught wind of who we are (ze seed?) >and there are about 20 ambulance workers and 10 cops. asking >alot of questions in french (we so need tina faris right now) > >as i type this we are waiting in line to get examined. (some >of us have cuts and neck braces on)---keith is still at the >bus trying to salvage what he can (amazingly the uhaul >extension is still intact) im a ok. i called my mom and some >loved ones. and i managed to twit in the ambulance with >artless iphone (wanted to be the first celeb to twit from an >ambulance)---i guess im just passing the time and taking >advantage of the free "internets" and the worlds best bread >(yes....the french bread is all that) > >as for the future? if we make it to our slot on the glow in >the dark tour in paris that too will be a miracle. til then >just wanna let everyone know that we are happy to be alive. >and not in that tv cliche way....but man......that was divine >intervention. we are so grateful for this outcome. >
SOOOOOO happy everyone is fine - My heart skipped a beat when I read the headline........