Myth of the Black Dog?

A couple of years ago I had to use my Van to go up to Kansas City from Texas to make a Hotshot Delivery. Go up there I was fine. But, I felt myself getting tired but I be darned I was going to make it back to TX. So I grabbed what they called BBQ up there (I hope they aren't proud of that ####.) So I get to Oklahoma and went down hill from there. I ran out of washer fluid and it was a bug family reunion that night. So im throwing my last bottles of water on the windshield just so I can see smeared poop. I kept pressing on and my cheap butt didn't want to take the tollway so I am on some back road with no phone bars. High beams are getting swallowed by the dark and then I saw it. My "Black Dog" but it was in the form of a Armydilla. I swear it was about the size of a St. Barnard. The road was narrow with no median. So he was going to meet his maker that day. So I tried to line it up in the middle of my truck the best I could. I thought to myself, "Lawd Jesus let this be strongest oil pan ever!"
I drove over it...........and nothing. I didn't hear or touch nothing. After that night I told them I am never going back. You better call the Bandit and the Snowman. Because that is your best bet if your waiting on me.

 

Those bashing this question, it's simple. The movie is pure Hollywood, the notion of "Black Dog" or whatever you want to call it is not a myth, everyone sees something different, its your "wake up call" where you realize, it's not worth it, it's time to park it. Posted this once before, for me, it was rolling up 287 out of Amarillo in a hail storm, the hail was bouncing on the hood so much I swore there were hundred of little white midgets dancing on my hood. A driver I was running with said "that's hail driver, you need to stop before you kill someone", I hit Boise City, Ok. and parked for 8 hrs. I had run Denver to Houston and was heading back with about a 90 minute nap in Baytown before unloading that can.

 

What kind of ####### would risk a crash swerving for an animal in the road? If anything I'd accelerate!! HAmmer down!! haha

 

I just saw the dog a few times after driving too long without sleeping because of excessive detention, when that was followed by 2 nights in a row with only 3 hours of sleep, each. It was not a clearly formed image, but moved across my field of vision horizontally like a "floaters" - those squiggly things you see randomly when loose particles form inside your eyes - only larger, ragged, black, and much faster. I think the black dog is an optical hallucination that you see when you're scanning horizontally in uneven light for too long. It really registered as a black dog, mentally, but mostly because of the way the spots seemed to move. Saw it a few times while pinching, punching, and slapping myself all over, using nicotine, caffeine, nasal spray, standing up, wiping my face with baby wipes, and cranking the A/C. It feels like a visual hallucination from being on the verge of blacking out from exhaustion.

 

I live off I-40 in Oklahoma around mm 178, and there is a Leprechaun. He lives in the corn field and sometimes crosses the highway to get beer at the Fire Lake Casino gas station.

 

I see those just sitting in my chair. But, then, I'm not well.

 

Its a fantasy, a movie construct. A bad plot... a sea story. A yarn. Something for the movie. Has no meaning in real life. If truckers started raving about seeing dogs they likely will be Baker Act'ed and locked up for evaluation.

The movie itself has some pretty well done wreck scenes on Saluda Hill with disposible old iron. thats about the only good thing about it.

There are stories of different things. And sometimes you would not imagine what people DO NOT SEE when they are tired, sleepy or whatever. Thats more important than scary fantasy stories about large dogs.

I am not one to rain on parades or movies. The problem with dogs is sometimes they get under the wheels and get killed. I never enjoy that and they always make a mess with all that gore and stuff under there. I remember one on US 15, always ran out yapping from it's house. Fast forward a couple nights in deep river fog. BOOMP! 4 paws as yap landed dead. Dented my cabover too. Earned me a screaming when boss saw it. Sheesh.

 

The black dog is simply a description used to describe the hallucinations some people experience once they reach a certain point of fatigue and drowsiness while driving, and yes, it's your warning to get off the road as quickly as possible. For some people, it appears to actually be some sort of phantom animal; for others like myself, it can appear to be a vehicle stopped on the road in front of you that also is not there. And I've seen far too many of them. Which is why I gave up night driving, it was too taxing on my health and alertness to be driving when my body naturally wants to sleep.

 

Best explanation I have seen.
New drivers pay attention and take warning this could save your life or some others.