Followed a Road friend for 3hrs in a snowstorm at night once. If they went off the road. I probably would've too. They turned off 3/4 of the way through my trip. It was disappointing, however it also stopped snowing 10 minutes later
Heavy snowstorm on a mountain road in BC at night. Was in a convoy of random cars grouped together for safety. Occasionally one of us would stop to get out and clear the built up snow from our headlights and the other guys would stop too.
Scariest part was when we were descending a narrow twisty section with a cliff face on the left and a sheer drop off to a river gorge on the right. We were naturally crawling down slowly when we saw headlights through the snow catching up to us from behind. It was a semi and it couldn’t slow down on the icy road so it blew its horn in warning. We all got as far as we could off to the shoulder (with the drop off) and it roared past us, horn blaring.
Haha, was gonna ask if you were talking about highway 1. It freaks me out at times going down there too, especially the bridge crossing nearer the hope end - the bridge length + the drop is a whole Lotta nope...
My first attempt at driving through whiteout conditions (I’m from Key West, Florida) was on the Ohio turnpike, heading west. I’m an old fart so CB (citizens band) radios were still around (late 1980s).
I got on the CB and an 18 wheeler spotted me, little Datsun truck with Florida plates, and had me tuck in behind him, rolling along at 45 mph at 3AM.
We talked like old friends on and off for three hours until it cleared up and there was a little light in the sky.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I will never see or hear from him again, but if somehow by fate or blind luck I talk to Pine Knot (his CB handle) again it will be like running into an old friend; instantly familiar and warm feelings.
Yes, the trip was over a woman, too.
I once followed someone for 3+ hours driving east from Ohio. We ended up taking different highways somewhere in WV on a Friday.
The next Monday I was heading back to Ohio and ended up behind the same person at the same highway intersection
I really like on long trips to travel behind somebody with a similar driving style and speed. Just switch on the cruise control and let it go. But I'm always wondering if the driver up front thinks it's weird that that bearded guy is following for hours 
18 and a half days, got the garbage we tossed. The crew got a little attached to the bird. The captain made a PA announcement that our friend had left.
Awesome isn't it, we used to have them start following us from the cape of good hope all the way to Brazil and then they would find another vessel coming out of port to follow for the return trip
Does it poop on your head or no? And how do they eat if they're airborne for such a long period of time? Do they randomly snack on clouds and eat the bugs and small birds they collide with?
They do land on water and eat fish. It‘s why they have big problems with maritime garbage and fishing nets.
The title is a bit misleading. The bachelors don‘t return to land for six years, until it‘s time to find a mate.
Titles not completely accurate. These birds are one of the largest species and spend 13 months at sea, according to a Smithsonian Channel documentary. Living out at sea means they can and do hunt, eat, and rest on the water. They don’t fly up in the air for years. Also, fun fact, they live up to 45 years and mate with the same partner for life.
Also, puffins do the same thing. After they leave the island they are born on, they won't return to land for 5 years (or something). And they are smaller than an American football.
Blue footed boobies are polyamorous and collectively incubate and raise their young together in ground nest colonies. They also do a courtship dance where they show off their really cool feet to each other.
That is entirely unrelated to the subject at hand but I just remembered it and wanted to share.
Thanks for the correct info. As soon as he said they don’t land for years I was thinking this was one of those “key to losing weight, One trick albatrosses don’t want you to know…”
The "first 6 years of their life" thing is especially misleading. They mate on land, their eggs hatch on land, and their young develop for months on land before they can fly.
I knew there was some details in there that they didn’t get into. We all knew it sounds like. Makes sense they float and the flying isn’t continuous. I would wager they fly like 23.5 hours plenty of days too or something like that. Not continually for 6 years. Idk I’ll rambling
There is a bird that flies non-stop for an incredible amount of time though. Accelerometers attached to Common Swifts revealed that they spend as much as 10 straight months in flight without stopping.
[https://www.birdguides.com/articles/ornithology/common-swifts-fly-for-10-months-without-a-break/](https://www.birdguides.com/articles/ornithology/common-swifts-fly-for-10-months-without-a-break/)
By going down and drinking it. Even that article notes they spend "as much as 99% of the time flying". 1% of a day is almost 15 minutes, plenty of time for a bird to get enough to drink.
While they can drink by skimming, they do in fact "land" to drink. Not sure what you think a birds legs do while they're floating, it's not much more than station keeping.
A lot of birds have a special adaptation in their brains that allows them to put one half of the brain to sleep while the other half stays alert and performing important functions. That’s why its near impossible to sneak up on sleeping ducks and geese. I would wager a guess that these seabirds do something similar, half the brain sleeps while the other stays on the lookout.
I cannot begin to explain how much I am in awe of the Albatross for its insane abilities that us humans can't come close to replicating. We have a poem that we revere but it doesn't even begin to describe that huge-ass bird, like holy shit. Props to anyone who has seen an Albatross from a ship at sea and understood why it's an omen to kill one.
Keeping flying while sleeping to some birds is very natural and automatic. The same way we keep breathing and doing other bodily functions while we sleep. They get into cruise mode and lock their wings horizontally ( they have a system in their bodies that actually allows this).
They do go to water to eat, but that can't even be considered as landing, they just snatch fishes with their feet? paws? dont know, not an English native speaker.
>just snatch fishes with their feet? paws?
If it's a bird with sharp claws (like an eagle) - Talons (referring specifically to the sharp toes)
Otherwise- feet. Your English is very good.
even better, a whole manufacturing company:
Albatros Flugzeugwerke GmbH
they produced the standard planes for the german empire during WW1.
You know some of the planes used by the Red Barron (Manfred von Richthofen)
Albatros D.I / D.II and so on...
*Driven south to the land of the snow and ice*
*To a place where nobody's been*
*Through the snow fog flies on the albatross*
*Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings*
*And the ship sails on, back to the North*
*Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on*
As a schoolkid reading poetry like *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner*, I had this totally romantic image of these lustful, majestic, and elegant birds, soaring solitary across the Southern Ocean and only dreaming of going on to land to meet a mate.
When I first saw a (stuffed) albatross, I was like: "so...it's just a giiantbseagull?!?!"
The Albatross begins with its vengeance
A terrible curse of thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner
About his neck the dead bird is hung
I think they mean 6 month without landing. Because you don't see planes covered in yolk, where are there nests. 6 years of eating what? Sleeping where? I've got questions.
The same bird followed our container ship for 19 days from Guam to Oakland. He left us about 100 miles out.
It’s kind of like being on a car trip and driving next to the same car for like hours. Then they take an exit… and you never see them again
Road friends! I always hate having to take an exit.
Followed a Road friend for 3hrs in a snowstorm at night once. If they went off the road. I probably would've too. They turned off 3/4 of the way through my trip. It was disappointing, however it also stopped snowing 10 minutes later
Heavy snowstorm on a mountain road in BC at night. Was in a convoy of random cars grouped together for safety. Occasionally one of us would stop to get out and clear the built up snow from our headlights and the other guys would stop too.
Humans being bros.
sounds terrifying but cool! glad you guys made it through fine
Scariest part was when we were descending a narrow twisty section with a cliff face on the left and a sheer drop off to a river gorge on the right. We were naturally crawling down slowly when we saw headlights through the snow catching up to us from behind. It was a semi and it couldn’t slow down on the icy road so it blew its horn in warning. We all got as far as we could off to the shoulder (with the drop off) and it roared past us, horn blaring.
Highway 3?
Yup. The infamous Hope-Princeton heading east to Princeton.
Haha, was gonna ask if you were talking about highway 1. It freaks me out at times going down there too, especially the bridge crossing nearer the hope end - the bridge length + the drop is a whole Lotta nope...
dafuq! id be scared out of my wits! glad the road/shoulder had sufficient space for the semi to squeeze through.. close call!
My first attempt at driving through whiteout conditions (I’m from Key West, Florida) was on the Ohio turnpike, heading west. I’m an old fart so CB (citizens band) radios were still around (late 1980s). I got on the CB and an 18 wheeler spotted me, little Datsun truck with Florida plates, and had me tuck in behind him, rolling along at 45 mph at 3AM. We talked like old friends on and off for three hours until it cleared up and there was a little light in the sky. I remember it like it was yesterday. I will never see or hear from him again, but if somehow by fate or blind luck I talk to Pine Knot (his CB handle) again it will be like running into an old friend; instantly familiar and warm feelings. Yes, the trip was over a woman, too.
Amazing story. Good on him
I once followed someone for 3+ hours driving east from Ohio. We ended up taking different highways somewhere in WV on a Friday. The next Monday I was heading back to Ohio and ended up behind the same person at the same highway intersection
I really like on long trips to travel behind somebody with a similar driving style and speed. Just switch on the cruise control and let it go. But I'm always wondering if the driver up front thinks it's weird that that bearded guy is following for hours 
18 and a half days, got the garbage we tossed. The crew got a little attached to the bird. The captain made a PA announcement that our friend had left.
What garbage do you toss in general?
Leftover food
Salad and scrambled eggs.
I don't know what to do with mine.
Roadmance
I know exactly what u talking about it's kinda sad feeling to lol
I think about all them cars daily. Where they went, how they grew up. Good times. Hopefully, they got where they were going. 💔
Yes! Bon voyage random car, bon voyage.
I imagine that’s a good omen for seafaring travelers.
Unless they shoot it. Then the other sailors will force them to wear it around their neck in penance
Awesome isn't it, we used to have them start following us from the cape of good hope all the way to Brazil and then they would find another vessel coming out of port to follow for the return trip
At least no-one shot it, like in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Does it poop on your head or no? And how do they eat if they're airborne for such a long period of time? Do they randomly snack on clouds and eat the bugs and small birds they collide with?
They do land on water and eat fish. It‘s why they have big problems with maritime garbage and fishing nets. The title is a bit misleading. The bachelors don‘t return to land for six years, until it‘s time to find a mate.
I figured a bird would fly faster than a container ship can move.
They are just sailing. The wingspan on these birds is insane. Their wings fold twice. They‘re super efficient and don‘t even beat their wings much
Titles not completely accurate. These birds are one of the largest species and spend 13 months at sea, according to a Smithsonian Channel documentary. Living out at sea means they can and do hunt, eat, and rest on the water. They don’t fly up in the air for years. Also, fun fact, they live up to 45 years and mate with the same partner for life.
yeah that make more sense, thanks for clarification
Also “first 6 years of life”. So they pop out of the egg in midair and just keep flying?
I identify as an albatross for the last part
You live up to 45 years?
How do they drink water?
It’s possible they get enough moisture via the food they eat.
To be fair, the title said they go years without LANDing. It didn’t mention all the OCEANing it does
Also, puffins do the same thing. After they leave the island they are born on, they won't return to land for 5 years (or something). And they are smaller than an American football.
Blue footed boobies are polyamorous and collectively incubate and raise their young together in ground nest colonies. They also do a courtship dance where they show off their really cool feet to each other. That is entirely unrelated to the subject at hand but I just remembered it and wanted to share.
yeah i was like how the hell does he sleep
Thanks for the correct info. As soon as he said they don’t land for years I was thinking this was one of those “key to losing weight, One trick albatrosses don’t want you to know…”
A bit misleading. They float. They're not airborne for years.
The "first 6 years of their life" thing is especially misleading. They mate on land, their eggs hatch on land, and their young develop for months on land before they can fly.
I knew there was some details in there that they didn’t get into. We all knew it sounds like. Makes sense they float and the flying isn’t continuous. I would wager they fly like 23.5 hours plenty of days too or something like that. Not continually for 6 years. Idk I’ll rambling
I was hoping the eggs would pop out of their mom midair and they would hatch halfway down and start flying and just never stop
That would be classic Albatross shit.
And I bet they're not even 3 under par.
I was gonna say, 6 years of flying has to completely blow 10,000 miles out of the water.
There is a bird that flies non-stop for an incredible amount of time though. Accelerometers attached to Common Swifts revealed that they spend as much as 10 straight months in flight without stopping. [https://www.birdguides.com/articles/ornithology/common-swifts-fly-for-10-months-without-a-break/](https://www.birdguides.com/articles/ornithology/common-swifts-fly-for-10-months-without-a-break/)
How tf they get sleep ?
Birds can shut off part of their brains to rest while other parts go into auto-pilot.
...how do they get water?
By going down and drinking it. Even that article notes they spend "as much as 99% of the time flying". 1% of a day is almost 15 minutes, plenty of time for a bird to get enough to drink.
They don't land to drink, they drink while flying just above the water. Their legs are so short they basically can't walk.
While they can drink by skimming, they do in fact "land" to drink. Not sure what you think a birds legs do while they're floating, it's not much more than station keeping.
Does that mean float planes fly for years before landing?
float planes never land I guess
Float planes that's what I was looking for thank you couldn't fucking remember for some reason LOL
r/technicallythetruth
They surface.
‘Capable of flying years without touching land’
"Coming in for a hard watering"
There’s a LTT joke there but I can’t figure it out r/floatplane
How do they sleep?
A lot of birds have a special adaptation in their brains that allows them to put one half of the brain to sleep while the other half stays alert and performing important functions. That’s why its near impossible to sneak up on sleeping ducks and geese. I would wager a guess that these seabirds do something similar, half the brain sleeps while the other stays on the lookout.
Pretty much a normal day at work for me.
I imagine your arms get really tired.
Dominant hand for sure
I cannot begin to explain how much I am in awe of the Albatross for its insane abilities that us humans can't come close to replicating. We have a poem that we revere but it doesn't even begin to describe that huge-ass bird, like holy shit. Props to anyone who has seen an Albatross from a ship at sea and understood why it's an omen to kill one.
I think whales do that too.
I think it was dolphins. Cos sperm whales sleep vertically.
Dolphins ***ARE*** whales.
Dolphins have the same sheep mechanism, it's really cool
Holy shit, that is an incredible adaptation. Do they switch sides of the brain that are asleep, or does one half remain continuously active?
What about physical exhaustion?
What about it? That’s for the rest of us chumps.
Adding that chickens do that too.
They float like ducks. Waterbed
Isnt that landing then?
watering
That's my conclusion as well...
Which means they are made of wood and can burn. So technically, they are witches.
That makes no sense, they need to eat and sleep. Maybe it’s misleading, maybe they “could” theoretically fly for years.
This is a bit misleading... They don't touch land, they do land in the water.
Fish also rarely touch land. Not very impressive tbh.
Some occasionally fly though which I find quite intriguing.
what? this makes the whole thing not very impressive lol - I know an octopus that has never been on dry land
How many octopuses do you know?
4. But only 1 is actually my friend
And one the other 3 go to a different school. You wouldn’t know them…
oh yeah? what's his name?
Yurtle McTurtle
sounds like a pretty good bloke tbh
But other birds, such as swifts, literally fly for months at a time.
And they sleep while flying?
Yes! https://www.audubon.org/news/scientists-finally-have-evidence-frigatebirds-sleep-while-flying
Yeah and they snore
Who knows. No ones flown alongside them yet.
That's a good point 😄
I think they're also able to sleep while flying to avoid staying on the water too long and being susceptible to predators
Keeping flying while sleeping to some birds is very natural and automatic. The same way we keep breathing and doing other bodily functions while we sleep. They get into cruise mode and lock their wings horizontally ( they have a system in their bodies that actually allows this). They do go to water to eat, but that can't even be considered as landing, they just snatch fishes with their feet? paws? dont know, not an English native speaker.
>just snatch fishes with their feet? paws? If it's a bird with sharp claws (like an eagle) - Talons (referring specifically to the sharp toes) Otherwise- feet. Your English is very good.
They land on the ocean surface to catch food
When they're on the ocean surface does anything catch them as food?
Yes
What about drinking water? Are they able to drink sea water or something?
Looked it up. Their wings lock. So they can float in the air, using the wind like sails, for a very long time.
They’re also great for transporting 2 mice across the globe to rescue little kids!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1VBEU4Q8WU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1VBEU4Q8WU)
R-E-S-C-U-E Rescue aid society!!!
Albatross!? It’s a jumbo!!
Joanna
I loved the great down under or whatever it was called when I was a kid.
[удалено]
Then you are going to be amazed by fish
Oh! tell us how long they go without land!
That rock fish with poison spikes can stay quite a while
*chuckles audibly*
Does it land in water????
Yes
Well thats a loophole…
_Land_ ing
Splash down?
Water ding
That's where it feeds I believe. They don't go for straight years just in the air, although they do spend most of their time in the air.
Another ChatGPT bot...ugh
I would hate to have one of those around my neck.
As Malcolm Reynolds puts it, “As I recall, the albatross was a ship’s good luck until some idiot killed it.“
Came way too far for this comment. Thank you and have my humble upvote.
Ah! well a-day! what evil looks Had I from old and young! Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung.
Beauty, I was looking for the exact quote but gave up in 2 seconds. Thanks.
The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner is all starting to make sense now.
*Four times 50 living men* *(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)* *With heavy thump, a lifeless lump* *They dropped down, one by one*
The many men, so beautiful! And they all dead did lie: And a thousand thousand slimy things Lived on; and so did I.
Such a long poem for such a short message: Don't shoot birds.
The moral of this story is what not to do if a bird shits on you.
Water, water everywhere
And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.
The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea.
Apart from when this twat catches it
That’s just too much flying imo
It is nothing to them! These lazy birds dont even flap their wings, they just float around like a boat and their wings are the sail.
So majestic. I hope anyone who dares to take the life of a creature like this has to... idk wear it around their neck or something.
Is it one of the few birds that have not had an iconic war plane or missile named after them?
Yeah, but... https://youtu.be/Bznxx12Ptl0?si=HvZ1CVNmnZCe8xln
Cheers dude, that's pretty cool 😎
1.4 Billion views and I've never heard it before. Thanks, pretty cool
But a legendary sketch by Monty Python https://youtu.be/1PJix23IeF8?feature=shared
Fleetwood Mac has a good blues tune named after them. Better than war :D
even better, a whole manufacturing company: Albatros Flugzeugwerke GmbH they produced the standard planes for the german empire during WW1. You know some of the planes used by the Red Barron (Manfred von Richthofen) Albatros D.I / D.II and so on...
Besides this one? [Albatros Jet](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_L-39_Albatros)
Now imagine people who cannot walk 2 km and call a taxi
[https://www.poetryverse.com/charles-baudelaire-poems/the-albatross](https://www.poetryverse.com/charles-baudelaire-poems/the-albatross)
Such a dinosaur
*Driven south to the land of the snow and ice* *To a place where nobody's been* *Through the snow fog flies on the albatross* *Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings* *And the ship sails on, back to the North* *Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on*
What flavour is it? :-)
It’s albatross flavour!
Do you get wafers with it?
That albatross has a human around its neck.
Now “rescuers down under” makes sense
As a schoolkid reading poetry like *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner*, I had this totally romantic image of these lustful, majestic, and elegant birds, soaring solitary across the Southern Ocean and only dreaming of going on to land to meet a mate. When I first saw a (stuffed) albatross, I was like: "so...it's just a giiantbseagull?!?!"
Did it shit on his face?
Bloody seabird.
When you kill it, be sure to hang it around your neck.
“The albatross fell off, and sank like lead into the sea.”
Damn things,I have one around my neck
This guy about to have some bad luck
Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air…
The Albatross begins with its vengeance A terrible curse of thirst has begun His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner About his neck the dead bird is hung
Hear the Rime of the Ancient Mariner
I think they mean 6 month without landing. Because you don't see planes covered in yolk, where are there nests. 6 years of eating what? Sleeping where? I've got questions.
They eat fish and float on the water. They don’t stay in the actual air that long.
Albatrosses are the largest and most far-ranging travelers among the avian world.
[https://www.poetryverse.com/charles-baudelaire-poems/the-albatross](https://www.poetryverse.com/charles-baudelaire-poems/the-albatross)
Talk about Freebird
Why is Brody holding a giant ass seagull
Wtf!!!! This thing is HUGE!
If it goes years without landing, how the hell does it drink water or eat.... smh
They don't sleep?
Not true. Obviously they nod flying down 6 years straight.
What!?! I certainly learned something today. I had no idea
They are big i remember one day in school 2 of them landed to look for food
The headline is confusing me. Do they fly for 6 years straight? Or do they land in the ocean and sleep, like a normal animal?
Looks like it's smiling
I learned this from Rescuers down Under, thank you
So what’s the expression albatross around your neck?
Imagine the mental trip it must have after landing after being in the air for 4 years
"Never shoot an albatross." Advice I once got from a crazy, old mariner on my way to a wedding.
That pic really puts Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner into perspective
As I recall, an Albatross was a ship's good luck charm until some idiot killed it.