I remember once locking up when I was a Set PA on the 2nd Unit for a Steven Segal movie. I had to stand by the end of a service entrance to the L.A. River because a Dump Truck driven by a stunt driver was going to barrel down the ramp with a Steven Segal double either hanging off it or the double was driving (I don’t remember.)
If anyone was walking on that ramp when the truck was racing down there they could possibly be killed because there was barely enough room for the big truck and it was going to come into that road fast.
I was at at the end of that road making sure no one walked up it and into the ‘channel’ made by the concrete walls on either side. There wasn’t anyone I could see for miles and it was kind of pretty looking out over the concrete river bed.
I was safe on one side of the entrance and just had to stay out of the shot. Easiest lock-up ever. I mean I had to pay attention but where could anyone come from? We rolled and down came the truck.
I had been daydreaming looking at a small hole in the concrete of the river bank on the other side of the entrance. Something seemed to be moving inside or it. It was impossible but a guy climbed out of there. I was mystified. How could he fit through that small hole?
He of course started making his way right to the entrance of the service road and once he walked into that channel he’d be walking right into the path of the truck. I was on the other side. I yelled and waved at him but couldn’t seem to get his attention. I was about to run across and call abort although it probably would have been too late for the truck to slow down and I might have been run over.
At the last minute, he seemed to understand and paused. The truck popped out of the channel and skidded safely to a stop.
We cut.
My heart was racing.
The guy nodded to me and walked casually past the truck and up the road. I called out on the radio that he was passing through.
That was a weird day.