Thieves love those trailer hitches!

[Soundguy]

You've heard of trophy wives? I'm a trophy husband....but my trophy says Runner Up
She just hasn't figured out that she got the short end of the deal yet!

reminds me of a joke.

3 guys die and go to 'heck' 1st guy walks in and the devil says.. for your sins, you must walk around with this woman for all eternity, points over to a troll of a woman... 2nd guy walks in.. pretty much same thing.... fast forward a week. the 3 guys, walking around 'heck' bump into each other.. 2 guys have troll-ish women attached to their arms, and the 3rd guy has the hottes super model you have ever seen holding his arm.

the 2 guys witht he trolls look at each other and then back at their friend and the supermodel and both exclaim " How did you end up with that!?? "

So the woman says.. well.. for my sins I.....

 

[Relic]

take My hitch out when not using trailer and use locking pin when trailer is hooked up.

 

[Bird]

I don't see a moral problem leaving a hitch in. ps.. if he's stopped far enough behind me.. and is rear ended HARD enought to move into me. my hitch into his hood is probably of no concern vs the back of his vehicle being flattened.

Well, I do see a moral problem, and as for your ps. tain't always so. In 1964, I was driving a 1964 Dodge Dart convertible on a major residential street in Irving, TX, when a van in front of me stopped to wait for oncoming traffic to clear so he could turn left into an apartment parking lot. I stopped plenty far enough behind him, but then a 17 year old kid driving a big Pontiac rearended me. He was going fast enough and hit me hard enough to break the back of the driver's seat so it fell back flat and the impact also knocked me into the van. Fortunately, he wasn't one of those who want to damage an innocent motorist's vehicle. But it broke every exterior light on my car; headlights, taillights, park lights, etc. and very badly damaged both ends of my car. BUT, it was driveable. I was able to drive home without calling a wrecker, getting a ride home, etc. And I drove it to the dealer the next morning for repairs.

 

[teejk]

reminds me of a joke.

3 guys die and go to 'heck' 1st guy walks in and the devil says.. for your sins, you must walk around with this woman for all eternity, points over to a troll of a woman... 2nd guy walks in.. pretty much same thing.... fast forward a week. the 3 guys, walking around 'heck' bump into each other.. 2 guys have troll-ish women attached to their arms, and the 3rd guy has the hottes super model you have ever seen holding his arm.

the 2 guys witht he trolls look at each other and then back at their friend and the supermodel and both exclaim " How did you end up with that!?? "

So the woman says.. well.. for my sins I.....

A guy asks for a day off to go to a [insert ethnic choice] wedding...shows up at work 3 days later. His boss asks where he has been to which the guy replies that he won 2nd prize in a contest and got to spend 2 nights with the bride. His boss is puzzled and had to ask about the 1st place prize...$5...

 

[BigBoyinMS]

Well, I do see a moral problem, and as for your ps. tain't always so. In 1964, I was driving a 1964 Dodge Dart convertible on a major residential street in Irving, TX, when a van in front of me stopped to wait for oncoming traffic to clear so he could turn left into an apartment parking lot. I stopped plenty far enough behind him, but then a 17 year old kid driving a big Pontiac rearended me. He was going fast enough and hit me hard enough to break the back of the driver's seat so it fell back flat and the impact also knocked me into the van. Fortunately, he wasn't one of those who want to damage an innocent motorist's vehicle. But it broke every exterior light on my car; headlights, taillights, park lights, etc. and very badly damaged both ends of my car. BUT, it was driveable. I was able to drive home without calling a wrecker, getting a ride home, etc. And I drove it to the dealer the next morning for repairs.

Bird, you're taking it too personally because of your experience 50 years ago.
I don't think even ONE of us "wants to damage" anyone's vehicle... we just don't need to share in the damage to make us or the other guy feel better. My mount and ball will stay put and I'll have a very clear conscience.
But I'm happy YOU would feel better taking a few hundred dollars or more of rear end damage to save the other guy a tow bill... possibly.

 

[Bird]

Bird, you're taking it too personally because of your experience 50 years ago.
I don't think even ONE of us "wants to damage" anyone's vehicle... we just don't need to share in the damage to make us or the other guy feel better. My mount and ball will stay put and I'll have a very clear conscience.
But I'm happy YOU would feel better taking a few hundred dollars or more of rear end damage to save the other guy a tow bill... possibly.

Nope, it's not at all because of my experience years ago. That was only posted to show the error of some other opinions. But yes, I do take a lack of concern for others seriously. Especially a deliberate attempt to damage someone else's property. So I have no sympathy at all for anyone who has his hitch parts stolen or if he damages his own shins on a hitch sticking out back. But maybe if it's his own kid or wife who bangs shins on it, they can change his mind.

 

[RandyT]

My understanding was that it was pushed by the insurance lobby. Hitches cause more damage in rear end accidents supposedly. Good 'Ol Illinois.....Chicago rules the state and laws w/fines rule us! I Think it started Jan 1,2011 and is a $128 fine although I have never heard of anyone being cited locally, here is how it reads Statutes Amended In Order of Appearance

625 ILCS 5/12-614 new


Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that if any portion of a motor vehicle hitch containing a ball mount and hitch receiver extends more than 4 inches beyond the motor vehicle's rear bumper, then the ball mount must be removed from the hitch receiver when the motor vehicle is not being used for towing. Provides that if any portion of a motor vehicle hitch extends more than 4 inches beyond the rear bumper of the motor vehicle and the hitch is composed of a single assembly that cannot be easily removed from the vehicle, then the ball of the hitch must be covered with a red cover. Defines "ball mount", "hitch receiver", and "motor vehicle hitch".


.

according to the Illinois compiled statutes, 625 ILCS 5/12-614 does not exist the 625 statutes ends at 625 ILCS5/12-613, the next section starts at 625 ILCS 5/12-701 This rumor has been floating around since 2005 . The last bill that proposed it dies in committee in 2011 after the first reading and was never voted on to become law.

The proposed law started in the Illinois Senate, never made it out of committee, never voted on by the full Senate, never sent to the House, Never voted on by the House, and Never signed by the Governor, therefore is not a law. i have seen where this has been floating around since 2005. The latest attempt dies on November 1, 2011.

 

[Runner]

If I think I'll be using the hitch in the near future, I leave the drawbar in. Anytime I have anything in my receiver, it has a lock on it unless I know I won't be leaving the vehicle unattended. When I know I wont' be using the hitch for awhile, I have a hitch step installed (and locked) to prevent bumper taps.

I'm always amazed at the trusting souls I see running around with a drawbar in the their receiver that is not locked.

 

[Bird]

Runner, I've not seen any of those hitch steps, but that looks to me like a good idea. I know BigBoyinMS, and some others, want their hitch to seriously damage anyone's vehicle that rear ends them, and he figures I took it too personally because of something that happened 50 years ago. Well, that was only one example. The last accident I was involved in was on July 15, 2005. There was a vehicle stopped at a stop sign, and I stopped behind him. But we were going downhill in a light rain, on a street that I was well familiar with, so I knew it would be slick. One habit that I learned as a rookie cop is to always stop far enough behind the vehicle in front of you that you can see where his rear tires meet the pavement. But unfortunately, a 25 year old young lady rammed me from the rear. Again, both vehicles were driveable. Her insurance paid just over a thousand dollars for the dealer to replace my rear bumper & brackets and do a little paint repair. If my thought processes were the same as some others obviously are, I would have been happier if I'd had a trailer hitch to punch into her radiator. I just cannot understand that kind of thinking. And the last accident I was in before I retired was in 1988 and I was driving an unmarked police sedan, a 1988 Chevrolet Caprice in heavy, stop and go freeway rush hour traffic. A teenager rearended the car behind me and knocked him into the back of my car. The only damage to my car was a nickle sized dimple in the bumper, almost nothing, and the front damage of the innocent driver who was knocked into me was pretty minor. Again, if I been driving something with a trailer hitch sticking out back, he would have been much less fortunate.

 

[SPYDERLK]

A lot of obnoxious hitchers around. ... :frown:
larry