Scary scenario

[John Fitzgerald]

Yesterday, I was parked near a bridge between two steep hills looking at a local lake. There's a small gravel lot there where commuters park and ride. Two guys came in a pickup and 4 wheel flatbed trailer to get another partly disabled full sized pickup that was there. They finally got it on the trailer and just took off up the very steep hill without even tieing it down. I was shocked it didn't come off and tumble back down the hill. Never have I personally witnessed anything like that. No tailgate, stops, or anything, and it wasn't even to the top of the sloped portion of the trailer. Plus, it was backed on. The motor was over the very back of the trailer.

 

[gwstang]

Plenty of idiots out there to go around.

 

[oosik]

Sometimes Lady Luck or God looks out for fools and idiots. They probably made it to their destination and never gave a second thought to tying the truck down.

Long ago - driving down the freeway - a semi loaded with Johns Mansville 4" x 20' plastic sewer pipe. The strapping failed and there was 20 foot sticks of green plastic pipe flying EVERYWHERE. I don't think anybody was hurt but it was a pretty wild situation there for a moment.

 

[Thomas]

Fingers cross some poor innocent person/persons doesn't get hurt from those 2 actions.

 

[rbtjr]

My dad's best friend drove an oil tanker. He was killed when he was meeting a truck coming the other way with a load of railroad ties stacked high. Just before the two trucks met the tie-down or tie-downs holding the RR ties broke or came loose. The RR ties fell over across the centerline of the road onto the cab of my dad's friend. Don't know if the tie-down was inadequate strength, not properly installed, or what.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Regarding my OP, we ran off the road away from the lot when we saw he was leaving up the hill. It was a miracle that pickup didn't slide off and tumble down the hill. It's probably a 20% grade in spots, easy.

 

[lakeside]

I was driving along an eight lane highway when the flat bed truck ahead of me started loosing cargo. They were small, grapefruit sized, casting loaded into a wire mesh crate. The wire mesh failed and these castings started bouncing about the pavement. My (rental) car took one which just shattered a rear rim. Another car took a hit on the passenger door. By pure blind luck none came through anyone's windshield. The driver was handed a $500 ticket for improperly security his cargo.