Crap in the road!

[WearyTraveler]

On our way home from buying the RV last month we came upon a wheel barrow in the middle of our highway lane. It was after dusk and almost dark. We were doing about 70. My brother was driving and skillfully maneuvered onto the shoulder to avoid.

Yesterday on the first real trip with Ms. WT we almost hit an aluminum step latter. This time I was driving and luckily saw it in time to move into the shoulder.

Today when we started out there was a 2 foot piece of 6” by 6” just outside our lane.

Holy siht folks - secure your crap in your trucks!

I think the construction industry has it out for me. I’ll probably run across a table saw this week.

[Bob Denman]

This is why the following statement should scare you:
If you of average intelligence: think about all of those folks out there; who are stupider than you!

[Popfla]

One of our local TV stations did a piece a few years ago about the stuff found in the roadway on Interstate 4. It covered a one week period. There were large extension ladders, pipes, rebar, tires mounted on wheels, rolls of carpeting, televisions, everything you can imagine...except for a partridge in a pear tree !

Safe travels, y'all ! Merry Christmas !

[Laco]

It constantly amazes me, how many folks throw stuff in the back of their truck, or??? and expect that gravity will compensate for their laziness for not properly securing their stuff.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Laco

It constantly amazes me, how many folks throw stuff in the back of their truck, or??? and expect that gravity will compensate for their laziness for not properly securing their stuff.

Oh come on: we all know that the only thing you need to hold an old mattress to the roof of your car is your arm out the window hanging on!

[PictureTheSouth]

This almost begs the creation of a new thread.....
"What's the weirdest shite you've ever seen in the road?" (while RV'ing or not).


Licensed for 45 years, with almost 2 million miles under my seat belt. I've driven all of North America from Boston to San Diego. Prudhoe Bay AK, to Key West. Charleston to Seattle. Most of Europe, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. So I have seen some weird shite on the road.

But the weirdest thing I've ever seen was on one of the Houston TX beltways, October 1998.

I was passed by a pickup truck; who used his blinkers when merging back into the right lane. AND left a reasonable following distance.

I was and am still in shock over this - because otherwise, I'm reasonably certain that when bad drivers die - they go to Houston.

[JamieGeek]

Before I could drive was riding through Chicago with my family (my father was driving). We were on the highway next to a very large truck hauling a HUGE sailboat with its mast laying horizontally on the top deck.

Needless to say: the mast wasn't low enough and hit a bridge causing it and all its cabling to come off the truck and fly backwards against the flow of traffic. I don't think any cars got hit and we just kept on going since we were next to it but it was pretty scary...

[GVP-The Boxcar Children]

Not weird but most dangerous:
We were westbound heading down Donner Pass on I-80 one night following a semi trailer with the rear door open and empty pallets falling out of it! Swerving luckily to miss the 1st one then tried to get CHP on the phone using 911-placed on hold for God's sake. We never did get through, and the sight of those pallets tumbling then shattering in front of us was absolutely scary!
GVP

[Korey & Tana Jackson]

About 15 years ago, with our first Class C, towing our CRV, while crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (US-50/301) westbound, we followed a garden supply flatbed truck with fencing, sod, and to the rear, steel fence posts.

To our dismay, the post bundle broke loose, and along a lengthy stretch, individual steel posts slid off the back of the truck, to clatter and bounce on the bridge immediately ahead of us.

There is not much of a shoulder on the Bay Bridge: the sides are low giving a great view down of the water; the bridge has a wide turn; and there is very limited room to maneuver. That bridge was named one of the ten scariest in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine.

We did the best we could to straddle the bouncing steel hazards, and prayed that we avoid puncturing a gas tank or a tire (inside rear dual, no doubt). I can’t say that Jesus took the wheel, but some days it seems that God rewards fools and the undeserving.

Now I wish we had a dash camera in those days.

I echo the sentiment: secure the load.

[Brad2018]

We were heading south through Atlanta in October. It was storming and traffic was insane. I noticed cars in front of me swerving and changing lanes. Then I saw what looked like a two-foot roll of aluminum sheet metal unspooling in front of me. I could not get over and was slowing down while horns honked all around me. Got close enough to to realize it was actual the reflectix material that most of us use for insulation. Luckily, it had unspooled enough for me to plow right through it.

I will never take the interstate through Atlanta ever again!

[SuperD]

I was on I-69 north of Fort Wayne a couple of years ago, a large flatbed was loaded high with pallets of galvanized barn sheet metal. The straps holding the rear bundle of sheet metal were loose and the wind was taking the metal panels off one at a time. Driver was oblivious to what was happening despite other drivers honking horns and flashing lights. Don’t know if it was a CB or what but the driver finally pulled over after loosing about 6-10 sheets. Fortunately it was broad daylight and no vehicles close behind, no damage! Could have been bad if there had been a vehicle directly behind.

[Mr Sunshine]

Here's what I saw that left me shaking: Years ago, I was in my car on a freeway in a midwest capital city, at what I thought was a safe distance behind a big red firetruck. A sign on the back in big letters said "Stay back 500 feet!" At the same time I could make out the sign, a double headed axe came off the top of the truck and went spinning down the highway in front of me.

I was torn between wanting to stop and pick up the axe and wanting to identity the number of that firetruck to report it. I did neither, but always remember that when behind any truck. Give them plenty of room. If someone cuts in front of me, all the better!

[MJC62]

Another Indiana story.
Driving north on I 65 just south of Indy in the center lane in my newly painted candy apple red pick up truck towing a boat. Goober with a load of lumber on a trailer is weaving in and out of heavy traffic trying to gain 2 car lengths when a sheet of plywood flies off the trailer. Guy in front of us weaves out of the way and with trailer in tow and vehicles on either side I cannot. At 70 mph we watch in what seems like slow-mo as sheet of plywood sails through the air at our windshield. Long story short, thanks to the man above, the sheet of plywood misses the windshield but takes out LF fender, light assembly, grill and part of hood. Driver with the load of lumber keeps right on rolling.
The truck had just gotten out of the body shop from being hit in the rear at a light by a drunk. When I called my insurance company agent after he pissed his shorts they did cut me a check and then they cut me loose. Took me several years after that to get a decent rate again.

[WearyTraveler]

This is all I can say... I’ve kept him very busy!

[Calman]

Several years ago I was on my Gold Wing trike runnng the bypass in Dallas. Saw a pickup passing me with a couple of shovels rattling in the backend. Just knowing something bad was about to happen I started to change lanes to get out of harm's way.
About that time one of the shovels came flying out of the pickup, bounced a couple of times and clipped my right fender on the outside edge.

If I had not been vigilant I would have taken the shovel full blunt and been another traffic fatality.

Shovel ended up smashing into the grill of a car next lane over. Truck never stopped or returned to claim his shovel. Probably didn't have insurance either.

[Bob Denman]

Crap in the road...

WARNING: Language...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Cq9nThaNs

[dcbenny]

The worst is when you cant avoid it, this was my first trip with my Windsport fell off the back of a pickup caring junk on I95 N in GA hit it doing about 50

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by dcbenny

The worst is when you cant avoid it, this was my first trip with my Windsport fell off the back of a pickup caring junk on I95 N in GA hit it doing about 50

Yikes!

[m1noel]

Not crap, only because they were empty, but a few years ago on I84 just out of Boise, eight porta-potties came off a trailer in front of me. Luckily was in my work truck and able to avoid them. Several cars were not so lucky.

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by Brad2018

We were heading south through Atlanta in October. It was storming and traffic was insane. I noticed cars in front of me swerving and changing lanes. Then I saw what looked like a two-foot roll of aluminum sheet metal unspooling in front of me. I could not get over and was slowing down while horns honked all around me. Got close enough to to realize it was actual the reflectix material that most of us use for insulation. Luckily, it had unspooled enough for me to plow right through it.

I will never take the interstate through Atlanta ever again!

Dude, your ears weren't up quick enough. You never drive 'through' Atlanta, you drive around it! What were you thinking Man?

On the plus side, you made it through the peril.