So I’m on my way to the gym at lunch time today, driving down military road. I’m in the left lane and an old chevy pickup truck pulling a Saturn Vue on a dolly is in the right lane. I’m watching the ends of the straps holding the Vue’s front wheels to the dolly skipping off the pavement as we approach a semi blocking the road backing into a driveway.
Sure enough, the straps fall off. It looked like they tried to just hand-tie the straps without ratchets. So the Vue falls off the dolly and puts about 10 feet of distance between itself and the pickup as it slows down. Then the pickup has to stop for the semi blocking the road.
So I watch the scene play out seemingly in slow motion as the vue, which has by now veered about 3’ to the right of the truck’s center, quickly catch the truck, run up the dolly like a ramp, and land in/on the pick up truck’s bed, nearly tipping over onto it’s side in the process. Before you get your physics panties in a knot, it probably didn’t actually clear the truck’s bed. I’m sure it just smashed into the back of the truck, but still it was funny to watch a driverless SUV run up a ramp into another vehicle. It was like the Dukes of Hazzard special olympics.
So as I pass I get a look at two dudes in the truck looking back with giant shit eating grins on their faces as if they are saying “OMG THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!” I continue on my way.
Fast forward 45 minutes…
I go back the same way I came so I can see the aftermath. They are off the road in a parking lot near where they got in a 2 car accident with themselves. :cjerk: I’m guessing the Vue was hung up well enough to drive the entire rig off the road. I can tell because I can see how they got the car off of the pickup/dolly. The Vue is propped up on one side, nearly completely tipped over, on a scissor jack… which is on top of a cinder block… which is on top of… another cinder block.
So if you see anything on the news about 2 men being crushed by a vehicle in Tonawanda, you heard it here first.
I have only witnessed a car falling off of a tow dolly once. I was surprised no one was killed. This was at Angle and Southwestern a number of years ago.
The car came off as the driver turned from the Northbound lane to the Westbound side street. Of course he was cutting someone off so they gunned it…truck makes it half way through the lane when the car jerks to the side and pops off the dolly. Stops IN the lane. The southbound car swerves left crosses both Northbound lanes misses another car in the Left Northbound lane and smashes into the telephone pole on the Southeast corner.
I was sitting on the Eastbound side street facing West at a Red light.
Scary. Fucking. Shit.
If you don’t understand a compass then this story is of no value.
I’m guessing some sort of “unsafe” ticket. If the guys driving the truck were drunk, they could get two DWI’s, one for the truck and one for the Vue that hit them.
No gym at Praxair and no time to workout other than lunch, so I squeeze in about a half hour of heavy compound lifts 2-4 times a week. I’ve packed on a decent amount of muscle and strength despite the small time commitment this way.
Praxair also gives you extra time at lunch if you work out so why not take advantage of it? If you work out alone and don’t stand around to talk, an hour and 15 minutes is more than enough to do a full routine, shower and get back.
theres a guy at work that has an older chevy pickup that he uses as his “farm truck” or when his car is broke and his wife has a saturn that is always breaking.
unfortunately this incident was not him, however it would have been even funnier if it was.
having seen 2 cars come off of trailers (well, 1 was a trailer, 1 was a dolly) both times it was due to user error/garbage securement method. fortunately its never happened to me even though Ive towed dozens of vehicles, but I get the straps tight and stop to check them after leaving.
