Famous last words from yours’ truly!! I’ve said those words many a time…only to find out that they, somehow, don’t always ring true. I’m a trusting kind of guy, you might say. When I load something on a vehicle it just seems like a waste of time to me to have to secure said items with a chain, rope or bungie cord……. Overkill, is what I’d call it.
One such example was after buying sixty chairs for the church some years ago. Our little group had grown from about ten people to somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty. We needed more room so we knocked a wall out and the chairs would be placed in the new space.
Julie and I went to Sam’s Club in Oklahoma City bought the chairs and loaded them in the back of my pickup. We laid the stacks of chairs on their sides and it was amazing how tight they stuck together. The pickup bed was completely full of brand new chairs. I took a good look at the load and it looked good to me. Julie said, “Don’t you think you should get a rope or something and tie them in?” She worries way too much so I double checked; “Nah, they’ll ride.”
We headed home and it was right square in the middle of rush hour traffic in OKC. But, no big deal. We eased our way out onto the interstate and everything’s fine……….for about two miles! The first chair that flew out the back of the pickup looked like it was spring-loaded and on steroids! It was bouncing three feet in the air….and then ten feet in the air. It hit no less than 3 cars, maybe 5, maybe more; I mean, hit ’em good! The second chair just kinda slid out the back into the bumper-to-bumper traffic….all of which are now maneuvering to give me all the room I need. It finally came to rest right in the middle of three lanes of traffic. I looked back and, I swear, it looked like the Red Sea was parting around that little chair. We’re still surrounded by cars and they’re all giving me that, “You stupid idiot”, look when we make eye contact. Interestingly enough, I look across the seat in the pickup….Julie’s giving me that exact same look! I won’t even get into the generous, heartfelt, animated encouragement that she was giving me at that point! *Just use your imagination!
Well, we made it to the next exit without losing any more chairs. (Thank ‘ya, Jesus!!) I went into the truck stop, bought me a few good rubber bungie cords, strapped them chairs down (strapped ’em down good!!).…and we made it all the way home without any more mishaps.
I wish I could say that this was just an isolated incident…but no such luck. Nope, it’s happened other times, too. I’ll tell you about some of those other times one of these days, soon.
So, just a little ‘heads up; if you’re ever around and you hear me say, “It’ll ride”, stand clear!! Anything could happen!
P.S.-Don’t even ask Julie about this…….she still doesn’t like to talk about it!
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The Luge….Western Oklahoma Style!
