When you least expect it…

One day traveling down I-78 outside Easton, Pennsylvania I was doing about 65mph in the right lane. That part of the highway crosses over a valley where, from experience, I know the wind tends to be nasty. In my mirrors I noticed a car pulling a small trailer swing out to pass me. The trailer was a small 4’x8′ utility trailer with small wheels like the one I used to own. Now I know on my trailer the wheels were well marked that speeds were to be kept under 55 for safety reasons. This guy passed me going about 75 or better. As he passed I noticed the plywood bed of the trailer was in extremely bad condition, split and cracked and weathered and I thought to myself “I wouldn’t be surprised if that thing just flew apart at that speed”. I eased up on the throttle to get some space between us. As I did a 2 foot square section of plywood simply flew off the trailer and spun toward me at about head height. It hit the ground and skidded across the road directly in front of me.

It’s yet another anecdote that demonstrates that you need to trust your instincts and steer clear of anything you recognize as a potential problem.