A Lesson in Not Following Too Close

thrillseeker · #1 07-08-2008, 10:19 PM

Got a great reminder today why we shouldn't follow vehicles in front of us too close.
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As I was riding the twisties on my way&nbsp\\;home this afternoon, there was a pickup with a trailer in front of me.&nbsp\\; Being my home turf, the guy was certainly going too slow for me, but I keep my safe distance.
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on his trailer were four, six foot diameter, cable spools (empty), strapped down on their edges.
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Sure as ****, we went around a left twistie and one of those fookers busted its strap and popped off the back.
During its initial escape sequence off the trailer, it was coming towards me, I of course hit the brakes and backed even farther off, watching what this thing was going to do.
As soon as it hit the road, the momentum caused it to start rolling forward instead of backward towards me, and it veered off into the ravine to the right.
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I was always at a safe distance, it wasn't a close call or anything like that... but I couldn't help thinking, ... I'm sure glad I wasn't tailgating that guy, or I would have been toast.
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So - to all my riding bretherend out there - please keep a safe distance, for reasons like this and all the other good reasons.&nbsp\\; We won't get there any faster by riding the ass of the vehicle in front of us, and you never know what is going to happen.
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btw - the guy had to go a 1/4 mile before having a place to stop.&nbsp\\; I followed at a good distance with my emergency flashers on (there were still three of these fookers on the rig).&nbsp\\; Once he pulled over I stopped and let him know that baby wasn't coming back (too far down the ravine)... offered to help secure his load, be he declined, so I went on my way.