Ned Hibberd's Blog

If you've ever driven south on the Southwest Freeway, I'm sure you've witnessed a safety-conscious scene like this:

I say "LIKE" this, because I'm not really talking about Joe and Jane Idiot's journey to the lakehouse.

 

I'm referring to the clusters of connected cars and trucks, stuffed to the gills with small appliances, heading south of the border.

I'm guessing the vehicles are being transported for sale in Mexico or Central America after being bought dirt cheap at auction on this side of the Rio Grande.

 

Usually, the last of several hitched vehicles will have "IN TOW" painted across the rear window.  Usually.

 

On one occasion I observed "IN TOW" clearly marked on the vehicle doing the towing, while the one actually being towed had no markings at all.  Another fine example of a driver who was unclear on the concept.

I've always thought many of these rigs were patently unsafe.  Especially those in which a bus is towing a truck which is towing a car or two.

But the other night, I witnessed one that put all previous dangerous driving to shame.  I tried to take a photo, but the night was too dark.  So use your imagination.

Picture a flatbed wrecker carrying three cars, the last one hanging off the back, its rear wheels dangling.  Now add on another car that's hitched to the flatbed.  And another being towed by that car.

It was so ridiculously risky, I couldn't imagine why the entire perilous parade hadn't been pulled over by cops in every jurisdiction along the way.

But that's just my experience; you may have a different point-of-view.

 

I think they ought to hire enough drivers so that nobody's towing more than one vehicle.  What do you think?

 

Ned