stupid things

[Chappy 138]

I did a stupid thing today. I backed up to the trailer, lowered it on to the ball, went to do some other things and then drove off. Im driving down the road and put on brakes for a light and heard an awful noise behind me. I look and my trailer is veering off to the right and pushing my truck. I had completely forgotten to latch it, hook up the chains and safety brake cable. How stupid!!!

Last time I renewed my insurance, my agent added liability to my trailer in case something like this happened. I was lucky that i was in the right turn lane and the trailer headed for the curb, so if it missed me, it would have hit the curb. but it could have been much worse. I got away with a lightly dented bumper.

I know we are relucttant to tell about our own stupidity, but list some of the things that you have done that you consider just plain stupid.

Plus, you can get them off your chest with out telling your wife!

[Richard 17]

A 525 gal empty tank in the back of the roll off truck, not tied down properly, and 70 miles an hour down a six lane hwy don't mix well. At 1am the tank took a flyer out the back. Luckily we were in the slow lane. When I went back in the morning it was in the ditch with the MTO truck there. I got out, played stupid, told him I could use that, he responded with "Merry Christmas". Talk about s___a__ luck.

[jgoral76 14]

I decided to clean gutters at my house and used the hose while no one was home the ladder fell due to the hose and i'm stuck on roof for 3hrs. until neighbor comes home and helps.

[R. Williamson 14]

Last weekend I was changing the oil in my wifes gas guzzlin SUV. I slid the oil pan to the side and slid out from underneath it so proud that I did not get one drop on my mint garage floor. Filled it up with oil pulled the it out and ran over the pan. I didnt slide the pan out far enough.

So much for a mint garage floor!

[Dan Stapleton 14]

Bob, Good time to check out the F18max on fresh oil spills.

[Deck Guy 14]

Last Friday, I punctured my eardrum...with a Q-tip! Hard to explain, but a drop of water dripped into my eye following a shower, and just as I was using the Q-tip, I jerked, and BOOM! So now the ENT says I have to wait six weeks to see if it heals by itself, otherwise they do a small procedure to repair it. Since then, I have a constant ringing in that ear (it's making me really cranky), and have recovered about 40-50% hearing. I'm so embarassed, I haven't told many people around home.

Man, am I an IDIOT!!

[racechaser 64]

Last Friday, I punctured my eardrum...with a Q-tip! Hard to explain, but a drop of water dripped into my eye following a shower, and just as I was using the Q-tip, I jerked, and BOOM! So now the ENT says I have to wait six weeks to see if it heals by itself, otherwise they do a small procedure to repair it. Since then, I have a constant ringing in that ear (it's making me really cranky), and have recovered about 40-50% hearing. I'm so embarassed, I haven't told many people around home.

Man, am I an IDIOT!!

Surely there's an evolution joke somewhere in that story, just give me time.LOL

[Mike Williamson 198]

I know we are relucttant to tell about our own stupidity, but list some of the things that you have done that you consider just plain stupid.

Plus, you can get them off your chest with out telling your wife!

Yep, something very similar to yours...though I did latch it and hook the chains...but the tongue wasn't all the way on the ball...hit a bump, and bang, dragging trailer! Luckily with the 4WD, I'm high enough that it just gouged the dropdown, not the truck.

[RCBill 14]

Did the very same thing Jon. This is the kind of stuff that makes old guys double check everything. We've had a lot of years of stupid things.

[Scott Stone 604]

I have backed into my trailer multiple times and pulled away without it. Sometimes I have gotten miles down the road before I remembered that the trailer should be back there...

[Celeste 341]

Yep, something very similar to yours...though I did latch it and hook the chains...but the tongue wasn't all the way on the ball...hit a bump, and bang, dragging trailer! Luckily with the 4WD, I'm high enough that it just gouged the dropdown, not the truck.

Yep.......and even when it's all down and attached, if you leave the silly little pin out...well, going downhill on the driveway with the rear of the trailer already scraping the concrete.....suffice it to say that having the tongue of the trailer wedged UNDER the Suburban while it was at a 90 degree angle crossing 2/3 of the road was not a good start to the day. Picture a jack knifed trailer/truck vertically as opposed to left/right. Ordeal left a big ole dent in my shiny new enclosed trailer Roger bought for me. (He was driving just for the record!)

Celeste

[HotShot 34]

dang, I don't even know if I want in this thread :D

I've left the house without chemical, tools, ladders all kinds of stuff. As a hood cleaner, I get very little sleep and it can be dangerous out there sometimes. One of the stupidest things was I cleaned a kitchen exhaust that had a duct that went straight up then a 90 degree to a squirrel cage type fan. The top of the duct comes off for cleaning....well, I left it off, and the restaurant called me back really early the next morning and said that their restuarant was filling up with smoke. The bad part was the job was 92 miles away, and I didn't know what happend so I had to drive all the way back for that....it was a bummer :(

[Ron Musgraves 240]

WOW, i have lost ladders hose and i have lost the trailer.

[PLD 14]

Yep, something very similar to yours...though I did latch it and hook the chains...but the tongue wasn't all the way on the ball...hit a bump, and bang, dragging trailer! Luckily with the 4WD, I'm high enough that it just gouged the dropdown, not the truck.

Me to. I hooked up chains and plug and drove away. When I felt/heard the jerk, I put on the brakes and the trailer snapped back into the truck. The ball socket went through the tag which still has a nice large hole in the middle of it.

[PA Dutchman 14]

knock on wood, I've never lost either trailer, but I have run out of fuel going up an incline on a fairly busy highway.

Having learned from a friend's mistake I double check connections at the first stop....hey "f" the guy honking the horn behind me, its for his safety as well.

Actually my 'new to me' truck has a nice reminder to verify connections...a big ole dent mid tailgate.

[HotShot 34]

Hey...did you buy it from Philip? :D

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Had a load of lumber on top of my Sprinter van's ladder rack, travelled about 25 miles in stp and go traffic on the highway and only nearly lost it once I got into the neighborhood. Forgot to put tiedowns on the load because one of my employee's had me distracted after loading it.

We have forgotten a number of things over the years needing to go back to the shop to pick them up but I consider myself lucky in comparison to others who have posted their misfortunes here.

Godspeed in your eardrum healing Scott.

Rod!~

[TNT Pressure Washing 14]

I forgot to latch down the piece on the tongue of the trailer that holds on to the ball. I had drove to the job no problem (thank God) and walked up on the end of the trailer to unload the pwer and the trailer kicked up and almost threw me on my butt. When I realized what I'd done I couldnt believe that it hadnt come loose while driving to the job.

[PLD 14]

I forgot to latch down the piece on the tongue of the trailer that holds on to the ball. I had drove to the job no problem (thank God) and walked up on the end of the trailer to unload the pwer and the trailer kicked up and almost threw me on my butt. When I realized what I'd done I couldnt believe that it hadnt come loose while driving to the job.

Did that this week. Actually sat it down and latched it on top of the ball. I figured it out/remembered it about 100 yards for the house though. Not soon enough to stop the spoon from making a 1/4 gouge in the ball...

[The Cleaner 14]

The only thing i can remember that was done by one of my guy's, was not making sure the hose reel was locked.Well you know where this is going!! It was about 4am on 75 north in florida.I kept looking behind me and seeing sparks and cars way back flashing there lights.it was late so it didnt register for a while,until the 200 ft of high pressure hose got a hold of a road sign and ripped the reel off the back of the trailer !!!

I never forget to do a walk around before leaving every location since that fiasco.Like they say you learn through your mistakes and just hope no one gets hurt along the way..that was 9 years ago and i have been very lucky since then.

[Grime Dawg 14]

Hey Bob,

Could you fab a device that would let you know that your trailer is NOT secured to the hitch ball? Sounds like you could sell a bunch right here.

*****************************

Here's a stupid thing I did just 2 days ago. Not that it's the only stupid thing I've ever done, just the most recent.

After having built out my entire trailer, cutting steel, welding, grinding etc. nothing more than just minor cuts and splinters.

So 2 days ago, getting toward the end of my very long project...I'm grinding away on a piece of metal and for some stupid reason as soon as I get done I lay my arm right on it...

SIZZLE -SIZZLE - SIZZLE

Awe, the smell of burn't flesh in the morning. You just can't beat it. And the wonderful feeling that it leaves just makes you want to sing a happy song!

[PLD 14]

I lay my arm right on it...

SIZZLE -SIZZLE - SIZZLE

Awe, the smell of burn't flesh in the morning. You just can't beat it. And the wonderful feeling that it leaves just makes you want to sing a happy song!

Got that tattoo also. Here's the cliff notes version:

camping

dark

picnic table

lantern

need salt

reach over lantern

3" circle scar, still says "Coleman"

drink beer

drink more beer

drink more beer

Just kidding about "Coleman" :)

[Washaway 64]

I've lost the trailer aswell when the slim shank ball decided to part from receiver. Thank 'someone' that I had 400G of water on the trailer and that I was rolling in stop-go traffic.

No damage to the truck but it sure dug into asphalt.

Funny story: just 15 minutes prior I was being issued a traffic sitation in a private parking lot. The cop that showed up within minutes of me loosing the trailer asked two questions:

1. What are you pouring all over the place?

2. Didn't my buddy just give you a ticket a few minutes ago?

I asked him if he was going to find a reason for serving me again and proceeded to jack the trailer with the truck jack.

I've never been more happy to be lugging around another receiver and ball.

To this day I have that broken ball, as a reminder.

.

.

.

rig is parked in the drive. I unlock the lock and release the latch. (trailer is being moved and then unhitched in the back yard). Truck dips into driveway-apron and trailer hits the concrete.

Neighbors watch as I jack the trailer from the ground.

"Here's your sign!":lgjump:

[Degraffreed 21]

Hey, I have one that happened this summer while still living in Atlanta.

Got a call to clean a 3 story 3500/4000 sqft home. With the highest chimney that i have ever seen. Went without my help, could not locate him on this day. So get to the customers home, she not in. Call her on the cell, she say go ahead clean the house and make sure that chimney gets clean. So had to get out the extension ladder and climb up about 40 ft to get on the ladder to clean the back side of the chimney. Once done I notice that the ladder is only sticking up about 1ft above the gutter line. PANIC SETS IN AT THIS TIME....remembering that I did not secure the ladder foots before climbing up on this roof. So I cautiously step onto the top rung and the ladder kicks out from under me and topples to the ground. I pulled myself back onto the roof and there I sat for 4.5 hours BAKING IN THE 102 DEGREE GEORGIA HEAT ON TOP OF THIS FRIKIN ROOF.

By the time the garbage man came down the road and saw my about 40 feet up sitting as if I was watching the world go by I had one heck tan by the time I got down.

I tie ladder now at 10ft.

[HotShot 34]

Got that tattoo also. Here's the cliff notes version:

camping

dark

picnic table

lantern

need salt

reach over lantern

3" circle scar, still says "Coleman"

drink beer

drink more beer

drink more beer

Just kidding about "Coleman" :)

guess that will teach you to go for the salt :D

I think all hood cleaners have our "forever" braclets from the SH burns....that stuff eats to the bone quick...

[PLD 14]

Oh man, I forgot about a beauty.

21' Ladder in the back of my pickup hanging out. Pre ladder racks, I always secured them by anchoring to the ladder near the tailgate and pulling to toward the cab via the in bed anchors. Going down steep drive and entering the street, the ladder gets caught on the trailer/skid. As the trailer/truck flattens out, the ladder gets loaded up like a huge catapult arm. When it finally breaks loose, the ladder springs forward (pivoting at the cab wall) and hits the cab, flips over the cab, and gets airborne before falling and removing the driver side mirror.

If you stand in the bed, you can still see the parallel dents in the cab roof...