Some peoples ain't too smart! Not saying I'm a genius, but... well... I WAS VALEDICTORIAN! Besides teaching physics to high school students. So I know my way around center-of-gravity.
I was waiting to pull out of the alley behind the Gas Station Chicken Store (not as mysterious a situation as it sounds) on Wednesday, when a white pickup truck passed by, headed for the light. I think I gasped audibly. I am not a pickup truck driver. I don't haul loads of anything besides groceries that slide around in T-Hoe's rear. But I knew that the load in that pickup truck was an accident waiting to happen.
The truck was in the left turn lane at the light. I was going straight, and the road markings put me ahead of the pickup. So I couldn't look into the window and motion to the driver like a normal person. What I did was jab my thumb at that truck as I rolled by to my stopping point. The driver surely didn't think I was giving a thumbs-up! It's hard to make a pointing motion in the air backwards over your shoulder.
THE TWO BOXES ON TOP OF A GIANT STACK WERE LOOSE!
The load was a pallet of Amazon boxes, stacked about 7 feet tall, wrapped in plastic. Except for the two on top! One of those was hanging haphazardly over the edge. Ready to topple off to the right. Which was way it was going to slide when that pickup made the left turn. Oh, how I wished I could get a picture. Oh! And that nobody got hurt from a falling package, or in an attempt to pick up a "free" package from the road in that busy intersection.
Anyhoo... I watched as the left turn arrow went green. The pickup eased its way into the intersection. Creeping along. Taking that left turn slooowly. Just when it straightened out, PLOP went the package onto the pavement. I don't know if the driver was watching in the mirror, but he immediately turned right into the parking lot of the Liquor Store. I couldn't see the rest of the story, because my own light turned green.
LUCKY ME! When I came back to the light after picking up my Dairy Queen lupper (lunch-supper), I saw that white pickup still parked on the Liquor Store lot. I was third in line at the light, so I had opportunity to take some pictures to prove it happened! Sorry about the window spots. If I'd realized how bad they were, I'd have put the window down.
There's the white pickup, parked behind the red one in the drive-thru lane.
There's the Leaning Tower of Amazon. Only ONE box on top now.
Not sure if this gal was the driver or a passenger. Surely not a random thief cutting herself a "free" package!
Not sure where the fallen package is. Maybe she's working on it but that one looks plastic-wrapped. Maybe she didn't look back over her left shoulder to the street. Or maybe somebody jumped out and stole it. I really hope she did something with that remaining box balanced on top. I couldn't stick around to find out. My light turned green.
Sooo... if you ever wonder why your Amazon box has the Not-Heaven beat out of it, remember this Leaning Tower of Amazon.
Wow! The driver was lucky to not be pulled over, told not to drive with the stack of packages that high and given a ticket. Unbelievable and scary. Oh, and I hope she got that top package down before continuing her drive.
ReplyDeleteSeems like police are never around when you need them, but only when you MIGHT BE borderlinely breaking a MINOR law and don't want to be observed...
DeleteDidn't look like she was interested in that top package! Which looks like it might already have crunched corners.
What idiot tosses loose boxes on top of a wrapped stack anyway? I did once get a delivery that look quite beaten up but not from Amazon. I don't shop from there anymore since the shipping costs got too high. And I truly don't need more "stuff".
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that top package might have initially been wrapped in the plastic, but perhaps the plastic was cut to remove some packages. Which would mean that Leaning Tower of Amazon might have been even taller!
DeleteWe used to get lots of smashed packages. Not sure if from Amazon, but I think so. Delivered by FedEx.
I do get crunched and punched packages from Amazon. I had a box come inside a box and only the inner box was damaged along with the merchandise inside. I was not happy.
ReplyDeleteSomebody's got some 'splainin' to do! Sounds like a case of shaken-box syndrome. Or else the merchant sent you damaged merchandise from the get-go. Hope you're getting over The Virus, and feel like your regular self soon.
DeleteThe stack is way too high, center of gravity and all that science stuff! The driver should have taken all the plastic wrap off and reloaded it more securely. Had I been the driver I would have insisted, but I can see HeWho always takes what he thinks is the easier path driving this load!
ReplyDeleteYeah, this must be a middleman/woman. Looks like they just had a forklift load the whole pallet so they didn't have to take it apart and deal with the packages individually. Maybe they had already lost more off the top!
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