Photo credit: Tennen-Gas

Dear Truck Drivers,

Yesterday during my evening commute, I watched another plastic bag fly out of the back of a truck and into the sky. Do you have any idea how are many things in the back of your truck fall off or soar away when you’re driving 70 miles per hour?

So far this year I’ve seen dozens of plastic bags, several empty plastic water bottles, leaves, bits of gravel, all just sailing out of the back of trucks as free as the wind. I’ve also dodged something that looked like a belt for tools, drove over a piece of wood and nailed a truck tire that blew out the right side tires on my car.

Is rope really expensive these days? Just to be fair, I did a quick search online and it looks like it isn’t that expensive and definitely way cheaper than the $750 I spent fixing the damage to my car and replacing two tires. (Not to mention the seven other cars that ended up with flat tires.) In fact, The Home Depot website has a lengthy buyers guide on what type of rope options are available and how to store rope to prevent it from breaking. Check it out and please buy some rope! (Also, please make sure you know how to tie a knot, the last thing we need is rope flying around on the freeway.)

You see, not only is all that stuff escaping your truck extremely dangerous for other drivers, it’s also dangerous for our ocean. Those run away plastic bags will land somewhere and whether they land on the freeway or on the street, it doesn’t really matter because in Los Angeles all roads lead to the ocean through an elaborate network of storm drains that runs beneath the city. When it rains, water washes all the yuck on the streets into the storm drains and funnels it straight to the sea.

Don’t ask me whose genius idea that was, but that’s the reality we’re dealing with, so it would be great if you could pitch in and do your part to keep our roads safe and ocean clean. Please don’t put items in the back of your truck that will easily fly away and please tie everything down! I really, really appreciate your help in this matter.

Thank you ever so much,
Carolyn

P.S. Today (4/11/12) I saw two purple sweatshirts on the 110 north. Somewhere in Los Angeles is a cold truck driver.