[Zeke]

The Times published what they say is the results of a year long investigation of U Haul and their practices. W/o going into detail, suffice to say their have been many nasty accidents involving people who towed a UH trailer. The sensationalism focuses on such cases as two young girls (the one most severely injured was 19) on their way to college when the trailer started to whip and pushed their light duty SUV off the road causing it to flip. Going downhill, loaded incorrectly, and with the intended passenger taking a stint at the wheel. It was discovered that the trailer's brakes were not operating properly, but surge brakes don't help much (if at all) in an overspeed swaying of the trailer.

OK, I feel sorry for these girls and any others who have been hurt in an accident involving a towed trailer, U Haul or otherwise. But, what are we supposed to do about this?

Today it seems every young person got most of their knowledge at the end of a joystick. How far does society have to go to protect people from their ignorance? Oh, U Haul is not blameless in this situation, or in scores of others. Stuff happens when you have the largest rental company in the US, taking in 1.5 billion from independents alone in one year not to mention the receipts from their company owned facilities). The percentage of accidents per mile for U Haul equipment remains acceptably low, IMHO.

But, have we become so unaware of common sense that we just hop in a car with a trailer behind loaded wrongly and then speed downhill? Seams to me that even though U Haul has been under investigation many times for various negligent occurrences, that some should just direct their mouse over to a moving company's site.

I guess now U Haul will be forced to conduct business differently. Already they have denied me a car trailer to be towed by my 1/2 T pick up. They won't rent a trailer of any kind to Explorer owners. I guess we'll all have to have a class 2 license and a 1 ton truck to get a trailer.

All because some novices don't get it.

OK, here's the last of my rant: yesterday I was criticized for the outcome of some doors I was refinishing in a clear finish. That was until I pointed out to this young and stupid homeowner that what she was looking at was the steel wooled (and spot sanded) door ready to be finished, not the completed job. I mean the sanding marks were so evident that I can't fathom she didn't know what she was looking at.

If she rents a trailer, stay off the streets.