We have all had the unpleasant experience of striking something in the road. Sometimes it is something minor, like a discarded water bottle or juice box. Other times, it’s something major. What if it were alligator meat that had fallen off the back of a truck? Anyone hitting it would have an interesting experience.
Recently, a load of alligator meat broke loose and fell into the road in Lafayette, LA. It is not clear whether any other cars struck the meat or if there were injuries as a result of the accident. But just think about it. That moment you realize your car is hitting alligator meat is a moment that could change your life forever.
Not Something You See Every Day
Let’s face it, alligator meat is not something you see lying in the road every day. It is not even among the most common things that fall off vehicles in transit. I’ve been driving for more than 40 years, and I have never come across alligator meat in the road, at least to my knowledge.
I’ll be honest and say that this particular story is also the first one I’ve heard involving gator meat. I have read stories about beehives falling off trucks and creating a sticky mess. I have personally seen a load of lettuce break free and fall. I have even forgotten to secure work tools in the back of my truck only to have them go airborne on the way home from work. But I have never seen, heard of, or witnessed an alligator meat incident.
Let’s hope that all of those involved in the Louisiana accident escaped without injury or serious property damage. In fact, here’s hoping the entire thing was little more than an inconvenience.
I Wonder How It Broke Loose
I also have to admit that I am insatiably curious. I really want to know how the gator meat broke loose to begin with. Was it secured with ropes that were not tied tightly enough? Did the driver believe he could throw a tarp over the top and add some bungee cords to keep it in place? I don’t know. The news reports don’t say.
I do know that I prefer to use Rollercam cam straps whenever I have to secure cargo to my vehicle. Before I knew cam straps existed, I was a big fan of ropes and bungee cords. But cam straps are far better.
How They Work
A cam strap is a strap made of nylon or polyester webbing material. It features a cam buckle through which you thread the open end of the strap before pulling it tight. Meanwhile, a spring-loaded plate digs its teeth into the webbing material to keep everything nice and secure.
A well-designed cam strap doesn’t require a ton of force to pull tight. That is because the strap glides over the cam. In Rollercam’s case the cam rotates, meaning you need even less force to tighten it down.
A New Meaning to Roadkill
Getting back to the Louisiana incident, it gives a new meaning to the phrase ‘roadkill’. That moment your car strikes a load of alligator meat is the moment you realize you just had an accident unlike anything your friends or family members have ever experienced. You didn’t kill the gator, but you’re still looking at a unique kind of roadkill.
The lesson here is twofold: drivers carrying cargo should secure it before they depart. Meanwhile, it is up to the rest of us to keep our eyes open for objects in the road. We don’t want to hit anything, including gator meat.
