EC Blog: That Space? Not An Invitation to Merge with Reckless Abandon

We thought it was just us.  The frustration we sometimes feel while on the road, trying to keep our horses safe. We don’t think most people mean anything by their lack of knowledge while driving around our horse trailers– but nonetheless, we were compelled to share the words of our EC writer extraordinaire, Taylor Fabus, who nailed it with her recent post.

Sit back, enjoy the blog below, and see the true meaning of the quote by C.S. Lewis, “Friendship … is born at the moment when one man says to another “What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”

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ATTENTION: Anyone who has ever driven–or plans to drive–a vehicle!

See that cute little space I left in front of my truck & trailer (which happens to be hauling five of my most precious assets)? Yeah, that’s not for you.

That’s not because I’m feeling generous.

That’s not because I enjoy collecting random cars in my lane.

And it’s definitely not an invitation to merge with reckless abandon.

That space?

She’s mine.

Before you scroll away, hear me out.

Imagine I’m hauling five horses, several thousand pounds of trailer, enough tack to open a small tack store, and approximately 1,275 pieces of miscellaneous equipment packed into the dressing room like a game of Tetris gone horribly right.

Not a horse person? No worries.

Picture a fully loaded semi-truck instead. Same concept.

That empty space in front of us exists for one reason: stopping distance.

A loaded truck and trailer can weigh two, three, or even four times what your average passenger vehicle weighs. That means it takes significantly longer to slow down and stop safely.

Translation:

That gap is there so I don’t accidentally convert your Toyota into a hood ornament when traffic suddenly decides to play “Red Light, Green Light.”

It’s there so my horses don’t get launched into the front of the trailer.

It’s there so saddles, buckets, hay bags, and every other item we’ve packed for the weekend don’t become airborne projectiles.

And it’s there so everyone gets home safely.

So when you see a truck hauling a trailer and notice a little extra room in front of it…

It’s a safety buffer.

And every time someone squeezes into it, we have to back off and create that space all over again.

So please, from every horse hauler, livestock hauler, camper hauler, boat hauler, and truck driver out there:

If you see the gap, no, you didn’t.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.