Could have been noisy

The "driver's lounge" at the old factory today belonged in a movie. From the thirties. And I might should have been carrying a torch.

Gloom. Emptiness. I would say it felt like a scene from a ghost town, but I've been in abandoned houses. Neglect is more disturbing.

But it had a restroom. With a working, effective ventilator. I can forgive a lot, for that.

My load was wastepaper, packed all the way to the back of the trailer. Not very dense--I think it was rigid packing material. When I checked in, they gave me a three-foot chain. Heavy chain, with a big hook on each end. Numbered, so they'd know whom to accuse if I ran off with it.

I asked what it was for. They told me. I raised an eyebrow, but it did make sense. So I took the chain, got back in the truck, and threaded my way through the complex to find my dock. Once there, I lined up with the door, locked the brakes, and went around the back to open the trailer.

But before I actually undid the "bolts," I hooked that chain up. One end hooked to the padlock hasp on each door. So if the load had shifted and was leaning on the doors, they couldn't fly open and let the pallets fall out.

Fibber McGee's closet has been around for so long that people my age don't know who Fibber McGee is. They've even done a variation on it in Star Trek. It's funny. As long as the closet is full of aluminum cookware or tribbles. When it's 1,000 lb bales, the joke loses something.

My load was fine, so I took the chain off and backed on in. But things could have been different. And this company had thought about it.

I think I'll forgive them for the lousy driver's lounge.