My Friday commute...road debris - flying buckets!

[lauralynne]

Holy Shite. 5 gallon buckets (empty Thank God) bounces neither gracefully nor predictably! Emergency braking in commuter traffic at 65mph will wake a person up - the choice was hit the bucket or risk getting packed from behind. Bucket went flying off the front of the bike and didn't hit me...I'm not sure about the cars behind me, I had my hands full. When I caught up to the truck that was the OWNER of said bucket, he either didn't understand what I was screaming and gesturing about - and didn't even slow down...or he just didn't care. Company and truck number noted.
Phone call into company and when I asked for a supervisor he immediately said "I'm the supervisor, are you calling about truck #19?" apparently several people called it in. I'm sure they were all waiting to see a grisly scene - I would have NOT been comfortable watching it go down around me.
I identified myself as the rider and he was apologetic, told me his name, the name of the crew supervisor and how it was going to be addressed. He then asked if I wanted a follow up phone call once it was addressed. The driver later game me a call, young fellow, also apologetic, among other things told me he was in "really really big trouble" but also that the bucket was in a milk crate and he couldn't imagine how it got out. Milk crate is NOT secure. Obviously.
Washington State patrol appreciated the call, was going to retrieve bucket and issue "unsecured load" ticket. Officer who I talked to was a sport bike rider and congratulated me on not panicking and said that most incidences like this end badly due to over reaction on the part of the biker.
I only know that my brain ran through all 1,000 options in 1.5 seconds or less. And my body made up my mind and not the other way around. I got lucky.
All's well that ends well.

I'm considering going to the company and introducing myself to the driver, put a face with a name and politely let him know that he really came close to killing me and leaving my children without a mother. But I probably won't bother.