Murphy's World

‘Eye for the Unusual’ Prevents a Disaster

Dear Murphy,

My husband pulled into a truck stop on I-84 in Pennsylvania and was playing his usual video game of solitaire before turning in when something caught his attention. With his keen eye for catching the unusual, he noticed smoke at first, then flames coming from under the front of the truck parked next to us.

He jumped out to see what was going on and to get the driver’s attention. When he opened the cab door, smoke rolled out. The driver had been sound asleep and didn’t know what was going on. If not for my husband, the other driver could have lost his life. Within minutes, the cab was engulfed in flames. It burned down to the ground, leaving just the frame and axles.
Thank God we still have truckers out there that have hearts to help someone in need. This could have been a major disaster with a truck hauling flammables parked next to it and two
other tankers close by. The local fire department did their duty, and no one was hurt.

I’m proud to be married to Bill. He is truly an angel on the highway.

Gloria Clark
Merrill, IA

Dear Gloria,

As you said, it’s nice to know we still have truckers out there who are willing to help someone in need. Because of the rampant “what’s-in-it-for-me” attitude that seems to infect not just the trucking industry but all of society these days, you sometimes get the impression that the “knights of the highway” are a dying breed. I could be wrong, but I suspect there are more “good knights” like your husband out there than we realize.

You indicated your husband has a “keen eye for catching the unusual.” I’d say that smoke and flames pouring out of a parked truck certainly qualifies as “unusual.”
We salute your husband’s gallantry. His quick action and willingness to help no doubt saved a man’s life. Given the large quantities of highly flammable material parked nearby, he might have saved several lives. You have every right to be proud.

Regards,
Murphy and Lucky Dog