Since we do not own a trailer, we often borrow one from my wonderful in-laws. It is a modest trailer and it has a stand that you can use when it is not hooked up to a vehicle with a nut system that tightens to hold the stand up while driving.
Everytime we borrow the trailer, we had it impressed into us to "Put the stand up!". To which I'd half roll my eyes and say "Of Course!"
One day Chris and I were taking some rubbish to the tip, we'd hitched up, checked that the trailer lights were working and Chris drove off. After going a few metres she said, "It's a bit of a heavy load today" and continued, semi-alarmedly, "Did you put the stand up?
"DOH!!!!!"
I hadn't put the stand up, it had dug a 2 metre, 10 cm wide, 10 cm deep trench in my front lawn and then snapped off. It lay innocently on the ground behind the trailer.
Although worried about the wrath of, and being payed out by the in-laws, we still had some rubbish to take to the tip. After that we went to a few stores to find some sort of way to repair the trailer but without luck we returned home.
Upon a whim, I wondered if my neighbour Dave, the professional handyman, had a welder and the rest was sweet, blue sparks and a bright light that you aren't supposed to look at.
Dave did a great job, and I did fess up to the in-laws about the trailer. We are still allowed to borrow it, but it will always come with a reminder about the stand.
