Hello everyone, this is a story about when I was probably 10 or 12 years old. I went down to Melbourne with Dad in the Mercedes semi trailer truck.
As usual, I had to listen to ABC news radio all the way there and all the way back as Dad was totally addicted to news.
We went to a steel fabricators and had them load to big steel sign posts on the back of the truck, they were quite large. They were the full length of the trailer in a square shape and smaller at the top than the bottom.
On the bottom they had a square base plate welded to them that was around about a metre square , the bases were probably at least 12 mill thick.
I was on the back of the truck when both poles were loaded. I had a pair of gum boots on my feet and it wasn’t unusual for me to be on the back of the truck when things were loaded. The first one was loaded by crane into position. All good.
The second one I was at the back of the truck which was the end that the big bass plate was going. I didn’t have anywhere to move and the crane lowered the base plate edge right across my toes and put it completely down.
I yelled out to Dad that the post was on my foot. The crane re lifted it up and I took my foot out. It was pretty sore.
So then dad chain and Dogged the load down to prepare for the trip home. As usual ABC NewsRadio all the way home I’ve heard that much of over the years that I was beginning to like the music they played just before the news was read.
When we got home, we went to Mick Moresco’s garage and unloaded one and the JP Holden garage and unloaded the second one and we headed home.
When we got home, Mum had to cut my gum boot off as my foot was quite swollen It was blue Black and sore so I got a little bit of sympathy out of Mum and some ice in a tea towel .
By the next week the sign poles were up and erected and both had signs on them.
I walked past them on my way to school every day and sometimes I looked at that particular post and think to myself I wonder how heavy you really are Because I had more than half of your weight on my toes. Unusually no bones were broken, I think it’s difficult to break my bones. I’ve really tried I guess quite a few times and I have only managed to break my arm and a few fingers playing football.
The signpost is still at Morescos garage today.
Cheers xxx
Curlyg