Ain't Nobody Gonna Fall

The two junk aircraft were parked side by side
A Boeing 747 and a Lockheed L1011
Both looking faded and pillaged for parts
Their wings were overlapping slightly
So as to maximize the available ramp space

Today workers were emptying out the L1011
And moving all the loose parts that had been stored on it's main deck
Over into the B747
As the elderly Lockheed was going to be cut up finally
And this was one of the last preparations to make it ready for the scrapper

A large flatbed lift truck was parked at the aft entry door of each plane
With their platforms raised up to the door sill height
And a three foot wide piece of scaffolding bridging the gap between the two
Multiple wraps of safety wire securing the ends of the temporary bridge in place
With no handrails on anything

Singly or in pairs
The workers were carrying items out of the L4 door of the L1011
Out onto the truck platform
Across the scaffolding
Onto the other truck platform
And into the R5 door of the B747
To be stowed somewhere up inside on shelving that had been erected on the main deck

I looked up and watched them for a few minutes
Drinking my coffee
Smoking a cigarette
Eyeing the container strewn concrete ramp twenty five feet below all the activity

I looked over at the supervisor of the operation
"You know, someone might fall off of that contraption"

He looked at me like I was daft
And sneered, "Ain't nobody gonna fall"

I finished my cigarette
Flicked the butt onto the concrete of the ramp
And wandered off
Looking for safer sights to take in

About an hour later an ambulance came in through the main gate
And made it's red and white flashing way over to where the dangerous goods transfer was happening
And parked itself right in between the two junk airplanes

Apparently
Somebody fell

Too bad nobody saw that coming