Colorful, eye-catching balloons are a joy to receive — but a pain to drive with! A cabin full of inflated balloons can obscure your view of your surroundings and mirrors, which could cause an accident. How are you supposed to safely drive while transporting balloons? Here are some tips.
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Place them in a plastic bag
Instead of letting the balloons drift hither and thither, slide all of them into a large garbage bag that’s turned upside down. Cinch the bottom of the bag. Now you essentially have one big balloon instead of a dozen small ones! This will also make it easier for you to carry them to and from your car.
Put them in the back seat
Of all the places to stash the balloons, the back seat is the best option. Shoving them into the trunk could result in them becoming overheated and exploding or rubbing against the inner trunk lid and being punctured. Keeping them in the front seat can obscure your view of your side mirrors and surroundings. The back seat is the place where they are least likely to get in your way or result in a loud “POP!”
Tie them down
Keep the balloons from drifting around by securing them to a stationary object. Tie the strings to a heavy weight on the floor to keep them below your line of sight in the rear-view mirror. If there’s an unused seat belt in an unoccupied seat in the back row, you can lock the strap and tie the horde of balloons to it.
Run the air conditioning on a low setting
It’s possible that the balloons can overheat by being in the direct sunlight as it pours through a window, so run the air conditioning to keep them from overheating and losing air. Absolutely do not open the windows to bring air in — trust me, you don’t want to risk it.
Don’t let go!
When you arrive at the party, be just as careful removing the balloons from your car as you were when you loaded them. You don’t want your hard-fought journey to be for nothing, and you definitely don’t want to have to go back to the store for more balloons. Tie the strings to your purse or wrist so you don’t lose your grip on them if a gust of wind catches them.
Being cautious when transporting balloons is important for driving safely and arriving at the party with everything intact — the balloons and your car!
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Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.