Washing problem

Have you ever had your laundry crash into your garden? Our laundry is hung out on our 1st floor balcony, mostly on poles (or 2nd floor, depending on what country you're in). 

The poles aren't tied down and very occasionally they fall down. 

I was on Skype the other day talking writing and publishing with a colleague in Taiwan when I heard a crash. 

I turned around to see this in my garden. Sheets and pillow slips still attached to the pole, but the pole not where it should be! There had been gusts of wind and I guess the sheets were like sails. 

I'm just thankful it fell into our garden. A metre or two either side and it would have gone into one of our neighbours "yards" or windows.

Here is a post that shows some more of how we hang out washing (lots of photos on non-crashed laundry).