It happened again!

Third time in two years.
Even though my semi truck is 80 feet long and 12 foot tall, some people still cant see me. :aargh:

In a construction zone, two lanes moving in the same direction but at idle speeds. The right lane must merge into the left lane as orange barrels are set up in the right lane forcing the merge.

Some idiot run up to the very end where the barrels are blocking then tried to moving to his left into the side step of my truck. He never made it past me and got a bit crunched. My step got bent a little but it was easy enough to bent the aluminum step back.

Cops gave him the ticket after they called for an interpitor as he was from the sandy east some where. They blocked traffic and let me go. My boss thinks i have an idiot magnet on my truck somewhere. Im starting to wonder myself.

So i got home and had a relaxing shower and shave. Going to bed early because of the stress.
I know we have good folks here. Just remember the big truck doesnt move much when you hit it. :)
Bit of orange cream and a shorty.
Attachment 315397

That stinks Jerry.
It's like the idiots fall out of the sky...

Pete <:-}

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gasman

Third time in two years.
Even though my semi truck is 80 feet long and 12 foot tall, some people still cant see me. :aargh:

In a construction zone, two lanes moving in the same direction but at idle speeds. The right lane must merge into the left lane as orange barrels are set up in the right lane forcing the merge.

Some idiot run up to the very end where the barrels are blocking then tried to moving to his left into the side step of my truck. He never made it past me and got a bit crunched. My step got bent a little but it was easy enough to bent the aluminum step back.

Cops gave him the ticket after they called for an interpitor as he was from the sandy east some where. They blocked traffic and let me go. My boss thinks i have an idiot magnet on my truck somewhere. Im starting to wonder myself.

So i got home and had a relaxing shower and shave. Going to bed early because of the stress.
I know we have good folks here. Just remember the big truck doesnt move much when you hit it. :)

---

My 16 year old grandaughter is enrolled in Drivers ED and it's just about a block from The Boars Nest

I'd taken some of my home made bacon to her mom for the family to try and I asked for corrective criticisms.

Anyway my daughter was telling me about how my granddaughter was doing and some of the 'Helpful Hints' she'd given her (My daughter started 'driving' on my lap when she was 6 and was able to drive my Toyota Pickup by herself at the age of 8)

I was giving her some of the advice that I thought she might have forgotten such as how to use the center of the hood to judge where the right hand tire was, and how at night on a country road when you are approaching a corner how to know if there is an oncoming vehicle (their lights shine on the power cables up on the poles).

But I think the most important advice I retold her today is something that is in pain sight many times on a semi truck's trailer's bumper and that is:

If you can't see the driver in his left hand side mirror----He can't see YOU!

With all that said, you just can't cure stupidity--

Attachment 315399

Good thing they had air bags. ^

Bob

I guess when you put as much time and miles on the road as you truckers do, it just increases the odds of meeting an idiot or distracted driver. Just glad you and the other guy are ok.

I witnessed a guy in a corvette trying to merge onto hiway traffic. He sped up and ended up right underneath the trailer of a semi. Wedged himself in real good. He was fortunate that it was rush hour and traffic wasn’t going that fast. While the police officer was taking witness statements, I could see that he could not figure out how the guy could not have seen the truck.

Sometimes, stupid has to be reminded, that stupid is, as stupid does. Forest Gump

I stretched than length a bit. I drive a wee little truck of only 70 ft long. Some days it feels like 200ft.
The long view...

Attachment 315434

Wow, Jerry, it's like deja vu all over again with these idiots trying to squeeze around you. Be careful out there. (I like the Stirling soap-been too long since I had some; I might have to get on their website).

That 1203 placard should make them give you a little extra room.

To show how boring my life has been or can be I like reading the numbers and wondering what is in that truck........:D

I can help you out with that. I have to carry certain info with me at all times. One little book is called the Emergency Response Guidebook. BUT, I found it as a free download to my phone. So its a matter of open the app and enter the 4 digit code and it will tell you more than you want to know. "ERG 2016" is the app.

PM headed your way A-Aron.

I'm not sure why people make the decisions they make when traveling around big trucks. Even if it's just a flatbed. I guess I will never understand and keep driving and hope I never kill anyone or myself. :shrug:

I have a little handbook that I have given to my kids to read while driving. I would have to go out to my truck to be sure but I think it is the one you mention.

Some truck drivers can be idiots also!

The last one I can think of that was interesting as I went by was a 1854.

As I pass that truck is it full of lawn mowers or maybe underwear..........

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 32t

I have a little handbook that I have given to my kids to read while driving. I would have to go out to my truck to be sure but I think it is the one you mention.

Some truck drivers can be idiots also!

The last one I can think of that was interesting as I went by was a 1854.

As I pass that truck is it full of lawn mowers or maybe underwear..........

---

I hope this helps--

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...s_1801_to_1900

Fun but I am not going to look that stuff up on the net while driving.

Showing my age but but fun to keep the kids occupied turning the pages and thinking while on a long drive.

I figured that since you were able to mentally remember the numbers of what's on the truck's sign then you could look it up once you got home :shrug:

I did notice that they don't have a number for bicycles etc---:w

Maybe extremely dirty underwear? They are hazmat numbers. :rofl2:

Now I have to look up the number for Lilac Veg.

Just made me recall, but not so amusing in real life: https://youtu.be/8HunISPQzm4

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Just made me recall, but not so amusing in real life: https://youtu.be/8HunISPQzm4

---

Forgot about that one!

There are more drivers on the roads these days, many that don't obey the law. When I would be on my Harley & the light ahead turned yellow, I immediately slow down & when I stop at the red light, I'd look over to see 3-4 cars run the light. I see people blow through a 4 way stop sign just because no one else was at the intersection & others that slow down but don't make a complete stop. Then there are the ones that have a cell phone to their head so they feel like they don't need to use turn signals. I have gone to make a left turn at the same intersection twice (4 way stop) in my truck when in the middle of the intersection, the other people take off & I've had to hit my brakes to keep from hitting them. One the driver had no headlights on & the other, they just proceeded when I was turning. Each time I was alone but the other cars always had 2 or more people in them so I think they try to cause accidents so they can say I ran the stop sign, so that they could sue, not knowing I have a dash cam. I have them on video. It's crazy these days, a concrete jungle!

Is it just me, or have drivers been getting worse? More aggressive, more entitled, more impatient, rushing through lights as they turn red, and more distracted by their phones and the electronics in their cars. I only have a seven mile drive to work, but is often stressful as I have to be on a constant lookout for some idiot doing something stupid.

Are we driving the same 7 miles, Richard..

Just bought a dash can, myself. Being I was recently cited for an accident, that I was clearly innocent of. But for Ohio laws, they said I was the cause of it. Judge said if I'd have had proof, charges would have been dropped.

Cops understood what happened, but those are the laws as written. They even told me the guy who'd caused it in reality, was just ticketed for a traffic accident, not even a week earlier. Definite scammer.!! looking for quick cash.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by evnpar

Is it just me, or have drivers been getting worse? More aggressive, more entitled, more impatient, rushing through lights as they turn red, and more distracted by their phones and the electronics in their cars. I only have a seven mile drive to work, but is often stressful as I have to be on a constant lookout for some idiot doing something stupid.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outback

Are we driving the same 7 miles, Richard..

Just bought a dash can, myself. Being I was recently cited for an accident, that I was clearly innocent of. But for Ohio laws, they said I was the cause of it. Judge said if I'd have had proof, charges would have been dropped.

Cops understood what happened, but those are the laws as written. They even told me the guy who'd caused it in reality, was just ticketed for a traffic accident, not even a week earlier. Definite scammer.!! looking for quick cash.

---

I know exactly what you mean Mike. It has happened to me, skyrocketing my insurance. My renewal just came up last month and I finally changed insurance company's to Geico. The one I'd been with wanted $1300 more & I had $1k deductible but with my new insurance, I have a $250 deductible with better coverage. I don't go anywhere unless I need to. When I get my Harley going, I'll ride more but will also put a dash cam on it. I tell people to get a dash cam because these morons are out there. I think some are out to cause accidents intentionally for the money. I've been in 2 where the other party lied. One was on my Harley & the other in my truck a couple weeks after buying it. I was at a 4 way stop leaving my neighborhood & was to the right. I waited for the cars to go since they were already moving & the ones behind were coming to a stop when I was already stopped so I had the right of way. I made my turn & bam, I get hit because the idiot didn't make a complete stop & he also lied! It didn't hurt my truck hardly, scratched the bumper because it's built like a tank but the BMW the guy was driving had the front fender smashed in. I went round & round with my insurance company telling them if I had run the stop sign, his damage would more than likely been at the door or back. I have dash cam footage of me in the middle of an intersection when suddenly people take off from the 4 way stop sign. I always wait for the intersection to be clear before going but many start going before I'm out of the intersection. It's like people act like they're going to a fire!

@Richard, drivers are getting crazier. Some of the younger ones take after their law breaking parents by the way they drive. Bad influence! I have a 4 lane street behind the house & I hear people speeding a lot & it's only a 35 mph speed limit. I hope you have a dash cam.

The way i see it is when people are of age to drive they just hold off for a couple years. Then they dont have to take a driving course/lessons. They just have to pass the tests. I believe most folks dont know what the lines on the street are for. Sure, they seporate the lanes but they dont mean anything else.
Some of the stuff i see every day is down right scarry. My dash cam has saved me twice now. My wife wants me to get more of them and point them down the side of the truck. I had to explain it doesnt work that way.

When i was a kid i couldnt wait for the day i was old enough to drive. I had the drivers manual and was studying it before i was of age. Times have changed.

I still have a driving manual somewhere.

We have a “stunt driving” law in Ontario meant to discourage racing - more than 50 km/h over the posted speed limit and the police suspend your license on the scene and tow your car to impound. That doesn’t include what it does to your insurance rates and this all happens before you go to court. The court can levy an up to $10,000 fine and extend your license suspension.

Just to emphasize how crazy some drivers are: the day that law came into effect, we had a kid in his dad’s BMW doing 210 km/h on a major hiway with posted speed limit of 100. What was really scary, was that we had dummies clocked at 110 km/h in school zones posted for 15 km/h in Toronto.

No question we have some real idiots driving and even really tough laws may not discourage them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gasman

When i was a kid i couldnt wait for the day i was old enough to drive. I had the drivers manual and was studying it before i was of age. Times have changed.

---

I was bummed out that I had to wait TWO whole days after my 16th birthday to take my test. :)

Which raises the obvious question of... where the hell did those 32 1/2 years go?!?!

I feel for you guys... really. Fact is, I don't drive anymore... don't even own a car. Instead, I ride a bicycle... everywhere... for everything: errands and exercise, sport and transport. Been "car-free" for almost eight years. Drivers? Stoplights? Stop signs? Turn signals? Headlights? HAH! "Right turn on red, after stop"? Forget about the stop. It's the Wild West out there. And still, I ride. Stay safe! (and watch yer six)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JBHoren

I feel for you guys... really. Fact is, I don't drive anymore... don't even own a car. Instead, I ride a bicycle... everywhere... for everything: errands and exercise, sport and transport. Been "car-free" for almost eight years. Drivers? Stoplights? Stop signs? Turn signals? Headlights? HAH! "Right turn on red, after stop"? Forget about the stop. It's the Wild West out there. And still, I ride. Stay safe! (and watch yer six)

---

I don't blame you!

I think it's the sense of entitlement. I live where UF is and these kids will walk into the middle of the street, not at the crosswalk, into the moving traffic without even looking as if it is their divine right...and that's on their feet. They're even worse in a car. How can a kid that is smart enough to get into a major university be so damn stupid? Personally I think a lot of it is that the newer drivers are from the video game generation. Everything has to be exciting to keep their attention. They must think that even though it looks real it is all imaginaryny at least subconsciously.

Years ago, I was getting off the highway turning left. An idiot in a Porsche convertible passed me on the right, driving like he was out of smokes, then stops on a dime at the next red light. I had to get on my brakes and downshift like crazy so my big rig wouldn't squash his mid life crisis vehicle like a bug. As he's holding his phone to his head, he sees how close I am to his rear bumper, turns in his seat and flips me off.

Well, I set the parking brakes, jumped down to the ground, grabbed my "tire thumper", and proceeded towards his car to.....explain things to him.

He must've remembered an appointment he was late for. He burned rubber through the red light and was gone before I could introduce myself.

It really pi$$e$$ me off when people do stupid, dangerous stuff on the road and here's why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKikoLPZWLs

This happened just about 5 miles north of my house. Driving is so dangerous to begin with without adding to the danger. Turns out this was a medical tragedy for the driver but they were originally saying it may have been road rage. People just act like they don't understand what they should know instinctively.

I don't drive anything big like you guys do. Just a 3/4 ton service van but it is loaded until the leaf springs are going the wrong way. These stupid little jokers playing some dettatched little game on the road cut me off and pull out in front of me and that van of mine could demolish their little beer can on a roller skate with a RC engine and it means nothing to them to put me in that position let alone the risk they put their own life in. Problem is it's not just kids. Grown people with kids in the car do it to me all the time. I'm sure you guys see it too. It sounds like this poor guy in the video was dead before he blacked and crossed the median but I can only imagine what that would be like to have to live with that if he wasn't. And they are so cavalier about throwing 3000-10,000 lbs of steel around at 60...80... sometimes 100 mph as if it were a game. It makes me sick.

Wow, that was tragic!

Yep. And it happens without your permission and with no take backs or "wait a minutes," or "on second thoughts." You can't unring the bell and people just act like they are invincible and have no regard for other people's lives either.
I think it should be a lot harder to GET a license and a lot easier to LOSE it.
I am a fine one to talk because as a young man I had a heavy right foot but fortunately I have learned my lesson before it turned into something tragic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Yep. And it happens without your permission and with no take backs or "wait a minutes," or "on second thoughts." You can't unring the bell and people just act like they are invincible and have no regard for other people's lives either.
I think it should be a lot harder to GET a license and a lot easier to LOSE it.
I am a fine one to talk because as a young man I had a heavy right foot but fortunately I have learned my lesson before it turned into something tragic.

---

Back in the day, I had my 1966 Impala over 110mph on I275 in Cincinnati. Last time I did it, I narrowly outran an Ohio State cop. Only pulled it off because I knew the back roads like the back of my hand.

As you said, thankfully I grew out of that behavior.