Something i'm going to start doing....

[Kevin0915]

The other day, i was headed WB on I-71 out of Cincy toward Indy. Stopped for fuel, and pulled back onto the interstate. I get up a head of steam, and start looking to merge. I notice this TMC driver who isn't getting over to let me into the slow lane. (yes, i know it isnt his job and/or have to get over...i'm the one who has to merge, but most drivers still have that courtsey left in them) Now, my biggest pet peve, is when i get over for another driver, then they step on it to either pace me, or slowly pass me, making me look like the idiot for being in the fast lane going 62. A few will let you over, but not many. So anyway....i slow down for this TMC driver. I looked down, and was doing 58. I had second thoughts about doing that, cause of the couple trucks and 4-wheelers behind me still. I gave him a few seconds, cause most drivers who were wanting over and/or paying attention to their mirrors would have seen that, and got right back over. This guy didnt. So.....i stepped on it. Back up to 62-63. I had a half mile an hour or so 'roll' on him. Once i got up to his truck, i could then see why he wasn't paying attention.....THE GUY WAS ON HIS CELL PHONE !!! I get on the radio and said, "you know, TMC, if you were paying attention to your mirrors rather than chatting with your boyfriend on your cell, you'd have seen i slowed down for ya back there..."

After about 5-7 minutes of running side by side, another driver behind us got on and was getting annoyed at TMC and said, "...hey flatbed...lets get going, yeah?" The TMC driver then gets on and says, "yeah i would, but this swift here is screwing me up." So i jumped right back on and let into him. "Dude, you're the one on your F-kin cell phone. I slowed down for you back there, but you were too busy yackin' on your cell to pay attention to your rear-view mirrors to see i was lettin' ya over!! Don't go blamin' me cause you'd rather talk on your cell phone than pay attention." He then says, "yeah right, okay swift".....like i was making up the fact he was talking on his cell.

So what i'm going to do in the future, and i doubt if it will even make a difference, is everytime i can see another driver talking on his cell, texting or whatever...i'll snap a picture of them, then forward it to their company and let them handle it.

I had a driver just yesterday....i-294 NB headed to Islip, IL. We were both in the slow lane....i was doing 58, then the driver in front of me, who was doing 58-60, starts to drop his speed, and ends up doing 50 !!! I pass him, and guess what....hes texting on his cell or looking for directions. It happened so fast, i didnt get a picture. =)

[RostyC]

What device are you using to take a picture of them?

[Jay B]

What device are you using to take a picture of them?

Ha, now that's funny.

[Kevin0915]

What device are you using to take a picture of them?

its called a camera. takes 3 seconds from the time i turn it on and snap a picture. This guy was talking on it for 10 minutes, not to mention his inablility of not paying attention. Oh, forgot to mention, when rolling up his right side, i could see in his RH rearview, hes one of those drivers who talks with his hands. So the hand not holding the phone was pointing in the air, or making some other gesture, his elbow was driving?

so you're saying taking 5 seconds to snap a picture is as bad as 5 minutes of driving with one elbow? Trust me, i was more in control and aware of my surroundings than this guy was. But clearly you missed the point of the whole post.

[RostyC]

its called a camera. takes 3 seconds from the time i turn it on and snap a picture. This guy was talking on it for 10 minutes, not to mention his inablility of not paying attention. Oh, forgot to mention, when rolling up his right side, i could see in his RH rearview, hes one of those drivers who talks with his hands. So the hand not holding the phone was pointing in the air, or making some other gesture, his elbow was driving?

so you're saying taking 5 seconds to snap a picture is as bad as 5 minutes of driving with one elbow? Trust me, i was more in control and aware of my surroundings than this guy was. But clearly you missed the point of the whole post.

I understand the point completely, and I totally agree about cell phones and being distracted. I hate to see it myself, but you're doing same thing you're complaining about. A lot can happen in five seconds, you should know that.

I just wanted to point out the irony.

[golfhobo]

It's not just the irony, and I don't doubt that Kevin was more in control and/or MOSTLY in control while snapping the picture.

The issue, as I see it, and what I thought Rosty was going for, was that the new laws (or regs or whatever they were) addressing the issue for TRUCKERS, includes any and ALL hand held "devices."

Better hope you don't identify yourself in any way when sending the photos to his company, cuz you're giving them evidence that you also were breaking the law.

[geeshock]

I understand what you meen but like others said, you just did the same thing by pointing and clicking, you took your eyes off the road. My accedent I just got off my record took all of 2 or 3 sec of lost attn to hapen, trust me. talk about the text and cell phones, don't take snapshots of em

[Kevin0915]

I understand what you meen but like others said, you just did the same thing by pointing and clicking, you took your eyes off the road. My accedent I just got off my record took all of 2 or 3 sec of lost attn to hapen, trust me. talk about the text and cell phones, don't take snapshots of em

thank you all for being so concerned by pointing out the irony. Trust me...i saw it before i even sent it. However...had there been heavy traffic or stop and go traffic with controled intersections, it would have been a different story. But seeing how i used my judgement, and all the traffic (and i mean ALL) was behind me....i was totally in control...and 95% safe. =)

[Chunker]

I sympathize with Kevin, there are way too many dumbass drivers out there that are "super truckers" and can do 5 things at once. Just count how many drivers you see coming into a busy truck stop, manuvering, shifting, looking in one mirror, trying to back into a tight spot all the while on their hands on cell phone. Why can't they spend a few bucks on a decent bluetooth headset and eliminate half the probability of an accident? Because that's not the "super trucker" way.

[golfhobo]

Kevin0915 said:

But seeing how i used my judgement, and all the traffic (and i mean ALL) was behind me....i was totally in control...and 95% safe. =)

So.... you are willing to accept a 5% chance that you could have a single truck crash and die (or lose your career) JUST to rat out another driver? Yeah.... I call that using your "judgement."

Seriously, Kevin.... I don't blame you and I feel the same way about it. These drivers drive me NUTS! I probably take the same chance by leaning out my passenger side window (while finally passing them) and screaming at them to keep their eyes on the ROAD!

(All the while staying in my own lane, of course!)

[cdswans]

. . i was totally in control...and 95% safe. =)

My guess is their safety department would contact your safety department and you'd be fired.

Now, if you want to be a highway vigilante and stay employed, deputy, get yourself a couple of these:

GoPro HD Motorsports Hero, New in box, No reserve! - eBay (item 270590246737 end time Jun-13-10 21:32:39 PDT)

They have handlebar mounts you can use to hang them from your mirrors, they're almost weatherproof and you can set them to shoot automatically. The only drawback is that you'll have to stop every couple of hours to swap out an SD card but hey, I'll feel safer just knowing you're off the road for a few minutes.

[chain binder]

So you had your eyes off the road for several seconds while you took the 2 pictures.Even though TMC was talking on the phone,they were watching the road.In my opinion you were both in the wrong for using your cell phones going down the road.That is why so many companies have disabled the qualcomm so you can't use it while the truck is in motion.Try to solve the problem,don't be the problem.

[Kevin0915]

Kevin0915 said:



So.... you are willing to accept a 5% chance that you could have a single truck crash and die (or lose your career) JUST to rat out another driver? Yeah.... I call that using your "judgement."

dude...it was a flippin joke....

[Kevin0915]

So you had your eyes off the road for several seconds while you took the 2 pictures.Even though TMC was talking on the phone,they were watching the road.In my opinion you were both in the wrong for using your cell phones going down the road.That is why so many companies have disabled the qualcomm so you can't use it while the truck is in motion.Try to solve the problem,don't be the problem.

actually, genius, it was a digital camera. takes a second to power on and off. I can grab it without taking my eyes off the road, turn it on, then take a second to look to see if it was pointed the right way. Christ, it isnt like i took both hands off the wheel, and looked thru the viewfinder to get just the perfect shot. I pointed, and judged when he was right side by side and snapped the picture. Then take the second to turn it off and put it back where i got it. And i can do that all by feel without taking my eyes off the road but for a second...2 tops. How many seconds do each of you spend looking for your XM remote, or a roll of paper towels to blow your nose? What about your coffee or bottled water, when you cant find the cup holder....what do u do? you look away for a second or two. Guess what....its no more of a distraction to snap a couple pictures.

Yeah, TMC might have had his eyes on the road, but whats in front of you is only half the picture now isnt it. you got 3 other sides to your rig, and he obviously wasnt paying attention to 75% of the area around his truck.

Now when i forwarded the info to TMC, i did so from my email totally undrealted to trucking, swift, anything. I didnt mention who i drove for....just that i was a fellow driver with a serious issue with the lack of awareness. i gave my first name...thats it. oh..and i cropped out the lower half of the picture, cause any genius could see the reflection of my truck and tell who i drove for. =) bet you all missed that, huh

[cdswans]

Now, on the other hand, pictures can be a valuable training tool . .

Traffic stalled after semi pulls down traffic light - The Times-Herald

[RostyC]

Now when i forwarded the info to TMC, i did so from my email totally undrealted to trucking, swift, anything. I didnt mention who i drove for....just that i was a fellow driver with a serious issue with the lack of awareness. i gave my first name...thats it. oh..and i cropped out the lower half of the picture, cause any genius could see the reflection of my truck and tell who i drove for. =) bet you all missed that, huh

So now you're a tattletale with no balls. If you're going to point the finger at some one at least stand up and be a man about it. Goes to show that deep down you know your company wouldn't tolerate you taking pictures of something or someone while driving down the road. You know your excuses wouldn't hold water.

Think about it, we now have a situation where we have TWO 80,000 lb vehicles traveling side by side and neither driver is giving full attention.

Go join the police force if that's what you wanna do.

I think you need to get out of the truck for a while it's making you do stupid things.

[Kevin0915]

So now you're a tattletale with no balls. If you're going to point the finger at some one at least stand up and be a man about it. Goes to show that deep down you know your company wouldn't tolerate you taking pictures of something or someone while driving down the road. You know your excuses wouldn't hold water.

Think about it, we now have a situation where we have TWO 80,000 lb vehicles traveling side by side and neither driver is giving full attention.

Go join the police force if that's what you wanna do.

I think you need to get out of the truck for a while it's making you do stupid things.

i bet your one of those truckers who talks smack in a truck stop, without telling anybody where you're parked at? I bet, when you complain to another driver, you just say "driver" and not the company they work for, so they wont know exactly who you're talking to. Talk to me like that, and you'd soon change your opinion on 'balls or no balls'. Besides, why the fixation with balls anyway? hmmm?

thinking i might join the police force. DOT probably, and run around doing nothing but pulling over truckers. =) you'd be my first big ticket....cause i know it wouldnt take me long to find 20 things wrong with your chitbox.

[Windwalker]

Kevin...

The last thing I read was a law that was going to restrict a driver's use of "hand-held electronic devices". Now, you think about that. That also includes your mic for the CB radio. You can take pictures... Legally.... If you have the camera mounted, and not in your hands. If you're holding it in your hand, you stand to get cited along with the driver you took the picture of. All DOT has to do us ask how you got the picture. "Picked up the camera, pointed it and pushed the button." BINGO...

Just like the woman that insisted to a state trooper in MN that he had to slow down all the trucks. "I had to go 80 in order to get ahead of them." I was in the restaurant, about two tables away. After the 4th time, or so, that she stated she had been doing 80, he asked her for her own driver's license. Then wrote her a ticket. "By your own admission, in front of witnesses, you have stated, no less than 4 times, that you have been going 10 miles over the speed limit."

You might just want to think about that.

[Fredog]

Kevin...

The last thing I read was a law that was going to restrict a driver's use of "hand-held electronic devices". Now, you think about that. That also includes your mic for the CB radio. You can take pictures... Legally.... If you have the camera mounted, and not in your hands. If you're holding it in your hand, you stand to get cited along with the driver you took the picture of. All DOT has to do us ask how you got the picture. "Picked up the camera, pointed it and pushed the button." BINGO...

Just like the woman that insisted to a state trooper in MN that he had to slow down all the trucks. "I had to go 80 in order to get ahead of them." I was in the restaurant, about two tables away. After the 4th time, or so, that she stated she had been doing 80, he asked her for her own driver's license. Then wrote her a ticket. "By your own admission, in front of witnesses, you have stated, no less than 4 times, that you have been going 10 miles over the speed limit."

You might just want to think about that.

cb radios and gps devices are exempt from the new law as written right now

[cdswans]

Guess what....its no more of a distraction to snap a couple pictures.

For his part, the TMC driver is probably posting somewhere and insisting that he's one of those drivers that can drive safely and use his cellphone. The truth is, you're both delusional.