wow...i do not know how much more clear i could be. I knew damn well the layout of the road......seeing how I AM FROM DES MOINES. This is hardly a case of 'not paying attention'. But let me try to make this more clear for you. i was in the slow lane of a 3-lane interstate. (you might do yourself a favor and pull up mapquest, and check out I-235 between exits 12 and 3.) even though the lane does not 'merge' you still have that sign saying another lane is joining. the 3-lane i was on, was going to be a 4-lane. the new lane DID NOT MERGE. nor did it simply become an 'exit only' lane a mile down the road.

This lady changed lanes LIKE IT WAS going to merge. I did not move over (like i normally would in traffic) because i KNEW her lane was not going to end, and thus should not have ever been a problem.

Let me ask you, i've been in the granny lane on interstates where the lane does merge. Traffic is so heavy that i am unable to move over. 1/4 - 1/2 mile later i reach the on-ramp and see there is a string of 3-4 cars wanting to get on. Knowing i cannot get over, i slow from 62 to 58(ish) and clearly make room for said 4-wheelers in front of me. Is it still my fault, when a 4-wheeler, who has PLENTY of room....say 50-60 feet (imagine a bowling lane) of room in front of me, and they think they dont, and end up slowing down more...and more and MORE...untill finally they run out of road, and end up running along the emergency lane?? Tell me....exactly how much slower should i go on an interstate to allow a stupid 4-wheeler who is too scared to mash the accelerator and merge properly. Last time i looked in a drivers manual for a basic D.L., the vehicle on the ramp is the one ot yield, not the moving traffic on the interstate.

Seeing how i have not had an accident, i feel pretty safe in my practices.

 

Maybe it is more like dumb luck.

Why on earth would you even want to risk it? Trying to be the driving police with a semi? :hellno: It's not your job. :thumbsdown:

 

See that right there is problem number one for you. Always expect the other person to do the stupidest most insane and downright dangerous thing you have ever seen. We are held to a higher standard for a reason, we are supposed to look out for others and ourselves at the same time. You can't fix stupid, and people don't gain IQ points just because they are behind the wheel of a car.

 

I pet every stray dog I see. Seeing as I have never been bit I feel pretty safe in my practices too.

 

Don't slow down at all.. if he has enough room to merge over then he'll come over.. now if u have enough time and room to THEN you could probably tap your brakes and maybe throw on the jake to give him a little bit more room than albeit it.. if he's scared to come over that's his fault and not yours.... that's why they have yield signs on off ramps...

hell correct me if i'm wrong but i think in some states is illegal to put on brakes while traveling down an interstate to let a merging vehicle come over?? i know i heard something similar to that in VA..

 

Listen to the song... "PHANTOM 109" There have been PREFESSIONAL DRIVERS that have sacraficed their own lives before they would allow others to die. If the thought of killing someone with your truck does not make your blood run cold, you have absolutely no business behind the wheel of one. It's bad enough when they don't give you a choice, but if there is a way to avoid it... Yes, I would die before I killed someone else... Providing that was a choice. It isn't always.

 

Where did i ever say "i could care less if i killed someone"? Because that is the way you make it sound. Had i been as old as i am now, 20 years ago? Yeah, i might train myself, if the need ever arose, to sacrafice myself. However, this day and age? I am still 'polite'...i open doors for women, even other truckers. Heck, i've even bought another driver a lunch because he forgot his wallet in the truck. most of the time i think of other people first, but self-preservation comes first, sorry bud. Would i feel bad? more than likely. Might it make me want to quit driving? probably.

I've known drivers who have t-boned another driver who blows thru a red-light, and killed them. To think that an event like that wouldnt effect me or them, is just dumb.

That being said, i'm not going to rear-end someone just because 'i have the chance to' or 'i have a good excuse to'. which is the way you make it sound. I will do my best to prevent the loss of life, but wont go over the cliff to save a life.

 

On this ONE point.... I agree with Kevin. Not concerning the "lesson" he wanted to teach a 4wheeler mentioned earlier, but concerning "taking the dive."

First, just because you HIT the minivan in front of you, who can and WILL stop faster than you, does not guarantee that they will die. Going over the rail could definitely cause your OWN death. Don't YOU have family who will miss you?

That being said, we had a driver some time back who drove into a fog bank and didn't slow down OR get into the "faster" lane. I believe the lesson we all learned was that one should NEVER drive too fast for conditions. IF you are in the mountains on winding roads, it is the same as a fog bank or nightime driving. You NEVER, EVER should outdrive your stopping distance!

If you can't SEE around the curve, you MUST expect the worst case scenario. And you should NEVER be so close to the vehicle in front of you that you can't stop FASTER than he can.

Now, 50 mph doesn't sound too fast to me, but if the curves are sharp enough, it most certainly CAN be too fast for conditions. What is your hurry? MANY of you complain about getting to your destination too early anyways! Slow the *uck down!

Everytime I see a truck with his nose stuck up the azz of the truck in front of him, I see a NON professional driver! Same goes for one who rides the bumper of a 4wheeler!

Now.... I drive a FAST truck. Not as fast as my LAST truck, but it'll pass most of you megas. Whenever it is legal, I stay in the farthest lane LEFT of you that I can, unless I am holding up traffic. I don't want to DEAL with you exiting at the last moment because you are lost, or braking to allow for merging traffic. But, I ALWAYS expect the worst case scenario around EVERY curve, over EVERY hill, and near EVERY exit/interchange.

I "manage" traffic flow around me so that I always have an "out," and it ain't gonna be over a cliff! I know the conditions of my brakes, and the tread on my tires. I know the road conditions, and I drive accordingly. I check my mirrors constantly and know the make and color of every car / truck around me at all times. I make it my JOB to question what the car 1/4 mile ahead of me is planning to do next, and I expect the worst.

My JOB is to be the PROFESSIONAL driver of the most lethal vehicle on the road, and I STAY "on the job" for my entire shift. Some days, I don't even turn up the radio, and I NEVER take a phone call if I'm not on a wide open road with very little traffic.

I'm not questioning Windy for passing the convoy he described. He is a very professional driver IMHO. But, I personally would have laid back (because of the exit) before making the move. I'm not questioning Kevin for not moving over when, as it appears. he was aware of the road layout around him.

But, I echo the comments of those who understand that it is encumbent upon US to be MORE professional than those around us on the road. Dropping 5 mph for less than 10 minutes won't even show up on your log! It won't affect your arrival time by more than a minute. But, it could affect your LIFE or career forever!

It is said that, "we teach best what we most need to learn," so you will forgive me if I state that there is NO room in this business for ROAD RAGE, or "teaching someone a lesson." Yes, Hobo is human.

If anyone here NEEDS to rethink their opinon of being a "professional" driver, I suggest you consider the level of training, expertise, and dedication to PROCEDURE exhibited by Captain "Sully" Sullenburger of USAiRways!

The man knew his equipment, his surroundings, his procedures, and his options. And he performed as a PROFESSIONAL.

LIke him, WE are all part of the Transportation industry of this country. Perhaps only secondary to our Military, airline pilots, or maybe those in charge of nuclear power plants, WE are responsible for more American lives than anyone.

If you cannot grasp the gravity of your job, and perform it with the level of professionalism it REQUIRES, you should find another career.

[that "you" is not directed at anyone specifically. It is the collective YOU.]

Be SAFE out there, drivers. I would MISS you if you weren't here next week! But, I will cut you no slack if you die or kill someone due to negligence. And, I expect nothing different if it is MY mistake you read about.

Hobo