Here's something else I have a "beef" with.....
 

...drivers of semi's who are sitting on the shoulder of the interstate who just up and decide to jump into traffic with a hard left turn from the shoulder and no speed!!! :x :evil: :x :evil: I have had two boneheads do that to me in the last week.... Betcha can't guess who they were??? :shock: On one of them...I'm still not sure exactly how I managed not to end up filling out an accident report.....and the dumbass in that truck looked at me like it was my fault.....oh, duh...

Look people....if you pull off on the shoulder of the interstate for any reason, when you get ready to pull back out into traffic...use the freakin' shoulder as a run up lane to get some speed up before you go to turn into traffic and maybe get hit or killed, or kill someone else. Its a pretty good bet that if you get hit from behind under those circumstances....its gonna suck to be you within minutes. Come on folks....use your brains....put them in gear before putting truck in motion. OK 8) Oh...and look in the mirror and clear the rear before you merge into traffic......that would be nice too!

And use your turn signal! And consider using your 4-ways until you're up-to-speed!

That happened to me on my way to work today, as I was coming down I440. But this was a Puryear truck (a local company of about 75 power units which runs dumps, end dumps, and some lowboys, plus is augmented by a tanker fleet). I don't like it when that happens, suffice to say.

Just out of curiousity, Sky... was this in a heavy traffic area? You didn't SEE him on the side of the road from about 3/4 mile back? You didn't have the opportunity to move OVER to the fast lane for security reasons whether he was gonna move or not? Failing that..... you weren't able to slow down as you approached? Or flash your lights to say you were coming THROUGH?

I'm just curious, because I drive mostly on OPEN roads. I see this ALL the time, and though I don't appreciate it.... it is rarely a problem for me.

It must really SUCK to be a Truckdriver in the N.E.!! This is NEVER a real problem in the West or SouthWest. i.e: Three quarters of the country!

You're going to beat that merging thing to death, aren't you Hobo? :roll:

I agree with Hobo. I hear guys gripe about that stupid SOB on the shoulder, and then make no effort to even move over.

USA Trucking did that this morning on I-95 north during rush hour traffic headed towards DC. Talk about a flipping mess that driver made. They pulled out while doing maybe 25 mph into traffic running 70 and was going uphill when they pulled off the shoulder. Might have done it because they were unfamiliar with the area. They were right at an exit ramp that could have been used to get up to speed by continuing straight on down the ramp and re-entering further up the road at a much safer merging speed. Probably did not know that so they pulled right out into heavy traffic and looked like a moron.

Oddly enough, on the CDL license test in PA, they instruct you to immediately jump onto the highway. They safe it's safer then driving down the shoulder til you pick up speed.

I always pick up some speed before jumping back on, but agree that the worse offense is the guys who won't move into the left lane. It tends to be supertruckers who feel the need to blast past the guy on the shoulder at 70mph.

Wasn't me! :lol: I took US50 out to the peninsula.

I did see where a Paschall truck rear-ended a Stevens yesterday on I70. Maybe that's how it happened. Dunno. I felt bad for both of them.

I've got to agree with hobo on this one as well. If your on the shoulder with the flashers on, I'll take the next lane if I can. If your on the shoulder with your signal on, nosing out, I'll back off the hammer and give you a clear lane in. Drivers used to care enough to help out a fellow driver, I think we need to get back to that.

Skywalker

read what he said ...... :roll:

Re: Here's something else I have a "beef" with....
 

Re: Here's something else I have a "beef" with....
 

Same thing happened to me in Tenn.

Tractor Trl just pulled off the right shoulder directly in front of me
on I-24.

It was the closest i have ever come to oblivion in my entire life ! :evil:

I almost ate a 4 wheeler last week with PA plates. Traveling north on I95/route 128 in MA at the on ramp for route 9 the road widens from 3 lanes to 4 lanes. I was in the "middle" of the 3 lanes which would become the left of center lane when it became 4 lanes. This idiot in a PA minivan gets on and is not satisfied with their wide open "new" lane with no merging required and proceeds to merge accross two lanes into my lane at THIRTY FIVE miles per hour. Now mind you this was several cars in front of me but the resulting piling on of the brakes and lane changing of those cars rapidly ate up my following distance and took away my escape routes. Now I didn't come close to hitting the car in front of me but I got a lot closer than I am comfortable with before the lane to my right opened up. If I had been one of those idiots that usually runs that stretch with a one second following distance I would have been in a mess.

I figure on that stretch of road if you don't have time to blast the horn at someone before you get past them you were following too close. :wink:

OK, I think most of you have completely ignored the obvious and only solution to this problem:

IT'S A FREAKING BREAKDOWN LANE. WHY IN THE HELL DO THESE MORONS FEEL LIKE IT'S OK TO PULL OVER WHENEVER THEY FEEL LIKE IT?

Big trucks and 4-wheelers alike are stopping on the side of the road to do everything from change diapers to fix lunch without realizing that they are one small move from death. I have seen way too many fatal accidents involving vehicles on the shoulder to even CONSIDER stopping there. If cops get killed all the time while standing next to cars with flashing lights on them, how hard is it to imagine that you could be hit as well?

IF YOU HAVE TO STOP, GET OFF THE ROAD!

Do it at a rest area or at least take the next exit and use the side of the git-on ramp. I am at a loss for words when I see these complete morons who pull over at the drop of a hat to read their coolie Qualcomms or look at the map or WHATEVER it is the stupid bastards do.

OK, so what if you're really broke down? Get as far away from the lanes as you can. Get your 4-way flashers ON. FMCSA says you have TEN MINUTES to get your triangles out and correctly placed, so DO IT. Get on the radio after you've called for help and let traffic on your side know that you're there.

If you're there because you didn't do a decent pre-trip which caused your predicament OR you have run yourself out of fuel, please do the following:

SAFELY EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. ADJOURN TO THE GRASSY AREA AT LEAST 25 FEET AWAY, AND BEGIN KICKING YOURSELF IN THE BUTT. CONTINUE UNTIL YOU RESOLVE TO NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

99% of the vehicles on the shoulder have no business being there and have endangered their lives and yours with their stupidity. DON'T DO IT!

Thanks, I feel better now.

OK, now THAT is funny! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I like it when motorcyclists just take a break on the side of the road. I saw one group who stopped at the top of a grade, then sat in the shade at high noon. I could barely see them from the other side of the road. Had a trucker decided to shoulder it at the top, they would've all been dead where they sat with their feet up on their handlebars.

[quote="golfhobo"]Just out of curiousity, Sky... was this in a heavy traffic area? You didn't SEE him on the side of the road from about 3/4 mile back? You didn't have the opportunity to move OVER to the fast lane for security reasons whether he was gonna move or not? Failing that..... you weren't able to slow down as you approached? Or flash your lights to say you were coming THROUGH?

I'm just curious, because I drive mostly on OPEN roads. I see this ALL the time, and though I don't appreciate it.... it is rarely a problem for me.

It must really SUCK to be a Truckdriver in the N.E.!! This is NEVER a real problem in the West or SouthWest. i.e: Three quarters of the country![/quot

flash your lights cause your coming through??? Now that would cause most drivers to pull right out thinking that they are letting you in. And just cause you see someone on the side dosn,t mean you can move over a lane even if you slow down to get into a hole cars behind you move over faster and fill the hole before you can move.
I run the length og NY and back every day and see this ALL the time, don't even think twice about now :lol: ]

Well said Roadstar Dallas! :)

Another reason to check your air horn shortly after you start your day! 8) (just to make sure it's working A-OK)

repete said:

Sorry, Repete.... I forgot that there are SOME drivers out there that don't know the rules of lights. Flashing highbeams should NEVER be used to let a driver in..... flicking them OFF is the proper method. Flashing high beams is an INTERNATIONLALLY recognized signal that one is "coming through!" This is the practice in every foreign country I've been IN or heard about!

If you'll read my post, you'll SEE that I asked if he couldn't move over. AND, I mentioned that on more OPEN roads, this is rarely a problem. Then, I followed up by saying it must SUCK to drive in the NorthEast where traffic volumes make this less likely.

IF I ever drove in the N.E., I would make sure that the lane was OPEN before pulling out, or that a trucker had DIMMED his lights to tell me it was o.k. I would NEVER pull out in front of HIGH BEAMS. IMHO, using high beams means ONE thing...... I am trying to BLIND you so that you won't be stupid enough to pull out in front of me! It means I cannot move over, I'm coming through, and YOU NEED TO WAIT!

AM I, Twilight? I don't know. Do you think I NEED to? :lol:

At any rate, I didn't realize that I WAS! This is a different scenario. I was taught (in my lowly CDL MILL) that you ALWAYS move over if you can for ANY vehicle on the shoulder... especially for a truck! Where "I" drive, one can usually see such a vehicle for up to a MILE!

I actually AGREE with Sky's gripe about truckers who don't "run up" before merging..... though the instances are RARE in my experience. But, I'm not taking the chance, if I don't HAVE to.

Would you prefer that I STOP making suggestions and points that might make a noobie a safer driver? I'm certainly NOT questioning Skywalker's professionalism. I ASKED him a few questions because I didn't fully understand the situation.

IMHO, one can be part of the problem.... or part of the solution! I am dedicated to the latter! I NEVER want to hear that some trucker stayed in his lane behind a moron who "jumped" into traffic, and had to swerve at the last minute..... wiping out a TOUR BUS full of HALF of your family! :lol:

Do I think that "merging traffic" in ONE form or another is one of the most dangerous things a driver has to deal with? YES, I DO! Do YOU think I am wrong?

Do I think that 70% of a driver's responsibility is to be AWARE of, and manage, the traffic around him..... YES, I DO! Do you question my belief?

Do I think that 80% of the topics on this board have LITTLE to do with the promotion of SAFE DRIVING, and MORE to do with what IPOD is best this month? Or whose parking lot stinks the most? YES, I DO! Do you question my figures?

When I see drivers driving with the level of professionalism "I" expect from them, and I quit hearing about truck crashes taking lives, perhaps I'll contain my posts to the Comedy Forum. Until then.....

Move over or slow down . . He's coming out and you're running out of time. Save your life now and get mad later.

If it's you, never assume anyone can or will move over or slow down. They may be too busy on the phone.

Signalling anything but brake lights is a 50 - 50 proposition, at best.

The very first thing you should do after skipping and falsley logging your pre-trip is to remind yourself that your number 1 goal today is to be around to skip and falsley log tomorrow's pre-trip.

No, I agree with you there. However, where we disagree is on who's shoulders it rests.

Once again, we are in agreement with the responsibility/problem, but in disagreement with where the blame lies in the event of an accident/

Nope, but it's a messageboard. We ain't "all truckin', all the time."

Back to the topic, I've said it before, but perhaps it bears repeating so we understand each other.

If you have traffic merging onto an interstate and you can safely move to the left with plenty of time, then do so. I'm not disputing that and in total agreement with you that if you can do it and do it safely, then do so. But you are doing so out of courtesy, not out of any rule and expectation that you have to.

But if traffic is heavy on the left and heavy behind you, then the ownership of that merge is on the person merging, not you. If they choose to merge into your truck, it is utterly and totally on them, not you. If you move left or slow down to accomodate a merger and cause an accident and/or danger to someone on the left or behind you, then you deserve everything that comes down on you from that.

we are not allowed to flash our lights to tell someone to come back over. the company I work for has a policy on that....wonderman

Hobo and others..... my apologies. I should have clarified the issue. In both instances I was trapped in the slow lane, I could not move over, and I was moving at approximately 65 mph with a 45,000 lb liquid load. In both cases the drivers of the other trucks did not bother to use turn signals....just pulled out in front of me. Neither of the vehicles had 4 ways on either. I doubt that either bothered to look in the mirror to clear the rear.

I am not sure how I missed either of them....but I can tell you that it took me awhile to extricate the vinyl....... :shock:

I always move over if there is a vehicle on the shoulder....always. I will make an extra effort to do so, even if it means slowing down in order to merge into the next lane. I do not want to hit someone who may climb out of a truck or walk around it in front of me....or someone getting out of a car, or walking around it without paying attention.

I should have "clarified" it all.

BTW....I always use the shoulder to run up to at least 45 mph before merging....if I ever have to stop on the shoulder, which is virtually only due to a flat tire with a placarded load. Otherwise....I run down a ramp, or go to a T/S or rest area. The shoulder is a dangerous place to stop.

While I have suspected it from many of your posts, it became very clear from this one that you are not a Driver or you didn't make it as one if you were.

My duty is to anticipate, prevent and, ultimately, minimize the impact of a collision, should one occur. Absent any alternative, my responsibility would be to slow and stop in my travel lane prior to a collision. I can't let "them" hit me, even if there is no way I can prevent it. As long as my brake lights are working, I could not and cannot be held responsible for the actions of any Driver travelling behind me (other than to make the ultimate sacrafice). That's the risk I run. That's the risk they run.

While I understand what TWF is saying....I tend to agree more with you bigtimba...thats why we are considered "professionals".

In the maritime laws there are many regulations regarding passing (overtaking) and so on....but there is one rule that supersedes them all:

A prudent mariner takes all actions necessary to avoid a collision.

Simply replace the word "mariner" with "driver" and it works the same way.

The unfortunate side of it all is that there are times when virtually nothing
can be done...other than attempting to minimize the impact or damage, due to the reckless acts of one party that places all others in jeopardy.