Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

I don't believe there is such thing as a perfect driver, but I also don't think thats a good counter-position to take, anyway. That said, the criticism stems from openly putting yourself in a situation which creates road rage.

I posted, because in having to indirectly deal with tailgater's and those who try to punish them, I've witnessed some rather silly accidents occur (which then cause traffic for everyone else). I'm all about the idea behind to each their own, but when we're forced to share the road, its not always possible.

Just isn't worth it.

IS-SV

I have to assume you are are not kidding.

Regardless (skipping all the hate language), sadly this is typical for American drivers.

IS-SV

Good points, and I do happen to understand the different circumstances related to big rigs.

ArmyofOne

Yes, when I was long haulin', I was always couteous and waited until it was clear and not going to interfere with anyone. Or at least I tried.

I agree, there are alot out there who think they are bigger and therefore they own the road, and that is where the problem lies.

dunnojack

i have never experienced this. fortunately.

that sounds so stupid........ to ride slowly, and then speed up to seek revenge on someone who passed them.

brake checking like that is fuggin retarded.


the only time i brake check is when someone rides on my *** for a while.
I do it for his own good. If he loses control when i simply tap my brakes, then imagine what would happen if i really need to stop. That's an incompetent tailgater who shouldn't be on the road

92 SC400

The comments about big rigs are spot on. Most are not idiots and know when to pass, change lanes, or even pull to the side to let people pass. I rarely have issues with these guys, you can't blame someone for going slow in the right hand lanes anyway...

Jewcano

iTrader: (4)

Appreciate it Tony, (correct me if I'm thinking of the wrong name again). Though I do do what I said I do, I'm writing up a list of what CL members to look out for on the road. This way I can execute my driving technique on them and have some fun . But in all seriousness, hence serious face, road rage is an issue. I guess living in Florida we have tons of folks, whom I observe not being able to drive on the road, ie plenty of folks sitting in the left lane who shouldn't, people who are completely oblivious to those around them, but what I haven't noticed as often are road ragers. I guess living in a state with so many drivers making dumbass moves, myself included at times, you learn to cope with them, and it doesn't bug you as often. . I suggest you all take a drive through the worst parts of the USA when it comes to driving, and you'll get a new appreciation of how people drive in your own area.

trukn1

LOL,,yes Tony is correct( for the record). As for this portion of your comment I, myself, have been in about 34 states within the last 2 weeks, so pick one; needless to say I really get a collective view and opinion of how people drive in many areas. For the record, Florida IMO is just filled with people who just don't have a clue/care/concern for anything/anyone around them. I actually hate driving down there not because of road rage incidents, but because of the inconsiderateness of people in this area. Examples,, I have seen 45 mph in the fast lane of some major highways, I have seen people change lanes without looking/signaling, 3 lane jumps to exit a highway, etc. Not to single FL out, but they are just too carefree/relaxed IMO for me to be around. I have seen some of the most terrible examples of road rage in ATL (aka I-285 and any of the surrounding areas. Especially around rush hour.) Mike can ya testify? But believe it or not, speaking solely from the eyes of a trucker, the worst offenders of road rage and being fast to offer the number 1 salute is in the North East(start at I-495 going around DC and work your way North). People in this region are not only NOT scared of merging aggressively, but WILL force you to play your hand all the way down to the last 1/8" of space just so they can make way. As Jewcano says,, take a road trip and TRULY clear your minda and observe how people drive in other areas other than your own and you will be astounded at the results. Better yet, spend a week or two on the road with me, and you will see not only your own driving, but also the driving habits of others from a WHOLE NEW perspective.

mmarshall

That's at least partly because of the typical lifestyle in the urban, Northeast corridor....rush, rush, rush. People are always in a hurry. In addition, there's often a "Me-First" mentality. Yes, you do have some courteous drivers (including myself) who don't bull their way into places and/or cut you off, but the general pace of life in this area is generally not conducive to patience on the road. In that way, it is (somewhat) similiar to conditions in the SoCal/L.A. region.

bad co

I "honk" with my throttle. It get's people's attention. My car sounds exactly the same as this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-1uFuUjEKM

trukn1

^^Dude,, I think you took the whole point of what I was saying entirely wrong. Check your PM.

trukn1

In a nutshell, since your pm box is not working,,

1. I did not condone his actions,, I have already addressed my opinion with this with him privately.

2. The opinions I brought up about driving in other states were of my own from my years on the road as a trucker as from what I have seen with my own eyes. Highways were named in order to stronghold my credentials since very few know what I do for a living despite the screen name. I never said that since there are worse states that everyone should just shut up and be satisfied; think you read a lil too much into my comment.

3. I have no problems with being questioned, b/c I am not a perfect individual. I too do make mistakes.


Marshall,, I also agree with your point as well about the "me first" mentality. Couldn't have said it any better.

ArmyofOne

Brake checking is ESPECIALLY retarded when you do it to a 45 ton rig. Just sayin. If It has more wheels than you do cylinder's, think about it!

The full story is I was in a 53' Peterbuilt rig. If I recall correctly, I was passing a slower rig. As I was passing (can take quite awhile, I can only accelerate so fast in a rig), driver came up behind me, tailgating. I could not see them in my mirrors, and you all know what that means. I knew they were there though, because I saw them drive up. I also saw them swerve lane-lane as if they could not decide which truck was going faster. I was not blocking the road intentionally, and I decided to complete my pass rather than slow back down and **** off everyone behind me more. So, I completed my pass, switched lanes. In the next instant, whoever was in that damn car, came whipping past me, cut me off ALMOST to the point where I had to hit MY brakes...then they slowed down to the point where I was barely able to see the brakelights over the fenders/hood of the rig. Then they SLAMMED on their brakes. Had I already not been slowing down more because they were slowing down in front of me, I would have decimated them. I already had my brakes nearly locked. I pushed the pedal down a bit more to put distance between myself and them, and flipped the "Jake-Brake". They floored it and sped off.

People like that make it very dangerous for others. If I had locked up the brakes on the rig, or the trailer (trailers usually lock up first because of the lack of ABS), Someone would have died that day. Be it the person in that car, the people in one of the cars next to me, someone behind me, or myself...Someone would have died. When 45ton+rigs crash, its generally not a pretty event. Rarely does it turn out well.

That said, I have not been on the road in a rig for a long time, and I do not have nearly the experience that most other truckers have, so maybe someone with more experience can tell me how I could have handled that differently? I thought I did ok with stuff like that. The most important thing to remember when driving a Rig is that YOU ARE BIGGER than everything else on the road. If you lose your temper, even for a minute, someone can (and probably will) get hurt. So that is something I always remember when driving ANYTHING, especially big trucks.

Yes, I drive my car differently than a large rig...but I also keep in mind the HUNDREDS of times that I have had someone do something stupid to me on the road, and how it made me feel. In doing so, I try very hard not to do stupid things to people, especially truckers...even when they themselves do dumb stuff.

Honestly truckn', I have never driven a rig in florida, but I have driven it through Salt Lake City, on the freeway. Let me just say, Worst drivers I have EVER encountered. I am not talking about lack of skill, I am simply talking about lack of consideration for other drivers. I LOVE driving, and I am never scared when I drive....But I was honestly scared in SLC. I thought I was going to kill someone, simply by driving normally, cause everyone else was driving erradically. Crossing 3 lanes of traffic @ one time, etc etc...you get the idea.

ArmyofOne

The problems with hitting another car with a rig while in motion are:

-You dont know who is in that car...maybe babies in the back seat?
-Hitting things at these speeds with that heavy of a load can cause the knuckle on the hitch to snap. In that case, it causes a whole lot more problems than just hitting the brakes a little harder will.
-If it came down to hitting a car from behind, or trying to dodge them by swerving onto the shoulder or into the other lane, I would take the latter. It is easier for me to keep control of the rig when I cause the lane change, than it is to keep control when I impact something.

trukn1

Spits soda across the sleeper laughing at this one, LOL!! Ahh, my young friend,, you should spend some time in a truck. The driving is TOTALLY different. In the world of DOT land, a land of which we are his game and he is the constant hunter b/c he knows that at any time he can always score big rewards for catching us, there is no such thing as lightly applying the brakes. With him it is cut throat easy, you either did or you didn't; point blank. Now in "our world, a light application does exist, however with a truck weighing up to 40 tons, even a light tap would end up in disaster. Truck brakes are not hydraulically operated; they are air operated. This means that for every push of the pedal, there is a small delay in reaction. Almost minute, by comparison to others, but there is a very small delay. In OC's situation, he would have been cited for 2 or more reasons in the eyes of the DOT. First would be (OC you know where I am about to go with this one, welcome back to my world) FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE. Imagine that, some yay-yo cuts him off and HE is following too close. Second would be impact from the rear. Yeah there were other factors to consider which led up to the impact, but bottom line is he still tagged the guy from behind. Lastly, that I can think of, would be for failure tocontrol his vehicle. In the trucking world, there are sooooo many bogus violations that we can be held accountable for, even if things are not our fault, and the fines are HUGE!!! In most cases the tickets would be written despite whatever the initial findings are, unless it is something so incredibly obvious that even Ray Charles could see, and they would go to the trucker. It is then up to us to go thru all of the trouble of having to go thru the courts, and present all kinds of evidence tohave the court throw the tickets out. In many cases, we use pre-paid legal services now to handle alot of this. Innocent until proven guilty,,not in our world. In our world, we are guilty of EVERYTHING,, so good luck trying to prove yourself innocent.

OC,,you did exactly what I would have done and have had to do on several occasions. Nice to meet another fellow "gear jammer" who understands my plight and can truly understand where I am going with things when the soap box gets pulled out. LOL!! Nowdays, you would not believe how much trucking has changed. While it is ALOT more comfortable, am sure, the technology in the equipment is almost insane. ABS is standard in everything now, both truck and trailer and some of the stuff on the market now will blow your mind. You should re-visit your previous calling once in awhile remeninse. LOL!!! Strictly as a spectator now of course,,, It ain't as much fun as it used to be and I have nly been at this going on almost 10 years now.