View Poll Results: The car based middle finger
I use the middle finger as my weapon of choice in the car
6
9.68%
I don't use the middle finger
16
25.81%
I use the middle finger sometimes, rarely
21
33.87%
In the past I was all about giving you the finger
6
9.68%
I would give 1sicklex the finger 24/7
13
20.97%
Goats don't have middle fingers
10
16.13%
Crap, I only have 4 fingers
2
3.23%
I give people "the shocker"
8
12.90%
The finger? I give them the arm!
6
9.68%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 62. You may not vote on this poll
1SICKBLOG: The true medal of honor, the middle finger from another vehicle...
04-22-10, 04:51 AM
#61
Dysfunctional Veteran
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.
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.
and these:
THIS PIC IS HUGE! But it shows the off road capabilities.
HET'S on a train
I agree the penalties are HUGE. Fines for things as simple and easy to overlook as weight violations can become $5,000+ offenses. Not to mention, each moving violation from the DOT goes on your record, and is visible to EVERY potential employer. If you keep a clean record, the jobs will come to you!
You have to use your head when driving anything, especially things that weigh more than some buildings. I have a Military Haz-Mat certificantion, and my military operators liscense also includes the ability to TOW up to 200 tons at one time, MUCH more than most truckers will ever tow at one time (Traliering an M1 Abrams is very heavy, cumbersome work
). I am not sure if there is an equivalent to a 200-ton weight cert on a civilian CDL, I have not looked into it. I have had a TX Class A (see my PM truckn, sorry for the foul-up 
) CDL since before I joined the military, but I dont have any civilian Haz-Mat or Oversize certifications on it. I am not sure if they would transfer over, but I do not see why they should not. Speaking of, my Haz-Mat is about to expire in a few months, time to re-Cert!That said, Jake-Brakes are one of the best inventions in the trucking industry... Keeps us from having to use the brakes, which as truckn stated, can be dangerous even if tapped lightly at highway speeds. Howstuffworks.com has an illustration of how Air-Brakes work. Needless to say, they are much more harsh to operate at low speeds than hydraulic brakes, but nessecary because hydraulic brakes would not stand up to the forces put on them when stopping. They are nowhere near as effecient.
Oh, and truckn, you might be suprised at how young I am
. Someone once referred to me as "Wise beyond my years"...but I prefer to think I just use common sense.EDIT: this gives me an idea for a thread LOL
Last edited by ArmyofOne; 04-22-10 at 06:37 AM.
04-22-10, 09:30 AM
#63
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!!!
04-22-10, 01:31 PM
#65
Dysfunctional Veteran
another thing that annoys me...even (especially) when I was driving a rig:
WHY in the name of all hell, would you enter a freeway where EVERYONE is doing 80-90...at 45mph or less?
FAIL. That is a really good way to get killed or kill someone else. When I am driving a rig i notice this especially, because I am always fearful that someone is going to smack my *** end. I always liked to enter a freeway @ or 5 over the speedlimit by the time I merge over. This is not always possible due to some ramps/cloverleaf's being short/tight, but I would prefer to enter faster than traffic and slow down, than have to enter slower and make everyone else slow down or hit me.
THANKFULLY, I have never been rear-ended...but with some of the loads I have hauled, I am not sure I would ever know if someone rear-ended my loaded rig...even if they were going 80+. Truckn...any experience in that dept? I was fortunate...in my 2 years on america's hwys in a rig, I never had an accident or ticket. I consider myself VERY lucky.
In a car, the entering the freeway thing is still dangerous, because of traffic and whatnot, but its a little easier to manuever to get the hell outta the way! LOL.
WHY in the name of all hell, would you enter a freeway where EVERYONE is doing 80-90...at 45mph or less?
FAIL. That is a really good way to get killed or kill someone else. When I am driving a rig i notice this especially, because I am always fearful that someone is going to smack my *** end. I always liked to enter a freeway @ or 5 over the speedlimit by the time I merge over. This is not always possible due to some ramps/cloverleaf's being short/tight, but I would prefer to enter faster than traffic and slow down, than have to enter slower and make everyone else slow down or hit me.
THANKFULLY, I have never been rear-ended...but with some of the loads I have hauled, I am not sure I would ever know if someone rear-ended my loaded rig...even if they were going 80+. Truckn...any experience in that dept? I was fortunate...in my 2 years on america's hwys in a rig, I never had an accident or ticket. I consider myself VERY lucky.
In a car, the entering the freeway thing is still dangerous, because of traffic and whatnot, but its a little easier to manuever to get the hell outta the way! LOL.
04-23-10, 02:25 PM
#66
Pole Position
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another thing that annoys me...even (especially) when I was driving a rig:
WHY in the name of all hell, would you enter a freeway where EVERYONE is doing 80-90...at 45mph or less?
FAIL. That is a really good way to get killed or kill someone else. When I am driving a rig i notice this especially, because I am always fearful that someone is going to smack my *** end. I always liked to enter a freeway @ or 5 over the speedlimit by the time I merge over. This is not always possible due to some ramps/cloverleaf's being short/tight, but I would prefer to enter faster than traffic and slow down, than have to enter slower and make everyone else slow down or hit me.
THANKFULLY, I have never been rear-ended...but with some of the loads I have hauled, I am not sure I would ever know if someone rear-ended my loaded rig...even if they were going 80+. Truckn...any experience in that dept? I was fortunate...in my 2 years on america's hwys in a rig, I never had an accident or ticket. I consider myself VERY lucky.
In a car, the entering the freeway thing is still dangerous, because of traffic and whatnot, but its a little easier to manuever to get the hell outta the way! LOL.
WHY in the name of all hell, would you enter a freeway where EVERYONE is doing 80-90...at 45mph or less?
FAIL. That is a really good way to get killed or kill someone else. When I am driving a rig i notice this especially, because I am always fearful that someone is going to smack my *** end. I always liked to enter a freeway @ or 5 over the speedlimit by the time I merge over. This is not always possible due to some ramps/cloverleaf's being short/tight, but I would prefer to enter faster than traffic and slow down, than have to enter slower and make everyone else slow down or hit me.
THANKFULLY, I have never been rear-ended...but with some of the loads I have hauled, I am not sure I would ever know if someone rear-ended my loaded rig...even if they were going 80+. Truckn...any experience in that dept? I was fortunate...in my 2 years on america's hwys in a rig, I never had an accident or ticket. I consider myself VERY lucky.
In a car, the entering the freeway thing is still dangerous, because of traffic and whatnot, but its a little easier to manuever to get the hell outta the way! LOL.
04-23-10, 02:33 PM
#67
Lexus Fanatic
My brother was driving a rental car in Los Angeles a few years ago during a business trip. Some lady tried a radical version of that lame stunt in heavy high speed traffic. My brother t-boned the side of her car as she crossed multiple lanes without signaling and without regard for traffic. Witnesses gave statements and she was cited at the scene of the accident.
04-23-10, 02:44 PM
#68
Lexus Fanatic
One thing, though, that doesn't help in situations like this is when you have left-hand exit ramps off the Interstates, and not a lot of room to move over to get to them. That can cause a lot of problems in the left lane. Engineers, where possible, try not to design exits like that anymore.
04-25-10, 09:01 AM
#70
I am on my way to Houston via I-10, and I, along with a 6 (guesstimate) other cars spaced well behind me, are in the fast lane going about 85-90 MPH in a 65 MPH zone - good, stable "passing lane" speed.
We were lucky for a solid 25-30 minutes, with slow *** drivers going a measly 70-75 MPH in the fast lane moving over (yes, going a measly 10 MPH over the limit in the fast lane is slow).
Anyways, funny part is eventually, we catch up to a cop car up ahead in the fast lane cruising at 85 or so in the passing lane - he makes up our "7th" guy and we all end up cruising at 85-90 for almost the entire way to Houston, with the cop in the lead.
Why was it funny? It was funny seeing people going 70 MPH in a 65 MPH zone "freak out" as the cop was approaching, move into the right lane, and subsequently slam on their brakes to 50 or 55 MPH, because they seem to harbor this notion that going a piddling 5 MPH over the limit will get them a speeding ticket.
All the while, the cop and our little pack of 6 cars just zoom by these left lane blockers at a smooth 85-90 MPH. I can't tell you how gratifying this was. The power of presence of a cop car is second to none on the road.
Here is a cop who understands the concept of "de facto" speed limits that are much higher than posted speed limits on interstate highways.
On big, wide stable interstate highways, it's O.K. to go 20 MPH over the speed limit safely, as long as you maintain sufficient inter-car distance.
It's not, however, O.K. to go 20 MPH over the limit on a small, windy back road (although admittedly, I've..done this, albeit I know I was irresponsible doing this).
These are things that they simply don't teach you in driver's ed. Why don't they teach teenagers in driver's ed that it's really O.K. to go 80-85 MPH on a 65 MPH interstate highway? Because if you told them that, they'd probably "reset the baseline" to "80-85" and end up going 100 MPH+
It's a fact of life that must be learned through experience.
There are places where it's blatantly obvious that you should never go even 5 MPH above the speed limit (residential areas where there are people, kids walking around, playing)
There are other places where it's obvious that you can go 20-25 over the speed limit, safely (big interstate highways where you maintain long, safe distances between yourself and the cars in front and behind)
We were lucky for a solid 25-30 minutes, with slow *** drivers going a measly 70-75 MPH in the fast lane moving over (yes, going a measly 10 MPH over the limit in the fast lane is slow).
Anyways, funny part is eventually, we catch up to a cop car up ahead in the fast lane cruising at 85 or so in the passing lane - he makes up our "7th" guy and we all end up cruising at 85-90 for almost the entire way to Houston, with the cop in the lead.
Why was it funny? It was funny seeing people going 70 MPH in a 65 MPH zone "freak out" as the cop was approaching, move into the right lane, and subsequently slam on their brakes to 50 or 55 MPH, because they seem to harbor this notion that going a piddling 5 MPH over the limit will get them a speeding ticket.
All the while, the cop and our little pack of 6 cars just zoom by these left lane blockers at a smooth 85-90 MPH. I can't tell you how gratifying this was. The power of presence of a cop car is second to none on the road.
Here is a cop who understands the concept of "de facto" speed limits that are much higher than posted speed limits on interstate highways.
On big, wide stable interstate highways, it's O.K. to go 20 MPH over the speed limit safely, as long as you maintain sufficient inter-car distance.
It's not, however, O.K. to go 20 MPH over the limit on a small, windy back road (although admittedly, I've..done this, albeit I know I was irresponsible doing this).
These are things that they simply don't teach you in driver's ed. Why don't they teach teenagers in driver's ed that it's really O.K. to go 80-85 MPH on a 65 MPH interstate highway? Because if you told them that, they'd probably "reset the baseline" to "80-85" and end up going 100 MPH+
It's a fact of life that must be learned through experience.
There are places where it's blatantly obvious that you should never go even 5 MPH above the speed limit (residential areas where there are people, kids walking around, playing)
There are other places where it's obvious that you can go 20-25 over the speed limit, safely (big interstate highways where you maintain long, safe distances between yourself and the cars in front and behind)
04-25-10, 09:29 AM
#71
More thoughts - I am not a fan of brake checking and would never dream to pull such a stunt on anybody.
It unnecessarily increases the risk of accident for 0 substantial reward. The reward/risk ratio for brake checking is almost exactly 0.
Also, I wouldn't necessarily mind Jewcano's driving behavior in the fast lane. Despite driving a good 20 MPH slower than the correct "de facto" fast lane speed limit, as long as he is passing the car(s) in the right lane, I would have no issue.
Once he passed a car(s) in the right lane and the road opened up in front, I'd do one of two things:
1) If he remained going 65 MPH in the fast lane, but the road in front of him was clear, and the right lane was clear, I would get into the right lane and pass him
2) If he moved into the right lane, I would pass him via the passing lane.
No problems there as long as he is using the passing lane to pass.
The irritation begins when people use the passing lane to go at exactly the same speed as the car next to them in the slow lane.
It unnecessarily increases the risk of accident for 0 substantial reward. The reward/risk ratio for brake checking is almost exactly 0.
Also, I wouldn't necessarily mind Jewcano's driving behavior in the fast lane. Despite driving a good 20 MPH slower than the correct "de facto" fast lane speed limit, as long as he is passing the car(s) in the right lane, I would have no issue.
Once he passed a car(s) in the right lane and the road opened up in front, I'd do one of two things:
1) If he remained going 65 MPH in the fast lane, but the road in front of him was clear, and the right lane was clear, I would get into the right lane and pass him
2) If he moved into the right lane, I would pass him via the passing lane.
No problems there as long as he is using the passing lane to pass.
The irritation begins when people use the passing lane to go at exactly the same speed as the car next to them in the slow lane.
04-26-10, 08:38 AM
#72
Lead Lap
Join Date: Dec 2005
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There is only thing that warrants a middle finger in my book; acting like a total moron in a neighborhood.
In my neighborhood, there are a lot of jackasses that park in the road with their driveways perfectly clear. If I'm driving toward one of these cars, and it's parked on my side of the road, it's an obstruction that I need to go around. If there is oncoming traffic, I wait for them to go by, then I go around the car/truck. I've noticed about 4 out of 5 people just swerve around it, with no regard for anyone on the un-obstructed side of the road.
So if I'm driving toward it, and it's on the opposite side of the road, someone will just swerve into my lane, coming at me head on, and then try to swerve back into their lane before they hit me. I should not have to alter my driving because some jackass parked in your way. Wait your turn, then go. Isn't that what we're all taught?
If there is enough distance that I can see an oncoming vehicle, and if they look like they understand the concept (i.e.: they stay on their side of the road), I make plenty of room for them. If they don't, and they swerve into my lane I put the outside of my left tire on the very edge of my lane and just continue driving as normal. Is this immature? Completely. Is it illegal in any way? Not to my knowledge.
Just because they have a problem doesn't mean I have to care. I'm more than willing to be a nice guy, but these people get my blood boiling.
My hatred also extends to those people who decide to walk in the road, next to the sidewalk. In particular, one old woman in my neighborhood. She walks, no joke, 5 feet away from the curb. Ugh. Since these people weigh probably 5% of what my car does, I give them a little room. I'm not going to kill someone with my car to prove a point; even if they deserve it. I've tried asking these people to use the sidewalk, but every single one of them starts acting like a child instead of using their brains. I always get "walkers are supposed to walk against traffic!", to which the reply is "Yeah, when there aren't sidewalks". I cannot count the number of times I've been flipped off or called an A-hole for mentioning, pointing to, or otherwise referencing the sidewalk.
Also: does anyone know how I can look up local laws/codes/statutes/whatever they are, to see if I am indeed in the right? I would like to know!
Stay safe out there!
In my neighborhood, there are a lot of jackasses that park in the road with their driveways perfectly clear. If I'm driving toward one of these cars, and it's parked on my side of the road, it's an obstruction that I need to go around. If there is oncoming traffic, I wait for them to go by, then I go around the car/truck. I've noticed about 4 out of 5 people just swerve around it, with no regard for anyone on the un-obstructed side of the road.
So if I'm driving toward it, and it's on the opposite side of the road, someone will just swerve into my lane, coming at me head on, and then try to swerve back into their lane before they hit me. I should not have to alter my driving because some jackass parked in your way. Wait your turn, then go. Isn't that what we're all taught?
If there is enough distance that I can see an oncoming vehicle, and if they look like they understand the concept (i.e.: they stay on their side of the road), I make plenty of room for them. If they don't, and they swerve into my lane I put the outside of my left tire on the very edge of my lane and just continue driving as normal. Is this immature? Completely. Is it illegal in any way? Not to my knowledge.
Just because they have a problem doesn't mean I have to care. I'm more than willing to be a nice guy, but these people get my blood boiling.
My hatred also extends to those people who decide to walk in the road, next to the sidewalk. In particular, one old woman in my neighborhood. She walks, no joke, 5 feet away from the curb. Ugh. Since these people weigh probably 5% of what my car does, I give them a little room. I'm not going to kill someone with my car to prove a point; even if they deserve it. I've tried asking these people to use the sidewalk, but every single one of them starts acting like a child instead of using their brains. I always get "walkers are supposed to walk against traffic!", to which the reply is "Yeah, when there aren't sidewalks". I cannot count the number of times I've been flipped off or called an A-hole for mentioning, pointing to, or otherwise referencing the sidewalk.
Also: does anyone know how I can look up local laws/codes/statutes/whatever they are, to see if I am indeed in the right? I would like to know!
Stay safe out there!
04-26-10, 08:54 AM
#73
Lexus Fanatic
Why was it funny? It was funny seeing people going 70 MPH in a 65 MPH zone "freak out" as the cop was approaching, move into the right lane, and subsequently slam on their brakes to 50 or 55 MPH, because they seem to harbor this notion that going a piddling 5 MPH over the limit will get them a speeding ticket.
On big, wide stable interstate highways, it's O.K. to go 20 MPH over the speed limit safely, as long as you maintain sufficient inter-car distance.
It's not, however, O.K. to go 20 MPH over the limit on a small, windy back road (although admittedly, I've..done this, albeit I know I was irresponsible doing this).
On big, wide stable interstate highways, it's O.K. to go 20 MPH over the speed limit safely, as long as you maintain sufficient inter-car distance.
It's not, however, O.K. to go 20 MPH over the limit on a small, windy back road (although admittedly, I've..done this, albeit I know I was irresponsible doing this).
However, that is NOT the case doing 20 MPH over. In many states, 20-25 MPH over the speed limit, regardless of traffic conditions, is considered reckless driving. And there is no inherent "right" to drive those speeds.....legal codes, in all 50 states, view driving as a priviledge, not a right.
It's a fact of life that must be learned through experience.
There are other places where it's obvious that you can go 20-25 over the speed limit, safely (big interstate highways where you maintain long, safe distances between yourself and the cars in front and behind)
(P.S........that doesn't mean that I always agree with the posted limits myself)
Last edited by mmarshall; 04-26-10 at 08:59 AM.
04-26-10, 10:42 AM
#74
I understand this is your opinion and you do what you prefer. And I know that you don't drive like these slow left lane campers.
I need to remind you guys that in this case where passing slower cars in the right lane by going merely 3 mph faster and going 5~ 10 mph over the posted speed limit doesn't make him a good driver because he is *blocking* the traffic. If there are faster moving traffic behind him approaching at considerably higher speeds he should have accelerated it a little harder to move out the way. If there are no cars behind you or no cars approaching you from behind then this would not be much of a problem. Though it is still NOT a good practice to ride side by side with cars on the slow lane. Try to go a little faster and pass them to clear out the way. This is nearly as bad as Left lane camping.
And what made this really bad is that he got an attitude by brake-checking which make the situation exponentially worse, creating road rage. So for me, I do mind his driving behavior. Taking some extensive driving course / classes can give you some good info. .
I need to remind you guys that in this case where passing slower cars in the right lane by going merely 3 mph faster and going 5~ 10 mph over the posted speed limit doesn't make him a good driver because he is *blocking* the traffic. If there are faster moving traffic behind him approaching at considerably higher speeds he should have accelerated it a little harder to move out the way. If there are no cars behind you or no cars approaching you from behind then this would not be much of a problem. Though it is still NOT a good practice to ride side by side with cars on the slow lane. Try to go a little faster and pass them to clear out the way. This is nearly as bad as Left lane camping.And what made this really bad is that he got an attitude by brake-checking which make the situation exponentially worse, creating road rage. So for me, I do mind his driving behavior. Taking some extensive driving course / classes can give you some good info. .
You have your reasons for going super fast only to get to a location a couple minutes quicker or what have you, and I have my reasons for passing slowly. Imo, seeing drivers go 75+ irritates me, probably as much as slow passers, such as myself, irritates you.