toddv@copper.UUCP (Todd Vierheller) (02/13/86)
{EAT THIS!} Cross posting because discussion pertains to both groups
(I read net.cycle).
I commute daily on a motorcycle. When traffic backs up for two miles on the
freeway, I drive between 0 and 5 miles per hour like everybody else. I don't
cut down the shoulder or between lanes. (Lane splitters have a death wish.)
While I am prone to the same errors in judgment as everyone else, I don't go
out of my way to be a jerk. I wear bright (BRIGHT) orange when I ride to
increase my visibility in traffic. Still. . .
When riding my motorcycle to and from work every day, I have noticed a
common theme amongst the knotheads of life who:
* Come around curves from the other direction in my lane. (And make no
attempt to get out of my lane when they see me.)
* "Punch it" to pull along side of me just as the road narrows from two
lanes into one. (Attempt to force me off the road.) This works
particularly well if there is a car in front of me. (I can't accelerate
ahead of the slime.)
* Ride right on my rear tire in the slow lane, then just before the exit
from the highway, change lanes as if to pass, and then squeeze into the
1.5 car length (too small anyway) distance between me and the car ahead
of me with a quick lane change. (This is hard to describe, but is
is a typical bonehead maneuver and quite dangerous.)
* Run red lights in an effort to squash my motorcycle.
* Attempt to force their way into my lane (through me) because their lane
is closed and they didn't want to wait in line. "The motorcyclist
won't stand up to a truck will he?" [I refuse to move an inch; so far
none of the slugs have gotten close enough for me to kick their
vehicles. You might question my sanity at this point. I do.]
* Drive the wrong way down WELL MARKED one-way streets when I am visible
and coming the other way. (I most often observe this in corporate
parking lots and in shopping centers with *divided* lanes.)
The single recurring similarity in the vast majority of incidents is that the
idiot in the four wheeled vehicle just happens to be driving a pickup truck.
From this I have concluded that if someone is slightly sub-human, a first
class jerk, and heavily insecure, that person is more likely to buy a pickup
truck than any other vehicle. I guess it has something to do with being
unsure of their own manhood. (Not to be sexist, but I've yet to have a woman
in a pickup pull one of these Neanderthal stunts.)
IMPORTANT: I am not saying everyone who drives a pickup is an emasculated,
insecure, sub-human jerk. I am saying that such a person seems more than
likely to be driving a pickup truck. The difference is important. This type
of cowardly pinhead reflects poorly on all drivers of pickups just as certain
kamikaze kids reflect poorly on all bikers.
Any comments netters? Has anyone else experienced this? I would have expected
the sub-human jerks to drive a variety of vehicles. (Pickups stand out as
those who seem to go out of their way to do these things on purpose.)
Send flames, etc.; hate mail is the most interesting kind.
Todd Vierheller
Tektronix Inc.
PS. I own a car too. It's the lowly Ford Escort SS. Not too fast, not too
pretty, but eminently practical. [And payed for. :-) ]struve@calma.UUCP (Dimetry Struve) (02/20/86)
I drive a pickup truck (4 wheel drive, no less). I own four motorcycles. I split lanes regularly. I try not to ride in a way that lets cars (or trucks) bother me. Speed up or get out of the slow lane, and people won't tailgate you. Stop wearing that bright orange vest, and they won't aim at you. Seriously, I ignored your posting originally on net.auto, where I expect this kind of narrow-minded attitude, but please keep it off net.cycle.
coffin@mot.UUCP (Dracula) (02/24/86)
> * Attempt to force their way into my lane (through me) because their lane > is closed and they didn't want to wait in line. "The motorcyclist > won't stand up to a truck will he?" [I refuse to move an inch; so far > none of the slugs have gotten close enough for me to kick their > vehicles. You might question my sanity at this point. I do.] > > > IMPORTANT: I am not saying everyone who drives a pickup is an emasculated, > insecure, sub-human jerk. I am saying that such a person seems more than > likely to be driving a pickup truck. The difference is important. This type > of cowardly pinhead reflects poorly on all drivers of pickups just as certain > kamikaze kids reflect poorly on all bikers. > I *HAVE* had occasion to kick a vehicle that was forcing it's way into my lane. What I really want for my bike is a browning twin .50 machine gun loaded with paint shells. (like used in the survival game) Then I could turn some of these jerks paint jobs bright orange! so other riders on the road would know that they are out to get them.
laura@hoptoad.uucp (Laura Creighton) (02/25/86)
In article <273@aero.ARPA> brown@aero.UUCP (Leonard Brown) writes: > >I also notice this behavior on the part of pickup drivers, especially the >small Japanese pickups that never seem to be carrying any type of load >that would justify their existence. Men buy these things to look "cool" >even though they seem to have no real reason to have a pickup instead of >a car. I own one motorcycle and no cars or trucks. But the next vehicle I buy is going to be a truck -- probably a small Japanese pickup. Every month I need a truck at least once to carry a load I would like to pick up. I have done without more firewood this winter than I can imagine because I didn't have a handy vehicle. And I like to sit above the traffic rather that down in it. Aside from gas milage, or because you want a sports car, or because you need a family car -- I can't see why you would want a car rather than a truck. But then I have never owned a truck. Anybody care to enlighten me? -- Laura Creighton ihnp4!hoptoad!laura laura@lll-crg.arpa
colonel@ellie.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (02/27/86)
["Captain Buffalo! Look out for that truck loaded with DYNAMITE!"] > The single recurring similarity in the vast majority of incidents is that the > idiot in the four wheeled vehicle just happens to be driving a pickup truck. > From this I have concluded that if someone is slightly sub-human, a first > class jerk, and heavily insecure, that person is more likely to buy a pickup > truck than any other vehicle. I guess it has something to do with being > unsure of their own manhood. (Not to be sexist, but I've yet to have a woman > in a pickup pull one of these Neanderthal stunts.) My own experience (in the suburbs of Buffalo) confirms that pickup drivers in general are less courteous and considerate than other drivers. An alternative explanation is that rural drivers are likely to drive pickups, and unlikely to have been trained well. -- Col. G. L. Sicherman UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel CS: colonel@buffalo-cs BI: csdsicher@sunyabva
herbie@polaris.UUCP (Herb Chong) (03/02/86)
In article <840@ellie.UUCP> colonel@ellie.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) writes: >> The single recurring similarity in the vast majority of incidents is that the >> idiot in the four wheeled vehicle just happens to be driving a pickup truck. > >My own experience (in the suburbs of Buffalo) confirms that pickup drivers >in general are less courteous and considerate than other drivers. An >alternative explanation is that rural drivers are likely to drive pickups, >and unlikely to have been trained well. it also could be that their truck handles so badly that they can't help what they're doing. not that i've driven many trucks but the larger ones i have handled terribly. Herb Chong... I'm still user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble.... VNET,BITNET,NETNORTH,EARN: HERBIE AT YKTVMH UUCP: {allegra|cbosgd|cmcl2|decvax|ihnp4|seismo}!philabs!polaris!herbie CSNET: herbie.yktvmh@ibm-sj.csnet ARPA: herbie.yktvmh.ibm-sj.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa, herbie%yktvmh.bitnet@wiscvm ======================================================================== DISCLAIMER: what you just read was produced by pouring lukewarm tea for 42 seconds onto 9 people chained to 6 Ouiji boards.
mth@druhi.UUCP (HamiltonM) (03/04/86)
In response to Laura; For the most part, I agree with your statements. My truck doesn't get used as a truck very often, but it comes in real handy on occasion. I haul firewood once a year. I manage to get asked to help a friend move once or twice a year. And picking up lumber or lawn-mowers or air compressors, etc. is a breeze. Mine is a full-size Ford (and 4X4, which is also real convenient at times). So I can also haul 3 friends easily. That might be tough in a small-size truck - something you might want to consider. Mark Hamilton Denver
mth@druhi.UUCP (HamiltonM) (03/04/86)
These statements may or may not be true. I don't know that many pick-up truck drivers. I do know that I am equally discourteous whether I am in my truck or my car. Mark Hamilton Denver
cuda@ihuxf.UUCP (Mike Nelson) (03/04/86)
> ["Captain Buffalo! Look out for that truck loaded with DYNAMITE!"] > > > The single recurring similarity in the vast majority of incidents is that the > > idiot in the four wheeled vehicle just happens to be driving a pickup truck. > > My own experience (in the suburbs of Buffalo) confirms that pickup drivers > in general are less courteous and considerate than other drivers. An > alternative explanation is that rural drivers are likely to drive pickups, > and unlikely to have been trained well. > -- > Col. G. L. Sicherman > UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel > CS: colonel@buffalo-cs > BI: csdsicher@sunyabva WHY does a RURUL UPBRINGIN have ta DO with bein ABLE to CONTROL a VEHICLE? I was DRIVING on the FARM at 8 got a LI-SENSE at 14 and THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAS is TRYIN to stay OUT of the WAY of CITY DRIVERS who OBVIOUSLY FAILED GRADE SCHOOL PYSICS and TRY to OCUPY MY space at the SAME TIME. ANYONE care for a PLOW OFF? Actually, the only way to balance the conversation is for someone to take the other side, right? :} Given the vast majority of the US's population being concentrated in the urban areas and the small number of rural defectors who emigrate to the city in search of adequate subsistance, I would conclude that the pickup drivers are city born and bred and recieved their unlikely training in the same place. Mike Nelson ihuxf!cuda I jus an Idaho farm boy. _ | | | | | | <- Idaho | \ | \ | \__/| | farm | | -> . | |_______|
colonel@ellie.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (03/06/86)
> >My own experience (in the suburbs of Buffalo) confirms that pickup drivers > >in general are less courteous and considerate than other drivers. An > >alternative explanation is that rural drivers are likely to drive pickups, > >and unlikely to have been trained well. > > it also could be that their truck handles so badly that they can't help > what they're doing. not that i've driven many trucks but the larger > ones i have handled terribly. I agree that trucks are hard to drive. But a truck must handle very badly indeed to prevent the driver from signalling turns.... -- Col. G. L. Sicherman UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel CS: colonel@buffalo-cs BI: csdsicher@sunyabva
mcewan@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (03/17/86)
>>> One car length for each "60" mph??? I defy anyone out there to stop >>> a cycle going 60 mph in one car length (of course unless you run into >>> the back of the car, that should stop you rather suddenly!) >> >> Actually, that works out pretty well, as long as you can brake equaly >> or better then the guy in front of you (he can't go from a velocity >> of 60mph to 0 in less than a couple of seconds!). > > Taking a car length to be around 15 feet, and since 60 MPH = 88 feet/sec, > you would have to apply your brakes within 0.17 seconds of the driver > in front of you in order for it to "work out pretty well." You've assumed that the car comes to a stop instantly. The actual reaction time needed depends on how quickly the car and motercycle decellerate. If, for example, we assume that that 2 second figure for the car is accurate, that the decleration is constant, and that the motorcycle can stop instantly, then the motorcycle rider has just over 0.58 seconds to react. Does anyone know the real values for the braking times for typical cars and motorcycles? Scott McEwan {ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!mcewan "I'm sorry, sir. According to your identification you're not even born yet. Come back in 500 years."
rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (Robert E. Schleicher) (03/19/86)
> > >>> One car length for each "60" mph??? I defy anyone out there to stop > >>> a cycle going 60 mph in one car length (of course unless you run into > >>> the back of the car, that should stop you rather suddenly!) > >> > > Taking a car length to be around 15 feet, and since 60 MPH = 88 feet/sec, > > you would have to apply your brakes within 0.17 seconds of the driver > > in front of you in order for it to "work out pretty well." > > You've assumed that the car comes to a stop instantly. The actual reaction > time needed depends on how quickly the car and motercycle decellerate. If, > for example, we assume that that 2 second figure for the car is accurate, > that the decleration is constant, and that the motorcycle can stop instantly, > then the motorcycle rider has just over 0.58 seconds to react. Does > anyone know the real values for the braking times for typical cars and > motorcycles? > > Scott McEwan > {ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!mcewan > The two rules of thumb mentioned are: 1. A car lenght for every 10mph of speed (60 mph implies six car lengths) 2. 2 seconds of interval between cars These two rules are approximately the same. They are intended to allow enough time for reaction to the car ahead stopping suddenly, under its own braking power. The rules don't work if your vehicle has significantly longer stopping distances than the vehicle in front of you (an extreme, but common example would be a semi behind a motorcycle). The rules also don't work if something (like a cement wall) stops the vehicle in front of you in a very short distance (although the rules may still give you enough reaction time to take evasive action. The two second/one car length per 10 mph rule was demonstrated to me once in high school by using a car equipped with a buzzer, and a switch on the brake pedal. While driving, the buzzer would go off, starting a stop watch. The stop watch would be tripped by the first application of brakes. Also, both the buzzer going off, and the hitting of brakes caused the car to shoot a paint blob on the pavement. The results, over several drivers, bore out the two second/one car lenghth per 10 mph rule. Bob Schleicher ihuxk!rs55611 : > "I'm sorry, sir. According to your identification you're not even born > yet. Come back in 500 years." *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***