wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (04/11/84)
As long as the subject of trucks has come up, I would like to say that it always boggles my mind when I see some lunkhead in a Honda (insert any other car name) cut in front of an 18-wheeler on the freeway. They seem to think that because the truck has 18 wheels, it has 18 times more stopping power. I see this manuver nearly every morning and evening on our local super-slab. To cut in front of one of these rigs is akin to committing suicide if they have to stop quickly. The truck driver has probably taken great pains to maintain a reasonable distance between him and the next car just in case he has to stop. When one of these dimwits slides into that space, the ability to bring the truck to a stop without hitting the next car is reduced tremendously. I travel the local freeways and toll roads with a CB on and it has been a source of much good information. I listen to the truck drivers and have gained a lot of insight to their problems. I would say that over 90% of the truck drivers are helpful and understanding when you try to find out about what their problems are all about. The major complaint of most drivers is the constant weaving in and out by the four-wheelers. Then there is the pee-brain who zips in front of a big truck at the top of a grade, poops along at 55 down hill, then whips up the next grade at 70, leaving the truck at the bottom with no momentum to get up the hill without shifting down 3 or 4 gears. Using a little common sense when confronted with a highway full of 18-wheelers can save a life. Do not eat up the truckers margin of stopping distance by slipping into the space between him and the next car. Do not play fast and slow in hilly sections. I don't mean to say that there are not any truckers who are a**holes. On the other hand, there are a lot of 4-wheel drivers who just do not understand the complexity of driving a K-whopper with 70 bushels (that's 70,000 lbs in CB talk) of dog food down a three lane highway, surrounded by commuters, and only able to use the two right lanes. As to the guy in Connecticut, he should have gotten 20 years for just being a rotten apple in the industry. Other truckers who have been discussing the case the past few days are saying the same thing. These guys drive trucks for a living. If you want a more boring job, try it some time. Getting into accidents is not their idea of having a nice day. T. C. Wheeler
pmk@spuxll.UUCP (04/13/84)
If you notice, those same a**holes also cut in front of just about anything that moves, so dog owners beware. It seems that a driver's stupidity is in a inverse proportion to the size of his car. How many times have you encountered some maniac in a small car (especially a Rabbit or Beetle) who has to try to pass everything in sight. These people have very little regard for life, be it theirs or anyone elses. Worst of all, the police just ignore these idiots. This is making it more and more difficult to resist the temptation to run these morons off the road. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. P Kelliher AT&T-ISL S Plainfield, NJ
an@hou2h.UUCP (A.NGUYEN) (04/16/84)
- > Wheeler: > .. it always boggles my mind when I see some lunkhead in a Honda > cut in front of an 18-wheeler on the freeway. > Kelliher: > It seems that a driver's stupidity is in a inverse proportion to > the size of his car. How many times have you encountered some maniac > in a small car (especially a Rabbit or Beetle) who has to try to pass > everything in sight. Hold on there Buckos! You guys got something against small cars? I've seen plenty of people driving big cars pulling the same shit you guys describe, too! Don't make generalizations unless you are prepared to put your foot in your mouth. And remember, assholes come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Au
wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) (04/17/84)
]] Hold on there Au. I have never owned a gas guzzler. I drive a Honda and a Datsun right now. I have driven, in the past, Bugs(4), Toyota, Lark, and Anglia. The Garden State Parkway has a very large proportion of small cars on it during the rush hour. In my observations over the past year on bothe the GSP and hwy 287, I have observed that the smaller cars do much more of the popping in and out of tight spots than the monsters. The bigger cars just plow ahead, usually at less than the speed of the surrounding traffic, but that's another problem. I used to love the Bug owners who bragged that they could go anywhere in the snow. I usually passed them somewhere on the road as they were trying to dig two feet of snow out from under their wheels. I do not mean to malign the cautious driver, be they big or small car drivers. I was just trying to point out that there are brainless idiots out there who try to squeeze into spaces where they ought not to be. The most brainless are those who do this little trick in front of an 18-wheeler at 70 mph. There have been countless times that some dummy has done this only to have the car in front of him slam on the brakes and then the truck try to turn his car into an accordian. The Trucker gets the blame for following too close. Of course this makes the family of the dummy happy as they plant him 6-feet under. When a small car driver pulls this stunt, their chances of survival are a hell of a lot less than for someone in a Detroit Tank. Why add to the probability rating for a fatal accident by shortening the stopping distance of the driver behind you? I saw this very thing this morning again when some dimbulb in a little yellow MG pulled in in front of another guy who was already tailgating causing the guy behind to slam on his brakes to avoid him, and, causing the driver of a Peterbuilt tanker to jump on the air to keep from clobbering both of them. Ther was less than two feet between the MGs front bumper and the next guy, and the back bumper and the guy behind. He was just damn lucky the truck driver was alert and had good brakes or I would still be out there explaining it to the staties. T. C. Wheeler
an@hou2h.UUCP (A.NGUYEN) (04/18/84)
-- > Wheeler: > .. The smaller cars do much more of the popping in and out of tight > spots than the monsters. The bigger cars just plow ahead .. It's no accident (!) that little cars are a lot more responsive than big cars. Detroit Boats are so ponderous that the average Joe/Jane Motorist simply doesn't have the reflexes to "pop in and out" of traffic. (Of course, the average American also have such a fat neck that it's painful to turn its head to check the blind spot, but that's another story.) NOTE THAT I AM *NOT* CONDONING OR ENCOURAGING SLOPPY DRIVING HABITS! I believe that everyone should be held accountable for what they do. If they die, so be it. > When a small car driver [cuts off others], [his] chances of survival > are a hell of a lot less than for someone in a Detroit Tank. You have not heard the theory that little cars just get bunted out of the way when hit, rather than resist and get crumpled. Open to debate of course. > I was just trying to point out that there are brainless idiots out > there who try to squeeze into spaces where they ought not to be. Fine, I'm not stopping you. Just remove any implication that small car drivers are suicidal maniacs. > I used to love the Bug owners who bragged that they could go anywhere > in the snow. I usually passed them somewhere on the road as they were > trying to dig two feet of snow out from under their wheels. Bugs *can* go quite a few places with those tall and skinny tyres. Skinny to better cut through the slush and bite on terra firma; and tall to ride over ruts, not follow them. Of course, there are always those who exceed the limits of the machine and go into the ditch, but that's not really the Bug's fault. Au