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picture of rt. 81 w/o insanity
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Each trip I take north up the interstate in my 90 + mile round trip to see the doctors for the various things going on with me medically these days I find myself entangled in some altercation with a trucker. I am a careful but not timid driver. I have driven a great deal in my life and for part of it made a living behind the wheel. Yes, I am older. I am, however, aware of my limitations on the road. Most of them have to do with becoming easily fatigued. I account for this. I am not the wandering old lady toddering down the road.
I also try to show respect to other drivers__especially truckers. They're out there making their living. I was born and raised out west where the open road was long and the truckers were always respected. It is becoming harder to show this respect.
Today I had a trucker get on the bumper of my car in heavy traffic. When I opened space to allow another truck to come into the lane in front of me [w/o decreasing speed by much or putting on my brakes just very minimally backing off on the accelerator__there was no decrease in the flow of traffic] the trucker on my bumper went absolutely ballistic. This had not in any way caused him to slow down or put on his brakes__he was just being an asshole. He then got even closer to the back of my car. So close that all I could see was his grill and his brights. And he was honking. Now, there was no place for me to go because there was traffic in front of and next to us. We were already going 10 miles over the posted 65 mph. At this point all it would have taken for a major pile-up would have been for one driver in either lane to wobble, weave or become distracted.
I was livid!!
The trucker I'd let in moved over as soon as he could and then eventually more of the left-lane traffic moved right. As soon as I had an open and clear lane I downshifted and took off. Until that point I had this guy on my bumper driving like a maniac focused on one thing and that seemed to be running me off the road.
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When I'd put a substantial amount of highway between us I settled back into my usual, sane driving pattern. What did he do? As soon as I took off to get away from him he got into the right lane. Immediately. What was he thinking? Probably that the cops would be showing up shortly and he didn't want any part of that. If they had I would have had a lot to say.
I don't know what's going on with these guys. It's more than a little disturbing. Last Friday evening a trucker on the same highway killed two local residents driving home because he was distracted. He was uninjured. They are dead and another driver is still in the hospital. I have to drive this road again next week. I feel like I should be strapping on armor.
And it makes me mad.
I hate semis. They are bullies on the highway.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't used to be this bad.
ReplyDeleteTailgaters scare me a lot more than speeders. The truckers used to set the example for courteous driving, always flashing their lights when it was safe to pull back in ahead of them, etc. Not so much anymore. I look forward to the day when gas and diesel fuel and the deteriorating state of the interstates forces the truckers to do nothing but pickups and deliveries to the nearest freight train terminal.
ReplyDeleteI remember those days , too, Augie. I've heard some truckers complain about regular drivers being the problem on the highways. And if you drive long distance for a living I can see where that might be an impression you might get but I'm here to say, from a car owners point of view driving is becoming a contact sport and the contact is between a mini and a mountain.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful to stay that the truck drivers we have up here seem to be a good sort -- which is handy, for there are a lot of long loads coming out of mining and softwood lumber country.
ReplyDeleteIf I'd been in a situation like yours I don't know if I'd have been able to stay calm. Kudos to your skills and temperament!
Thanks, Miki, but it would have been me getting the speeding ticket accelerating to get away from this jerk, you can bet. If the police had shown up they might have listened about the trucker and even stopped and given him a warning but it would have been me with the ticket and fine...and it would have been substantial. I was taking no chances on getting fast and far away from him.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was a truck driver I remember very clearly on his long hauls he wouldn't let himself be on the road longer than eight hours and he'd find a coffee shop every two. I remember less traffic and I remember people not tracking their deliveries every two minutes online.
ReplyDeleteI'm not making excuses.. but it was a VERY different time. Fatigue is a very dangerous thing to be behind the wheel of a 16 tonne box of metal with a turning radius of a jumbo jet never mind the time it takes them to come to a complete stop. Most of these truck drivers are on the road 12 hours at a time, "Optimization" research studies -just like they study in my very own department at work pushes out studies that haulage times can be decreased by night time delivery... they formulate optimum speeds, routes and weights putting pressure on the humans behind the wheel to deliver on time with zero excuses. Trucks are more gas efficient and reliable (filling up their tanks usually meant coffee and a bit of a human connection). Yes, they cut costs and time.. and apparently the dangers that they've added are an acceptable loss. It burns my ass.
they need to get the rail systems running again for longer transports and manually undo the speed ability in transport vehicles. there is no reason a leviathan like that needs to even be able to go over the maximum speed limit on any highway.
Cannonball runs are not an option.
Be safe Goldie... get a bumper sticker for your car.. put it up on top... close to the back... where only a high altitude truck driver would see it.. "Sorry for driving so close in front of you".
ReplyDeleteI didn't cut him off or impede his progress, Robin, that's the thing. He's the one who came up on me. I don't cut in front of them because I do understand how much they have behind them. And these days the trucking companies Are pushing their drivers too hard. I've talked to a few short haul drivers when they stop at the local grocery/stores around here. It's harder on them now than it's ever been on the highway and with expectations for delivery schedules.
ReplyDeleteBut
Taking the safety of everyone on the road and throwing it out the window isn't the answer. They keep running ads for more trucking here. We have many truck harbors and are planning more. I haven't seen too many expansion plans for rail systems __sigh__ so I just see this problem getting worse, not better.
I know Goldie, what gets me is THEY should know more than anyone else on that road how much it takes to slow down let a lone stop... they shouldn't be a shadow of a doubt in their minds about tailgating. It will get worse. Absolutely especially since training is expensive for companies, the minimum training programs are shortening.
DeleteCommon sense is being replaced by aggressive driving.
We're also experiencing and influx of people immigrating from countries that have far less road safety laws and far more willy nilly driving and are arriving licensed. there is no driver equivalence measures in place, I think it's GREAT if they can get a job in transport as soon as they arrive we need more of that not less, but right now they are not required to be retested or retrained. Any testing they do is on a controlled lot involving pylons and backing into a loading dock.
I firmly believe they need a full on driver training program in place for all drivers every five years.
Defensive driving is becoming offensive... on so many levels.
It is hopeless in my little country too. I never go far from home now.
ReplyDeleteI didn't for years and I wouldn't be doing it now if I didn't have to. It's not just the trucks. There's a great deal more traffic on the roads altogether.
ReplyDeleteThat would have scared me shitless.
ReplyDeleteIt took awhile for me to calm down when I got home.
ReplyDelete