The Stranger
04-26-2005, 09:43 PM
I have my own little rant about drivers out there, as inspired by the earlier turn indicator post.
I drive a bobtail truck with a 20' box and a 26,000 lb GWV (gross vehicle weight) in the Los Angeles area for a living. The situation that the OP brought up in that other thread happens to me several times a day.
My version of it: I have my right turn signal on, trying to change lanes so I can make my exit. Looks clear for a second, but then the car accelerates. Then I slow down slightly, looks clear again, so I start to inch over, and then the guy behind me decides to pass me on the right, popping into the far right lane, accelerating past me, and then changing lanes back to the left.
This is dangerous because those of you who can remember driving school and traffic school may remember when the teacher shows charts of a truck's blind spots. A truck driver cannot see what is directly behind him unless it is a few hundred feet back. A truck driver does not see you on his right until you are right along side his cab unless he is looking in his blind spot mirror (the convex one) (which he should be doing if he's changing lanes).
Better options: (a) wait for him to change lanes, and speed up when he's done, (b) change lanes to the goddamn left!
The other one that happens all the time is if when I'm trying to back into a driveway. Normally I have to wait in the center lane for 3-5 minutes for a big enough break in traffic to back up. I'll start backing up and then some douche comes flying around the corner, usually has time to stop, but instead zooms between my truck and where I'm backing to. I am extremely paranoid every time I am in reverse, so there really haven't been any close calls, but I could just imagine what could happen because these people are in too much of a hurry.
Bottom line if you value your life: Don't fu<font color="black">c</font>k with trucks!
I drive a bobtail truck with a 20' box and a 26,000 lb GWV (gross vehicle weight) in the Los Angeles area for a living. The situation that the OP brought up in that other thread happens to me several times a day.
My version of it: I have my right turn signal on, trying to change lanes so I can make my exit. Looks clear for a second, but then the car accelerates. Then I slow down slightly, looks clear again, so I start to inch over, and then the guy behind me decides to pass me on the right, popping into the far right lane, accelerating past me, and then changing lanes back to the left.
This is dangerous because those of you who can remember driving school and traffic school may remember when the teacher shows charts of a truck's blind spots. A truck driver cannot see what is directly behind him unless it is a few hundred feet back. A truck driver does not see you on his right until you are right along side his cab unless he is looking in his blind spot mirror (the convex one) (which he should be doing if he's changing lanes).
Better options: (a) wait for him to change lanes, and speed up when he's done, (b) change lanes to the goddamn left!
The other one that happens all the time is if when I'm trying to back into a driveway. Normally I have to wait in the center lane for 3-5 minutes for a big enough break in traffic to back up. I'll start backing up and then some douche comes flying around the corner, usually has time to stop, but instead zooms between my truck and where I'm backing to. I am extremely paranoid every time I am in reverse, so there really haven't been any close calls, but I could just imagine what could happen because these people are in too much of a hurry.
Bottom line if you value your life: Don't fu<font color="black">c</font>k with trucks!