Un-safe trucker

[DamnFineBob]

My .02 cents on various subjects covered here:

A. Most modern GPS units now have a speedometer feature, and mine indicates the EXACT same speed as my car's speedometer... they could both be wrong by the same amount, but I'm inclined to agree it means my speedometer is accurate.

2. Some people drive slow for various reasons, such as: They're lost. They're old. They're inexperienced behind the wheel. They're impaired medically. They're drunk. They're distracted. They perceive a road condition that you don't. Tailgating these people won't make them drive any safer, and probably won't get the tailgater where he's going any faster.

III. Trucks don't own the road. No matter what any "professional driver" says, they don't. Period.

Four. All vehicles are bound by speed limits, safe following distances, stop signs and yield signs, even the big and ugly ones.

E. I don't care if the speeder or tailgater is paid by the mile or the minute, rules are rules. My time is probably worth more money than that of an Oklahoma pig hauler, yet I don't run the (supposedly) less important people off the road whenever I drive.

 

[ouch]

My time is probably worth more money than that of an Oklahoma pig hauler, yet I don't run the (supposedly) less important people off the road whenever I drive.

Let's leave the wrestling promos to trained professionals.

 

[saf]

Most importantly I am sure the trucker shaves with a fusion and we should all hate him.

 

[jd_1138]

He's probably one of these tough guy poseur types with a beard who dresses in leathers and gets on his Harley on the weekends.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

He's probably one of these tough guy poseur types with a beard who dresses in leathers and gets on his Harley on the weekends.

Actually, my guess is the opposite. Based on his behavior (and recalling people I have known over the years) I’d bet he is a scrawny, insecure, hot-head of a guy. Driving his rig makes him feel brawny instead of scrawny and fuels his desire to be in charge - a Napoleon complex in the flesh.

 

[Manning]

Something I'm sure some media outlets might be interested in, as well as PETA/Animal rights groups, showing how idiot farms endanger not only the environment but the lives of the rest of us on the highways to deliver their cargo, not to mention their customers likely wouldn't want any publicity...

Tailgating is bad. Period.

But I wouldn't let this road incident color your perception of "farms." This incident doesn't really imply that farms are "idiots", mistreat animals, or harm the environment. You may hold these views apart from this incident, but I don't believe the two are, or should be, related.

 

[Clovis Man]

You say there was no way to pull over. What if an emergency vehicle had been approaching?

That isn't NEAR as likely as the blue gladhand coming loose -- and what if THAT had happened?

 

[luvmysuper]

You say there was no way to pull over. What if an emergency vehicle had been approaching?

Iowa Code 321.324 -Operation on approach of emergency vehicles.

Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle with any lamp or device displaying a red light or red and blue lights, or an authorized emergency vehicle of a fire department displaying a blue light, or when the driver is giving audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right hand edge or curb of the highway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer. For the purposes of this section, "red light" or "blue light" means a light or lighting device that, when illuminated, will exhibit a solid flashing or strobing red or blue light.

This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway.

 

[bkfist]

Tailgating is bad. Period.

But I wouldn't let this road incident color your perception of "farms." This incident doesn't really imply that farms are "idiots", mistreat animals, or harm the environment. You may hold these views apart from this incident, but I don't believe the two are, or should be, related.

He he... I've got my opinions of farmers, but not from an animal rights standpoint... Generally positive, our entire economy pretty much revolves around farming, with the very negative opinions of "commercial hog farmers"... Again, nothing to do with treatment of animals, rather the commercial hog farm's lack of ability to deal with the concentration of waste in a large setting.

 

[professorchaos]

Stop! The trucker's behavior is indefensible! Six pages of a thread dedicated to trying to make his actions seem reasonable.

 

[ouch]

After reading this thread, without having ever met the trucker in question I can conclude that he is 5' 11" tall, weighs 163 pounds, voted for Al Gore, was tuned to the Michael Savage show, wore a blue shirt, was in the process of delivering canned goods to the poor, and has his eye on his next door neighbor's wife.

 

[oc_in_fw]

After reading this thread, without having ever met the trucker in question I can conclude that he is 5' 11" tall, weighs 163 pounds, voted for Al Gore, was tuned to the Michael Savage show, wore a blue shirt, was in the process of delivering canned goods to the poor, and has his eye on his next door neighbor's wife.

I am sure he is a Naderite

 

[Vickers]

After reading this thread, without having ever met the trucker in question I can conclude that he is 5' 11" tall, weighs 163 pounds, voted for Al Gore, was tuned to the Michael Savage show, wore a blue shirt, was in the process of delivering canned goods to the poor, and has his eye on his next door neighbor's wife.

Dude, you're like Hannibal Lecter.

 

[rajagra]

Maybe my Google-fu is weak, but I can't find evidence to support that statement anywhere.

It's certainly well-known amongst drivers, and documented in the EU:
UNECE Vehicle Regulations - 1958 Agreement, Regulation No. 39, Addendum 38

The speed indicated shall not be less than the true speed of the vehicle. At the test
speeds specified in paragraph 5.2.5. above, there shall be the following relationship
between the speed displayed (V1 ) and the true speed (V2).
0 ≤ (V1 - V2) ≤ 0.1 V2 + 4 km/h

I.e. the speedo must never underestimate the speed, and it may overestimate by 10%+4km/h.
You can be sure the manufacturers build them to overestimate by about 5%.

U.S. Law seems to be ±10%. So no reason for manufacturers to deviate from the above practice.

IMO the OP did the right thing in the absence of easy, safe choices - kept at a steady speed around the limit. Speeding up might have helped temporarily (but of course authorities will never concede that breaking the speed limit may improve safety! At least not for us civilians.) Slowing down would only annoy the truck driver even more. If being forced to go a few MPH below the limit was making him angry, imagine how he'd react at being made to lose momentum. I bet the eventual overtake would have been an even closer affair (or something much worse.)

 

[Clovis Man]

Now we need a thread by a trucker, explaining how many 4-wheelers pass, get directly in front, then hit the brakes. Or accelerate to the end of an on-ramp without ever checking for traffic, then in the last 30 feet look over their shoulder and have to lock up the brakes (literally) because there is a vehicle in the way with traffic preventing that vehicle from moving over. Or the 4-wheelers who cross 4 lanes within 75 feet to take an exit. Or the RV'ers who drive 45 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, on a 2-lane road, with 20 cars/trucks lined up behind them, all the while arguing with people on the CB.

What would you do if someone pointed a pistol at you? Would you step closer and DARE them to shoot you? Because that's a pretty similar situation to driving 53 MPH and DARING that cattle hauler to hit you.

 

[plpenn]

I have been on both sides of this situation and I feel like both folks in this case were at fault in their own way.

Im surprised this thread made it to 6 pages! I thought it would be locked by 3

 

[Clovis Man]

A Hahahahaha!!! Yep, it did seem that way! But we didn't really get THAT far out of control!

 

[oc_in_fw]

Now we need a thread by a trucker, explaining how many 4-wheelers pass, get directly in front, then hit the brakes. Or accelerate to the end of an on-ramp without ever checking for traffic, then in the last 30 feet look over their shoulder and have to lock up the brakes (literally) because there is a vehicle in the way with traffic preventing that vehicle from moving over. Or the 4-wheelers who cross 4 lanes within 75 feet to take an exit. Or the RV'ers who drive 45 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, on a 2-lane road, with 20 cars/trucks lined up behind them, all the while arguing with people on the CB.

What would you do if someone pointed a pistol at you? Would you step closer and DARE them to shoot you? Because that's a pretty similar situation to driving 53 MPH and DARING that cattle hauler to hit you.

While I agree with most of what you said (I ride a motorcycle and just about everyone on more than 2 wheels think they own the road), 53 in a 55 is not daring anyone to hit you. 55 is the speed LIMIT, not the speed minimum. That being said, I know that doing the speed limit on a motorcycle will get you killed from behind, because drivers just don't pay attention. If I am not SL+15 I am not comfortable.

 

[Clovis Man]

I understand about the limit, I've been there, too. But when someone is on MY back bumper, I sure don't let them stay there long. Especially when they're grossing 40 tons.

 

[bkfist]

Now we need a thread by a trucker, explaining how many 4-wheelers pass, get directly in front, then hit the brakes. Or accelerate to the end of an on-ramp without ever checking for traffic, then in the last 30 feet look over their shoulder and have to lock up the brakes (literally) because there is a vehicle in the way with traffic preventing that vehicle from moving over. Or the 4-wheelers who cross 4 lanes within 75 feet to take an exit. Or the RV'ers who drive 45 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, on a 2-lane road, with 20 cars/trucks lined up behind them, all the while arguing with people on the CB.

What would you do if someone pointed a pistol at you? Would you step closer and DARE them to shoot you? Because that's a pretty similar situation to driving 53 MPH and DARING that cattle hauler to hit you.

In what state (in the U.S.) is there a 70MPH limit on a 2 lane road? A 2 lane road is one with one lane going one direction, and 1 lane coming at you.

I didn't realize that going 2 MPH under the posted speed limit on a road (about 4% - or less than half the allowed error of margin, apparently, of a speedometer.) was "daring" someone to hit you?

As to daring someone who pulls a pistol on me, I try to be astute enough of my surroundings that were someone to pull a pistol on me, I'd hope I would see that coming and would be able to draw mine and disable the aggressor before they knew what was happening. Someone who pulls a weapon and points it at me where I would have a chance to even make a choice of whether or not to step closer and dare them to shoot me is a low-life who has an intent to intimidate/bully.

I'm not drawing my weapon unless my intent is to shoot to kill. There is no threat, there is no intimidation, there is no "scare him" mentality. If someone pulls a weapon on me, be it pistol, knife, tire iron or any other object capable of causing death or severe bodily injury, you can bet your hiney my intent/action is to neutralize the threat immediately and completely.