Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'truck'.
-
I am going to post this last statement on defensive driving and then be quiet..!! Thank God some will say!!:rotf:. I am a service plumber, I drive on the average of 200 miles a day, 6 days a week in city and town traffic, I go to and make contact with six to 20 people a day. I drive a lot, in fact sometimes when someone asks me what I do for a living, I jokingly tell them I am a truck driver!! So I am home for lunch......can type 80 words a minute......so listen to my morning.....instead of watching all this with numb attitude like I usually do...I wrote down everything I observed on the way to my first job this morning. It was nine miles there, and nine miles back. 1. When I got to the end of my long driveway and was getting ready to turn unto the highway....a teenage boy went by doing 90 miles an hour, he about sucked the bumper off the front of my truck......he was late for school, cutting across on the way to the High School.......I had to get out and see if the bolts were still in my bumper(no not really, just my sense of humor acting up)!! 2. I made my left hand turn and proceeded up Sease Hill road.....a White Ford Mini Van comes out of a driveway right in front of me...never stops , never looks....has one ear glued to that Cell Phone......he rips out in the road.....swerves back and crosses the center lane into on-coming traffic. Corrects this and almost takes out a mailbox on the right side. 3. I proceeded on and at the first 4 way stop an Red SUV(Tahoe) rolls up to the busy 4-way, sees me coming......never stops.....just goes on and makes a left hand turn in front of me, did not make eye contact with me....on purpose.....saw me I know...just hurried up to make the turn. 4. On up a bit Ace Hardware has a sprinkler situation.....they have been on all night.....road is wet......full of puddles. 5. They have built a new Walmart on Highway 6. They are in the process of clearing trees to make a 4 lane highway. I could see the blue lights way up there...before I got to the scene. There was a track-hoe and dump truck involved and a small chevrolet citation car. Evidently the track-hoe operator was inexperienced, forgot about tail swing and pushed the dump-truck into the highway........what the little car was doing there. I do not know......there was a lady sitting in it........we are all slowly going around as the trooper directed us.........I was totally past the whole scene and heard the squeal of heavy braking....lol!! The lady in the little car...decided to get out.....opened the door......sure enough.......the next idiot in line.........do not think they ran into the open door.........almost....saw the trooper throw up his hands. I think he was getting a little aggravated at this point!! 6. On top of all this.......we have not had rain in a long time.....but in a half mile stretch it did put enough down to just wet the road......motorcycles beware......this is when it is the worst. 7. I was just about to the job and was easing over into the left hand turn lane at a junction........another little white car(lot of them out today) rips around me....partially in oncoming lane...zips in front of me and slams on the brakes at the light. 8. One the way home for lunch.....at the corner quick stop......more blue lights, this time a little red car is sitting in the middle of the road.......with a White Ford Truck smashed into the side of it......this one pulled out in front of the Truck........ All this in just about 45 minutes of driving time and only 18 miles of total travel time. Most of the time when we are in a car or regular vehicle we seem to tune it out.......or I do......this is a daily gauntlet we all run. On a bike this stuff if you do not pay attention.........well you know the result of that. Thought you might find this interesting........try it yourself sometime....just pick a time at random......pay attention to everything you see.......do not tune it out......actually take note of it all.....It will wake you up......sure will. So what did I learn today? In the past I have been one of the culprits of if I am riding with someone to ride beside them. It seems to be something we all do .....we ride with someone.....we become trusting of each other, naturally so.........we do not hold to the staggered file line we should. I see bikes doing this all the time. This lady who opened the car door, in heavy traffic.......what could the biker if he had been there on the right track do? Might have caused him to swerve into his buddy's bike......both might go down............this is what I mean when I have written before......learn to drive defensively......try to learn something everyday to be more observant and to be a better rider. I will hold that staggered line.....I will talk to my friend when we get there....that way we both will make it. Okay I am done.......I was just entertaining myself on the way to the job this morning.......had not realized myself how much can go on in such a short trip in town. Kit
-
Maybe this is bad timing or poor taste at the moment, but this happened to me yesterday. I pulled onto a four lane highway and headed into town. The next vehicle down was a garbage truck. (He was a ways down there. I had plenty of room.) It was still a bit dim and with a light mist in the air. Plenty of visibility, but it's extremely humid and my helmet visor wouldn't stay clear. I pulled off onto a side street where I took the visor off of the helmet, and put it in a sidebag so I could see. I put the helmet back on and get back on the highway. A few miles up the road I see there is an accident just after a crossroad. I hear sirens as police and an ambulance are just arriving. As I go by I see a minivan in the ditch, and the garbage truck is on the side of the road, looking like it's totally untouched. I'm guessing that the minivan driver didn't see the garbage truck and pulled out right in front of it. If someone didn't see a garbage truck, the person sure wouldn't have seen me. Sorry it was him, but glad it wasn't me. I would have been the one in the ditch rather than the minivan. The guy in the garbage truck probably wasn't hurt at all. If I hadn't pulled off the road to remove my visor, I would have still been in front of the garbage truck. :yikes:
-
A frined of mine who is a VA State Trooper was involved in a crash today while on duty. He was attempting to pull over a truck that was traveling 85 in a 55 zone, when the truck driver slammed on the brakes. He locked up his brakes and hit the rear of the truck at 60mph. He was pinned beteween his bike and the guardrail. He was taken to the local hospital and is very lucky to be alive. Actually, he made out well considering the severity of the accident. He has a bruised femur and pelvis. He has a broken jaw and some cuts and bruising on the face, but is expected to be released form the hospital late tonight or in the morning. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
-
7,910 miles around this great country and I am home! Well, I was home for two nights and then did another three day, two night 600+mile trip back to the Wheels Through Time Museum with a couple of friends. In fact, I got to spend an hour walking around the museum with the owners son and got some really incredible info and stories! Anyone that gets the opportunity to get to this museum should! Whew!!! Great trip, and I met a few of the VR.O family. Granted, I'm no LAPryor, but I spent one night with Eck in Huntsville Al, and one night with Gibvel in Loveland Co, then I had to back out on an offer from Utadventure in Salt Lake City Ut because we got behind schedule (sorry Dave, I really wanted to get there!), but I did get to meet with Ctrayler in Mtn Home Ar as I was passing through. (Thanks for the lunch Curtis!) Long story short...My National Park Pass paid for itself! I shipped home some great Hatch green chilies from Taos NM, and with a couple of friends, I did the Badlands in SD, Mt Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorial (although that isn't a national park; they won't accept gov. money!), Little Big Horn, Yellowstone (3 times, back and forth) Glacier and the Tetons. But there sure is a lot of FLAT land in the middle of this counrty! But I guess one of the biggest things of the trip was while I was in Ks. After 7000 miles of this 8000 mile trip I spent a week in Kansas. Across the street from where I was staying was a 1950, 5 window GMC truck for sale. I tried for a week to talk myself out of it. Didn't work! I made the last 1000 miles driving 47 miles an hour with the Venture in the back of my bran-used truck! It was kind of a drag not finishing the trip on the bike, but it was worth it to bring this Black Jewel home with me! The truck has a new 1967 motor, but it is pretty much original. It probably won't stay that way. As time and money permit, I'd like to put a 350 in it and maybe a 4 wheel drive chassis under it. I'm gonna attach a few pics of the truck here and, if I can figure it out, I'll post some pics of the trip in photobucket. (I did post a few trip pics in this thread) Wow, what trip!!!
-
I spoke with Todd this afternoon via cellphone and he is doing fine! Actually, he's not far from home, after a full month on the road, driving his new truck (very old, actually!) with the Venture along for the ride in the back. We'll likely get a post from him later today or early tomorrow... Terry
-
well folks, it has happened to me TWICE, in the past couple of weeks. afternoon sun at my back, in town driving, preparing to make a left turn. i look down the street a couple of blocks, i see a white,"dodge ram dually", coming in the inside lane. headlights are on, chrome bumper is shining like a new nickle. i look a second time, to be sure, and lo and behold! 300 feet in front of the truck, is an all white goldwing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lights on, chrome shining, both blending in with the front of the truck! i guess what i'm trying to say, is that sometimes you really DON'T see the motorcycle, even in bright ,clear daylight!!!!!!!!! you guys be extra careful out there! just jt
-
"COVINGTON, La. — A boxed bathtub fell from the bed of a pickup truck and slid into a motorcyclist's path Saturday, critically injuring the 72-year-old rider, Louisiana State Police said." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,264846,00.html I'm just posting this as a reminder that you have to watch everything. Even the loose stuff in the back of people's trucks. I've more than once been pelted by gravel, dirt ans sand from a dump truck up to 1/4 mile in front of me. I also saw a pickup truck loose his entire load of aluminum cans on a major interstate bridge. Luckily I was in my car at the time. I've seen mattresses, sofa's, lounge chairs and more fall off of peoples cars and trucks. Peoples loose loads can be far more dangerous than the idiot behind the wheel.
(2).thumb.jpg.ed38114c3594d76e49dd7acc0b8d9f32.jpg)
