What the heck is wrong w/that trucker?? Horn blasting/lights flashing...

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by Asphalt Anarchist, Feb 25, 2012.

  1. Asphalt Anarchist

    Asphalt Anarchist Bobtail Member

    What the hell was wrong with that guy? That's what I was thinking as my rearview mirror was quickly filling up with the reflection of a huge truck gunning right for my bumper.
    -
    It was last Thursday afternoon - I'd just passed him at the last stop light coming from King City TS, Pasco WA on my way to Walla Walla SR 12. I gave plenty of room before I got back into the right hand lane, but by the time I was over he was already on my tail, laying on his horn and flashing his 4-ways.
    - what the hell? My first thought was that something must be wrong with my car and I should pull over- but, I'd just done a walk around at the TS and the cable ties and duct tape were still holding the car together pretty good. I was fairly sure I wasn't dragging road kill or driving with my emergency brake on (again), no smoke rolling out from under the hood - the guages all looked fine...what is his deal? Did I accidentally cut him off somewhere back there? :biggrin_2551:That could have been it - I've really been trying to be a better driver and not antagonize the truck drivers, but, well, sometimes things just happen - I make mistakes.
    --
    So, at first I was thinking I should pull over, but then I was replaying the last time I had to deal with an angry trucker I'd accidentally cut off - I thought he was going to pulverize me. okay, so I don't think he really would have hurt a woman, but he sure looked like he wanted to. No, I didn't want a repeat of that. So, I just kept driving.
    --
    But he wasn't letting up - still on my ###, laying on the horn and now the 4-ways were flashing and the headlights were coming on and off - what is going on here? And, I realized that even if I'd wanted to pull over, I couldn't have - I couldn't have even let up off the gas or that guy would have been picking pieces of my mangled chassis out of his grill. And, he was so close that I'm sure he couldn't have even seen my turn signals if I'd had them on.

    -- so I just kept driving.

    We came to a spot that had a long merge lane - that would be a good place to pull over. I guess I should get off the road and see what he wants...maybe he doesn't want to kick my ###, but just wants to meet me & talk - that happens. And, I can never have too many friends on the road - it's nice to be able to coordinate dates/places with others on the road to meet up with - it's really no fun to dine, drink, play pool, shoot darts or bowl by yourself - no, no fun at all. And sitting around in the hotel room in the evenings drives me crazy.
    --
    Okay, so I talk myself into considering that maybe he's friend and not foe and that I'll pull over if I can be fairly sure. We pass by the long pull off and it's obvious now to him that I'm not pulling over and he falls back a little - just enough where I can now see his windshield. He's still laying on the horn and the lights are flashing though. I'm checking the rearview and scanning his windshield but...I can't see him - I don't know if his windows were heavily tinted or that big shiny metal thingy over the windshield was reflecting the sun just right where I couldn't see anyting inside. Okay, so I decide I'll see if an arm coms out the window. At least if he flips me off I'll know for sure. But, no, nothing comes out the window.
    --
    So, I was left with the dilemma - pull over and possibly have to endure a rant about my bad driving or keep going and have him think I'm a total snobby b-tch 'cause he just wants to talk and I won't stop.
    --
    Just when I'm really starting to churn with a combo of being freaked out and furious, I see my way out. We were just coming up to Crazy Mary's on the left and there was another car coming up alongside the back of his trailer in the left lane. If I cut across the left hand lane and hit that turn into Crazy Mary's, he wouldn't be able to turn that fast and he wouldn't risk clipping that car coming up on him - I was pretty sure, anyway.
    -- so, I whipped over, off the highway and into Crazy Mary's - he kept going.
    --- Now I'm relieved that I'm off the road and away from the horn honking & flashing lights, but then my curiosity is kicking in again (and curiosity usually gets the best of me...yes, I know, I'm a smart woman and should know better, but the whole curiosity thing...it's Eve with the apple all over again!) So, I'm in the parking lot texting friends the lastest and asking their input and it was interesting - the male opinion was that the guy was an a-hole and I'd obviously done something to piss him off and he was just teaching me a lesson and I was right not to pull over (and then I got a lecture about how a decent woman would never pull over to talk to a trucker just 'cause he flashed his lights..okay, so maybe I'm not so smart...or decent). Anyway, the female opinion was that I should have pulled over 'cause there could have been something wrong with my car or he just wanted to talk.

    --- it was a dilemma - I have pulled over before when I've gotten the light flashing/horn honking and it usually goes one of two ways: #1 -"Hey, Lady, where the HELL did you get your driver's license?" (10 minute rant ensues) :biggrin_25516: or #2 - "Hey, Baby, I dig the whole (insert decal here - it's usually "I love Testy Festy" or "I'm ashamed of what I did for Klondike Bar". And, a lot of times somone will just say "hey, didn't I see you yesterday south of Portland, OR and now you're in Kettle Falls, WA - what's up with that?" :biggrin_255:
    -- so a few other drivers' opinions might be helpful - so far, nobody's been able to tell me if there's etiquette regarding pulling over for a truck honking/flashing - like I said, I have pulled over, but it's not always gone well for me - makes me not willing to pull over unless I can actually see the driver inside and I'm fairly certain I've not done something to aggravate him --- and, do drivers really think a woman traveling alone is going to just pull off the road in the middle of BF nowhere for anyone honking/flashing?
    -- I'd like get a few more opinions on this --- for some reason, this seems to happen to me pretty regularly---

    -- the hairy scary details and why I think I might have really pissed him off are on my blog from the road - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Asphalt-Anarchist/150941598309058

    anyway, thought this forum might be able to shed some additional light on this mystery... thanks.
     
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  3. SmokeyCowboy009

    SmokeyCowboy009 Heavy Load Member

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    Mar 4, 2009
    Watertown, WI
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    You were right to keep driving. As you know there are some idiot drivers out there that all they think about it screwing someone or trying to see what foolishness they can get away with.
    As a suggestion, next time call the police on your handsfree of course and let them know you have an aggressive trucker following you and you are afraid that some thing is wrong with them. now i know some on here might disagree w/ me but that type of driver gives the ones of us out here that are well mannered professionals a bad name.

    also if some idiot likes to ride your bumper just ease of the gas and that usually lets them know to BACK OFF. I have to deal wi/ it all the time and seems to work more often than not, but it dont work all the time.

    Hope that helps. Take care and stay safe.
     
    JReding and road_runner Thank this.
  4. Starline

    Starline Medium Load Member

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    Jun 1, 2011
    Middle Tn
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    I would have pulled over but kept the windows up and doors locked until you knew his intentions.

    Case in point, on two different occasions I had to get some woman that was in her own little world, both running up to 80 mph at some point totally oblivious to what was going on, one was a young lady running at a flat tire just about on the rim in daddy's SUV... can you imagine what could have happened ? Next was 2 women pulling a horse trailer loaded with either 6 or 8 horses, lost a wheel going at again high rate of speed... again could you imaging what could have happened if the other wheel would have come off with about 15,000 pounds of horses and what chain of events could have happened ?

    In both cases I approach with hands up and prepared to show my ID to relate I meant no harm and kept my distance. I would like to believe that my intervention made a difference.

    Not everyone are nut cases and not everyone means you harm.
     
  5. Yawgnorw

    Yawgnorw Bobtail Member

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    Feb 25, 2012
    chickasha, oklahoma
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    Could it be possible that the truck had lost his breaks and he was tring to warn you in anyway that he could of the danger? Just a thought.
    However I did enjoy reading your article it was very entertaining. Keep the duct tape handy.
     
  6. Asphalt Anarchist

    Asphalt Anarchist Bobtail Member

    Thanks for the insights - I did find your suggestions helpful. As far as him having bad brakes and he was just warning me...sorry, not a chance. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but we were the only two on the road for quite a while and many miles and he could have gone around me at any point - there was no need for him to ride my bumper. This was flat ground - he had plenty of time to shift down and could have pulled over when we reached that long pull off. Again, he could have simply gone around me - and, I noticed as soon as I made that hasty left to get off the road, he turned off his 4-way flashers although there was that other car coming up on his left.
    -- I'm getting a lot of good advice about things I never really considered (other than my bad driving), so maybe it's a blessing in disguise that this happened -- One male friend said that I need cut back on my sassy talk at the truckstops and to remember not to wear short skirts with the windows down and sunroof open as the wind tends to whip things around - and he said from his angle, when I go by, he gets a real show and that some may see that as an invitation (OMG! That is NOT my itention -I just like to feel the wind whipping in around me). :smt009

    And...about the duct tape - don't worry, I never travel without at least half a huge roll - that stuff is amazing and holding most of the underside of my car together (that and plastic cable ties). So, I guess next time this happens (like I said, for some reason this happens to me a lot) I'll pull over, but I'll keep my doors locked and windows rolled up until I know for sure what his beef is.
    -- I'm glad you enjoyed reading - you wouldn't believe some of the things a lone gal on the road encounters...or, maybe you would - anyway, makes for some interesting blogging for the AA page on facebook. Thank you, again.

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Asphalt-Anarchist/150941598309058
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2012
  7. withit

    withit Light Load Member

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    Jun 12, 2010
    SW MI
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    Sounds to me that he was trying to push you faster down the road. I have seen many truckers do this where they will tail gate a car honk there horn flash there lights anything to make the care in front of them either driver faster our move out of there way so they can go faster.
     
  8. Asphalt Anarchist

    Asphalt Anarchist Bobtail Member

    I've seen other vehicles do that too - but, I wasn't poking along - we were both going over the speed limit and I wasn't keeping him from going faster. There wasn't anyone in the lane next to us until much later, so he could have passed me at any time. Who knows...maybe he didn't like the looks of me or my car... would you have let him pull you over?
     
  9. CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

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    Apr 18, 2010
    Tennessee
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    It was either road rage or he seen something wrong with your vehicle.

    Either way, you don't need his input. You find the first public place with people to pull over. Then you inspect your own vehicle.

    There's no sense taking chances on the open road.

    Consider carrying a hand held CB or have one installed. That way you can communicate on channel 19.
     
  10. Asphalt Anarchist

    Asphalt Anarchist Bobtail Member

    I really hope his issue was a sincere concern about my car (although I'm not sure what it could have been).

    And, thanks for the advice - but, I'm not quite sure I know what channel 19 means - is that an emergency cb channel? And, it doesn't require access to a cell tower signal, right? I didn't realize anyone still used those things. I thought they became relics when cell phones came onboard. And, who monitors it? State patrol? Closest municipal law enforcement? I'm a little skeptical that it would do me much good in some of the remote areas I need to travel to for work, but, overall, I think that's a great idea. There are a lot of very obscure places I've been where I have absolutely no cell coverage whatsoever. If I ever broke down or needed help, I'm not really sure what I'd do. I usually just try not to think about it too much.

    I'm only required to be in my office one day a month and rest of the time I can be out traveling alone doing my job, and I usually don't have contact with anyone else from work. I know that freaks my family and friends out - they worry something bad might happen to me on the road. I assure them I can take care of myself, but I have to admit, that guy in the truck really freaked me out and being alone didn't seem so great that day.

    I love the freedom my job gives me and I usually don't give my personal safety much thought, but instances like this crazy dude doing his "duel" re-enactment make me think more seriously about taking precautions or having a plan of how to handle this kind of situation. I'll ask around and see if I know anyone who can help me with one of those channel 19 things. Thanks & let me know if there's anything else I need to know about having a cb - oh, I don't have to have one of those awful 20-ft long antennas do I? (cringe/wince - yeck!). :tongue6:
     
  11. jlkklj777

    jlkklj777 20 Year Truckload Veteran

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    Oct 1, 2007
    Duncannon, Pa
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    Most trucks today have a speed governor on them. The majority seem to be set somewhere between 62 mph and 70 mph. It all depends on the company.

    Drivers in a hurry will tend to push hard especially when it comes to speed. One of my biggest pet peeves is having a car or truck pass me at a traffic light or on an upgrade only to hold me up a few minutes later once I get my vehicle back up to cruising speed. Only pass a truck if you intend on maintaining a consistent higher speed. Don't dawdle in the passing lane and definitely don't reduce your speed as soon as you cut back over into the slow lane. This act alone infuriates drivers to no end.

    Trucks will slow down on upgrades due to the weight of the cargo. The drivers try to use the terrain to their advantage. That means letting the truck accelerate on a down hill slope to gain momentum for the next upgrade. If you see a truck speeding down hill DON'T get in the way. Move over or accelarate to stay clear of the truck.

    Women that wear skirts, bikinis, tank tops, shorts, low cut blouses, etc get our attention every day. As men we enjoy looking at attractive women and the more they show the more attention they will get. The sad part is some drivers believe it is an open invitation to hit on the female and can be pretty aggressive about it.

    Pulling over on the side of the road is never a good idea. You may be assaulted or struck by a passing motorist. If you believe there is a problem with your vehicle then pull into a public place with lots of people around.
     
    airforcetoo Thanks this.
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