4-Wheeler Mistakes

I've learned that reckless drivers have no regard for anyone, not just the truckers.

But, since we are talking about safety around big rigs, these are just a few of the worst scenarios I have dealt with in the last few years:

1) cutting across multiple lanes to take an exit, in front of a big rig with a 4-wheeler passing on the blind/opposite side. Had this happen on the NY side of the GW Bridge. I was heavy with lumber, saw the guy cutting across from the left 1st lane......saw the guy along side of me in the 2nd lane, me in the 3rd lane, the guy coming along side my tractor steer in the 4th lane and another car already taking the exit.

2) In L.A., multiple lanes of traffic have ground to a halt, a car speeding in the HOV lane cuts across 3 lanes and then slams on his brakes in front of me. His intent was to get over to make an exit so he could get on a surface street to make it around the bottle neck traffic. I was heavy this time also with 48,000 lbs of paper rolls (very large, 20,000+lbs ea.).

3) Last week in Washington State, snowstorm on a patchy ice two lane highway a lady panics on a downgrade and hits her brakes with several drivers, me included, behind her. She comes to a stop in a highway lane because she lacks the skills and experience to be on the road in those conditions. All of the drivers with jaws clenched, teeth grinding negotiate an abrupt stop on a hill with poor road conditions.

4). Washington D.C., a man in a contractor's van signaled and change to the slow lane at the exact same time I did in congested stop and to traffic. As I scanned my mirrors he blasted past me on the left, slammed in front of me skidding sideways. Luckily, I was light that time or I would have hit him broadside as he skidded in his lane. I blasted the horn (all of the other 4-wheelers were trying to skittle out of the area as they recognized someone with road rage), he, the contractor, slammed on his brakes again, fishtailing again, then took off. I got on the c.b. and called ahead for drivers to pass back his license plate number, called 911 and reported him.
This is something that I have started to do on a more regular basis, calling 911 to report reckless drivers, drunk drivers, kids riding their bikes on the freeway, etc.. I heard a driver on the c.b. the other day just livid because a woman was on the freeway with kids not buckled up, he called 911 on that one.

People do not have commonsense any longer in most aspects of daily life. This compounded by a complete disregard for anyone other than themselves makes our society pretty hard to deal with when one has the responsibility to take care of that societies' safety on a daily basis. I wouldn't quite compare it to a first responder's responsibilities and issues, but sometimes it comes close to that. There are quite a few times each day across the U.S. when we ARE those first responders......

 

I'm just a four wheeler, but I drive a 700 mile trip from Baton Rouge to Knoxville, Tennessee regularly for work. I try to always pay attention to the traffic around me, especially trucks. One thing I've noticed on my trips are the most dangerous vehicles always seem to be 4-wheelers hauling something large: boats, gardening tools, mulch, other vehicles etc. Half the time their signals don't work and they swerve and shake anywhere they please. I'm always afraid to stay behind one for fear the cargo will come loose. That happened to an elderly couple I knew about ten years ago. They were on their way to a dialysis center and a Ranger hauling 2x4's lost its cargo. The husband was decapitated and died instantly. The wife was in shock, endured years of physical therapy, and had some brain damage.

 

There is a term for the result of a truck smushing a 4-wheeler who just crossed three lanes to hit an exit... it's called "Natural Selection".

This ensures only the strongest and most intelligent will survive. Seriously, I don't feel the slightest bit sorry when some rocket scientist pulls that crap, then pays with their life. One less idiot on the road.

 

And the Darwin Award goes to.....

HEY YOU, OUT OF THE GENE POOL!

 

About 2 months ago in Va. reached my exit for my shipper, made the turn to head into the city area. Directions from dispatch were of course wrong, so I missed my turn. Had to go about 7 miles to find a spot to turn around, but get headed back in the right direction. Now I am on the outskirts of this little city headed back into it in a 55 MPH zone doing the speed limit. The road is a undivided 2 lane, with a center turn lane. This absolulute idiot pulls out of a parking lot in front of me to enter the turn lane so she can merge into traffic going the opposite direction as me. However she stops her lovely car with well over half of it in my lane, with me doing 55 and bearing down HARD on her. Cell phone to ear, me laying on my horn hoping she will finally see me and have enough god given common sense to realize I cannot stop. Her reaction?? Flip me off!!!!

Luckily the drive she was pulling out of was wide enough I could use it as an escape.

Hang up the phone if your phone call is going to put your life or mine at risk!!!

 

Should've just given her the bill. Payment required: Pain and suffering or your life.

No way am I risking a rollover to avoid smashing into someone that stupid. Maybe going at 35 mph. Not 55 mph.

 

That reminds me of a time I was in the protected left turn lane on my motorcycle when the light turned to a green arrow and just as I started to roll, from my right, a lady ran the redlight and came within 6" of clipping my front wheel as she cut the corner.

I made a U-Turn, honking at her... She flipped me the bird. I started to roll up the double yellow line to rap on her window, and she swerved dangerously and very far pushing me towards oncoming traffic with ABSOLUTELY no regard for my life.

Sometimes... I really wish Texas would consider dangerous acts with a motor vehicle to be reason to use a concealed handgun in self defense.

Unfortunately it's not the first time something like that has ever happened to me, and eventually I learned it's not worth the risk to put my life in additional peril. So few motorists respect motorcycles- I've had cars come to my left while I'm waiting to go straight on a 2-lane road, and then turn RIGHT (i am to their right!) and almost clip me over.

Yeah, I have a long list of gripes about "Cagers" what we call 'em in the motorcycle world.

 

The cops are allowed to use deadly force on someone attempting to run them over. Why not the public citizen?

Seriously, that should've been attempted vehicular homicide right there.

 

Didntitellu, if that location has no cell phone while driving law, you ought to just call the police and report that lady's and her car's description! Tell them she almost caused an accident too.

Some people really don't deserve to be on the road!

 

Oh man! Don't even get my husband started on Texas drivers and I'm even worse about women drivers. Dumb and cutthroat is a lethal combination.