The gravity of the situation

Are we talking about the same thing here?

The next time you’re driving OTR (assuming that you drive OTR), try finding a spot to park away from all the other trucks; you know, a quiet spot away from the pack.
Inevitably, one or two others will always seek you out and go out of their way to park right next to you.
That might be gravitational, it might be demented; it’s certainly irritating.
The circle turns; it all boils down to respect, or lack of it.

It can be labeled with all kinds of clinically formal terms that all end with an ‘osis’ in their description.
Unfortunately, the real truth is is that we are all really just simple beasts, barely out of the jungle and now (as way back when) there is a new, large monster chasing us through the forest; the Dire Wolf at our backs is the burgeoning numbers of our own fellow man and all of our collective actions have evolved to the point to where we are acting out accordingly.

 

I operated a gas station for years believe it or not. Most of the customers just want their smokes (Brand etc memorized and ready) coffee and gas sometimes at certain days, times of day and so on. These are not the ones with any problem.

We had one customer who drove a Lamborghini Diablo in those days, he fueled at my place wed noon and sunday noon without fail. Top octane gas, handed over a few money bills adequate to pay the bill. He would be two miles and fading into the distance still winding out third prior to the big stop light 5 miles distant. He will know about a mile prior when he tops a hill at about 150 what that light down there is doing. Nicest man to speak with. Wife was with him always. Regular as a clock. (Some sort of doctor who has pretty much so much money flowing he could be capable of saying eff you to everyone with their hand out.)

Then I get this entitled ### from inner city with a escalade trying to pay for 10.00 in unleaded basic octane gas with a handful of maxed credit cards that were seized by corporate and sent into the two ton safe under the rear counter. With another demand for payment in valid card or cash. They always at the end of 10 minutes of unnecessary drama haul out a roll of 20's and peel off one as if it is handing over their first born or something to pay such a minor bill.

And everyone in between. We believe Jon Bon Jovi stopped once to fuel. But that's what the gas card said. And what he appeared to be. Who the hell knows. He quietly paid the gas and left. Maybe it's copy cat.

And the biggest of problems? PAM newbie with a 48 foot trailer using the one car entrance turn back ramp instead of a block wide no curb access for the fuel pump in the back big enough for him. He rips up a few trees, bushes, deeply trenches the landscape and so on so forth etc. And he has to stick that rig into the middle of the mid morning lunch rush with 20 people wanting out that way east bound. They all had to go out the other side around the light, wait for it and so on. Ugh. I heard no end of it for two weeks.

Or the RV 50 foot oldster wobbling around trying to fit that 30 foot fuel hose somewhere useful then ask if he needs the same thing in the RAV he is towing behind it behind 5 foot mud flaps and chrome. Finally getting him in there safely without tripping and watching him fumble through all the cards to pay just so the 160.00 in fuel with 30 people lined up behind him and more cars piling in...

When he wobbled back into that giant RV, he found he could not get out for a hour until we cleared the way of all those who packed in around him.

I got paid like 4.00 something a hour in those days. I forget because the check was only so much per week and frankly it was not really worth it. But it was steady income. What with all the people stuff in there.

It's more than 30 years now and even today I think maybe I can lose my temper over that Mrs. 20 dollar bill with the escalade. How people can live that way is beyond me.

Someday 40 years from now I want to be in a 5th wheel RV that is so big and long I can spend a few days hanging out at that fuel pump until it's all taken care of, if that is what it takes to do it by myself without help.

 

I watched a special on traffic deaths caused by hitting parked vehicles on the shoulder. It seems that people have a tendency to steer forward whatever they’re focused on. Also sleepy Drivers following tail lights not realizing the vehicles parked.An example they used were a rash of Trucks being rear ended while parked on the shoulder on I-65 in Louisville near the airport. They used to be lined up there every night in the 90s. I’ll never park on an exit ramp for that reason, entrance ramp only if need be. Notice the habit of Truckers that swerve into your lane while passing, about the time they’re checking the mirror to clear you. They automatically are pulled torward their focus. Same with rubber neckers looking at an accident. Magnet pull? I don’t know. Sub conscience actions they’re not aware of, my guess.

 

@camionneur

I think your entire basis of thinking about the problem as a physics issue is off base. It's not an issue of physics, it's an issue of psychology.

Folks don't rush up to tailgate the next vehicle because of some force of gravitation, they do that because they feel a need to "join the pack". There's nothing that physics can add to this.

Folks are plame dumb stupid.

That's the be all and end all of the argument.

 

I do not park upgrade. It's that much harder for the rig to get going again.

I always park downgrade on the other side of the summit. It's really explains the gravity of the necessity to drag race a 18 wheeler to 70 in no time. Decades before that I was racing sports cars bobtail to 115+ within a quarter mile. It's outrageous.

 

Better than jerkin his girkin.