Always get out and look

Having gone to school at Orange Coast College for construction here in CA, I hat to take classes in International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), and National Electrical Code as prerequisite to Building Development and Planning (among others). Basically I know what goes into planning, designing, drafting blueprints, etc, for most any commercial or residential development. Unfortunately, companies who want people with those credentials want them to be 24yo or have 30 years experience. I actually make more driving a 28 foot box truck 34 hours a week than 40+ in skilled construction.

 

This is one of my worst nightmares.

it's easy to poke fun at others, but what's that old saying? You shouldn't throw rocks if you live in a glass house? Or something like that?

The important thing is that everybody is ok. That's what I always tell myself, as a noobie, driving this truck. I can make mistakes and possibly even career ending mistakes like maybe this one will be.

As long as I don't kill or hurt myself or others, that is all that matters in the big picture. Everybody lives to see another day.

Glad nobody got hurt here. That's really all that matters. Monetary loss is only monetary.

 

Tru dat. But the thing is, in my opinion, all of these accidents can be prevented in two ways. #1 GOAL... Get out and look. And #2 proper installation and maintenance. I've driven my little 28 foot box truck down some pretty narrow streets in LA delivering things. Some streets, I've turned the corner and said Woh.... Park and look, am I going to hit those trees? If I do brush that branch, is it going to hit those wires, look at the map, is there another way in there (almost always is). As to #2, keep in mind that Paradise California burt down because of improperly maintained power lines. Paranoia can only keep you safe to an extent, but you can't let in debilitate you from your job. How many times have you gone down a steep grade and smelt brakes burning? Every time I run the 5 heading into Grapevine I smell that. And always I ask myself "Is that me?". But you know what, it's not, because I have enough attention on what I'm doing, how I'm driving, my speed, to know it's not. Same thing when driving down narrow, tight residential streets. I look. Am I going to make that? Let's see. Edge up, if I can't, I back out. But the real problem is when municipalities, cities, or public works (or even the cable company) don't follow recognized international or national guidelines for such things. The height of a power line is determined by the amount of voltage it carries. This is why when you see the really high voltage lines going across an area, it's defolaged beneath, or should be (the right of way). This is also why the power companies have a right to access your land at a minimum of 3 feet on either side of a pole and everywhere in between the poles. Now let's say for the sake of argument, I have 20 acres, and I want to build 20 homes on it and sell them. I can either lable it as private (like an HOA) that might be exempt from some regulation, or public (anyone can buy). Private is like a gated community, limited access, while public is like turning down the street into a cul-de-sac, public access. I seriously doubt those drivers had to put in a gate code to get where they were. Now assuming we're talking public, IBC/IRC dictates that no lines providing power, or other services shall be placed on a fixed structure (pole) at a height of less that 15 feet unless such lines are going to a habitated space (house). Think I'm crazy or talking poop, next time you have a minute, look at the lowest lines on a power pole. They have braided steel wire wrapped around them for a reason. So they don't sag beyond the allowable limit. And those are just data/cable/phone lines. They're there for a reason. So if a pole does snap, and the wires are pulled taught, the steel cable will hold them in place so connection won't be lost. Same reason there should be stays on poles, either at 180 degrees, 90 degrees, or some engineered degree thereof. If one pole falls, it's going to pull the next, and the next. That's what those stays stop. Sorry I'm getting off topic a bit. But I'm thinking that any lawyer worth his/her salt, could definitely argue the apartment complex/housing plan, was not in compliance with standard regulations and were in fact the reason for this accident. But you know what GOAL!!!!!!

 

you see the aka trainer mega trucks all the time

 

Codes, or whatever, should have known the lines were too low.

 

That's why I said GOAL. But that's not what I'm seeing here. Why are both poles leaning in the same direction? Even if the driver snapped a wire on either pole, the poles would go into the direction of the truck, into each other, unless there were stays on another pole (pic 3 doesn't have any, and per code sorry should have at least 2) and pole #1 would twist with the connection of the truck to the wire. Yes. The driver ####ed up. Get out and look. But they have an out so they don't get royalty screwed.

 

I had those thoughts in a very basic form as well. Starting with how how "15 foot"

I used to cut cables and such when doing what is a form of a flying dump to pave a driveway in stone about a foot deep fast. And the bed would rise way above 15 and cut the cable. 30 minutes to splice it. Boss man used to hollar #### it 15 feet what did I tell you 15 #### feet.

I'll be needing a burial down to 16 feet if they find a space to do it.

 

As a side note why burn brakes on the vine anyway? Being lazy? (Not you in particular just in general)

Grapevine only holds a problem for me during Santa Anna winds, other than that it's easy up and easy down.

 

I don't get it either. But there always seems to be at least one truck north bound that smokes 'em when I travel that route.

 

You know how they got their company name?

It's from all the #1 salutes they've gotten from doing the same thing on previous moves.