Disappointed in my fellow drivers.

Seems to me a stuck brake pad heated to the point of fire or some other problem that created fire. It wont be the first time I fought a fire like that on my trucks in my life time. Sometimes a bottle is enough to put it out. Other times it's not enough and roll the Fire Department. It's a actual fire, call them out. They have many tools suitable for big trucks.

I am saddened to hear of the apparent hardening of the people along 287 up there. A little something dies inside me to read of this. However, I am not surprised. It is a region of the Country where a sizeable amount of people are pretty... unwilling to lend a hand or more importantly be involved.

Im not going to wonder why the horse trailer was not detached. Maybe the fire was too big and involved the 5th wheel handle or what have you. Unloading horses on that particular road is not a very nice option but preferable to seeing them burn.

I remember a situation on the I-495 beltway with the old approach to the WW bridge where a corvette tired of being stuck behind three BMW's that were a group in the far left. I was in right middle. Corvette zoomed wildly around the three, cut me off and then slammed back into the first BMW forcing him to crash into the gaurdrail making a instant chain reaction of three. Plus Corvette. Number two BMW hood popped and fire instantly came up on or around the fuel lines on top of the engine. I managed to stop right there and in a world of screeching brakes I fired my fire bottle at the engine bay of the burning BMW and hopped back in and took off.

That particular day would have been useful to have a drive cam for the whole thing.

Over and over again I turn in fire bottles that have been used to safety. they bring out new ones for the tractor. One day I brought 4 used bottles. I said don't ask questions, do you have 4 fresh ones? Sure. But the entire office staff was a question.

The point of my rambling is this. Help where you can. Your fire bottle might be the difference between losses that may be pernament to putting out a fire possibly. We are not firefighters. But we are usually first to a fire on the highway.

Most people are good and want to help if they have the means to do it. But those who do not offer any help, well... I best shut up because I could get into trouble explaining what I think of them. So I'll get it go.

 

There are times I don't stop. Particularly when hazmat. The first duty is to get your load the hell away from a fire source. In many ways if your load got involved YOU might shut a city down and be in the evening news.

 

I have 6 big ones in the house ready to go in addition to the two provided by the building. There are two more in the vehicles.

Once a year we use the oldest one for a fire put out drill. sppprthz. Done. And go replace it.

 

The first house I owned, there was a halfway type of house like 4 doors down, but for people that were a bit slow.

One of these guys gets out one day, does a face plant right in front of the house in the middle of the street.

Me and the neighbor blocked the street, just a few cars came, and I called rescue, they had a station at the far end of the street.

One guy was going to start pawing at him, this is in California, I said don't even F touch him dude. You could hear the siren from fire coming and they were there in about 2 minutes.

Now if it's someone in a life threatening situation, then yea you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

Guess I’m lucky to be in the Midwest (fly over country) where we still use CB’s and stop and help people. Granted I’m a local grain hauler and not OTR, so I’m sure it’s much different in the big city and that’s too bad.

 

Im not surprised one rolled by and flipped you off.
What the f were you doing checking your stuff on a busy interstate?
I see morons doing this stupid crap all the time , it's like wtf driver take a ramp or use a rest area or ANYWHERE ELSE BUT THE SHOLDER OF THE INTERSTATE!.

 

Well there's that. Like the people you see in the middle of the night flagging you down. That's a job for 911.

 

If it's just a stranded motorist, I usully won't bother stopping...unless of course they are trying to flag down assistance. Most people have cell phones and have already made a call or have help on the way. However, as a horse owner, if it's a horse trailer...especially if there are obvious signs of danger to the animals...then I'll usually stop to make sure everything is OK.

 

I run the Midwest all the time and I can't get a response on the radio half the time.
Maybe one out of every fifty trucks , I've all most completely stopped reporting breakdowns on the side or big back ups going the other way due to whatever.