The unthinkable...

Back around 76 I was on my way to work before daylight on red bluff blvd in Pasadena tx. That time of the morning traffic is heavy and running the speed limit. All of a sudden the pickup in front of me swerves to the inside lane, I couldn't because a car was beside me. There were 2 harleys in my lane and the guys standing between traffic and the bikes. I crowded the car as much as I could and just barely caught one guy with my mirror, just enough to turn him a little. i watched in the mirror and he was alright, so continued on. A mile or so down the road I stopped at a convenience store for something, and they pulled up and parked their bikes right in the front door of the place, so I figured we were fixing to have a wrestling match, I walked out and ask if he was hurt and he said no, but it was a close call, but they were cool about it.

 

How does it feel quoting people out of context? Here is the full quote. Plus, I posted many additional comments clarifying my position, but what do you care?

“On the highway you want to be looking forward most of the time. What’s behind you does not matter. What’s ahead of you is what you are liable for. However, you want to be careful about the traffic merging onto the highway.”

Keep your head up and level !!. Look straight ahead .. Very very important

 

Hmm. Mashed bike? Or a mashed group of kids?

I'll have a helping of mashed kids please. It's the only way to teach a lesson into these dumbkopfts LOL. //sarcasm.

 

The kids were safe hiding between the buildings, I just caught a glimpse of them out of the corner of my WIDE open eye as I passed. lol

 

Back in the 70's I was pulling a lowboy fairly local in the Houston area with a new pug nosed jimmy, a friend was doing the same with an old auto car, both had them massive 318 jimmy powerhouses.
Going up the ship channel bridge on 610 loop, about the biggest hill around, slow in the slow lane, and a motorcycle flys across all the way from the hammer lane squeezing between cars till he hits the slow lane out of sight under the hood of johnnys autocar. What the clown didn't see was Johnny had caught an old early 60's model chebby pickup, and that bike hit it square in the middle of the bumper. Johnny immediately got sick as he gathered that thing up under the truck and come to a dead stop within feet. the old chebby just kept on going and before he went over the top, the bike rider sat up and looked back, looked like he was not even hurt. lol

 

Even drivers who check their side mirrors every 5-15 seconds still need to re-check their mirrors in this scenario to ensure there is really no one in the lane, or would you just jump in the lane? Unfortunately, many 4-wheelers and motorcycles are flying on the roads to the point that checking mirrors every 5-15 seconds will not allow you to safely jump in blindly into the lane next to you.

If anything or anyone were to jump in your lane at a 1 or 2-second following distance and with traffic full on all lanes, you would have no choice but to stop in your lane at full force. This will not make you liable as nothing could’ve been done.

If I were in the same scenario as in the video, I would look in my side mirror and would attempt to change lanes. If the lane were occupied, then I would steer away from the pedestrians even if it meant going off the road somehow. If no other option were possible and I were stuck in my lane, then I would take as much of the left lane as possible and brake at full force.

Another point worth mentioning is being prepared to pull the horn or honk the city horn, especially when driving through streets where there may be distracted pedestrians, cyclists, and kids. Sometimes you need to have your hand on the city horn because you suspect someone is or could be about to make a bad move.

 

Now that's ####ing scary. 5 story building following you everywhere you go is a HUGE opportunity for people to do stupid #### involving your truck... if you don't check your mirrors and see what's going on aft of your seat, you literally have no confirmation that nobody seized that opportunity to be stupid

 

About 3am one morning I was leaving a postal hub in LA and I had just turned the corner and was grabbing gears. I was maybe like 25mph and 'ol boy stepped off the curb out in front of me. He did that cross thing over his head and chest and just stood there. I was thinking I can go around this guy, but is this freak gonna jump under my tandems or what? So I move over in to the oncoming lane since it was early enough no one was there. I was just waiting to stand on the brakes if this fool took a dive for the tandems. Nope, just stood there like a freaking zombie. Didn't make one move closer to the truck. Didn't make any effort to get out of the street either. I guess it doesnt really matter where you are. Drugs/alcohol/mental problems are everywhere, any time of day or night.