I've been asked on more than a few occasions why truckers are so down on those so called "blankety blank four wheelers". The answers are obvious to us because they have such an effect on our daily lives. So obvious in fact that we hardly ever take time to explain anymore. We just hear some trucker yelling on the C.B. and when we inquire about the problem all the trucker has to say is, "blankety blank four wheeler!" and we know.
To our detriment this lack of communication does nothing to improve our situation and in actuality makes it worse.
In an attempt to help any "blankety blank four wheeler" who may stray onto this page better understand, I will endeavor to illustrate a few of the common situations which we face daily and which at best cause us major safety and convenience problems and at worst, get people hurt or killed.
My favorite pet peeve is merging traffic so I will begin there. Let's begin with a little quiz. Don't worry, it's multiple choice and I was trained by the government. Also don't worry if you miss a few. Many people miss all of them.
Problem #1. You have just left (blank) 5 minutes later than you were supposed to. This is a problem because you promised your (blank) that you would be there in 20 minutes and you know how adamant (blank) is about promptness. Lucky for you there are freeway on and off-ramps located strategically near your starting point and destination. Without hesitation you proceed to the nearest on-ramp. Now here is where it gets tricky so pay attention. You start up the on-ramp and then:
(A) Get to the end of it and slow to a near stop and look both ways before proceeding into traffic.
(B) Drive up the ramp as fast as you possibly can, nod your head in excited agreement to what your passenger just said, then dart into traffic as quickly as possible so as not to let anyone get in your way.
(C) Drive up the ramp as quickly as possible then at the very last second look in your mirror; see the traffic, then slow way down to either wait for an opening or force one.
(D) None of the above.
If your answer was A, B, or C then relax 'blankety-blank-four-wheeler' you have scored equal with 85% of your commuting peers and can rest easy in the knowledge that your lack of driving skills will not be extraordinarily noticeable to the general public.
If you answered D then I would like to meet you in person just to shake your hand because you my friend are a definite minority.
When I took drivers' ed., our instructor was very adamant about the fact that the merging vehicle must always yield to the oncoming traffic. Something about this being the LAW or some such foolishness.
The best way to do this is by looking at that traffic well before you are at the end of the on-ramp. To do this properly you must use all available rearview mirrors plus; and this is very important, physically turn your head and look over your left shoulder. Once you have done that the first time then you should be able to not only spot any advancing opening but should also be more able to adjust your speed to match that of the oncoming opening.
After you adjust your speed and check the road in front of you, start the process all over again. Mirrors, left shoulder, accelerator, road. Over and over until you have safely completed the merge. If that seems inconvenient then try to imagine how inconveniencing it is going to be on that inevitable day when the semi which you normally force to concede your incorrectly assumed right of way, doesn't! Either the traffic has him too boxed in or he just plain doesn't 'sense' your approach from his blind side. Can you say, "Look Mom! No head!"?
You see folks, safely sharing the road with big rigs, or with any other vehicle for that matter, does not mean that you do whatever you want anytime you want and leave everyone else responsible to look out for and avoid you. Sharing the road safely means sharing responsibility and doing everything in your power to keep yourself safe as well as those around you. It means not only abiding such laws as "the merging vehicle must yield" but also using a little common sense and respect for the havoc which even a small car is capable of wreaking.
Problem #2. You are traveling down the freeway. You are in the center or left lane of a 3 lane, each direction, interstate. Suddenly just as you begin chuckling again at the hilarious thing your 6-year-old said this morning, you catch a glimpse of heavy traffic in your rear view mirror. Then looking out your windshield for the first time in the last half mile you realize that the traffic is only heavy behind you. Do you:
(A) Shrug your shoulders amusedly at the funny traffic situation then continue happily along your , 'stop and smell the roses' way.
(B) Glance at your speedometer and notice that you are traveling 10 or 15 miles per hour under the posted speed limit then shrug your shoulders and continue plugging along; forcing all other traffic to pile up behind you as they frantically search for an opening to pass on your right?
(C) Glance at your speedometer and notice that you are traveling 10 or 15 miles per hour under the posted speed then let off the accelerator and possibly rest your foot on the brake to get even with all those tailgaters behind you?
(D) None of the above?
(HINT) Ever heard of "slower traffic move right"? In most areas this is another one of those silly laws which were written to help people know how to share the road safely. For further evaluation of your answers please see the end of problem 1.
Well I imagine that by now some of your brains are spewing clouds of smoke from the difficulties of the above test. I know it was difficult but from my point of view I guess a smoking brain is better than a bloody one being scraped off the road. Sorry for the graphic image but some folks just don't get it otherwise.
Here are some other problems which though I won't test you on them just yet, are very important and need to be addressed.
When you are in heavy traffic and see that some semi is leaving a long space in front of it; stop assuming that we left that space specifically so you could advance another 15 car lengths toward your office. You have to remember that though we are quite blind directly to the sides of us we can see miles farther than you can in front. The reason we try to keep that space is not for your convenience but for your safety. When you fill that space with your vehicle then your safety is gone with it. Your car weighs 3,000 pounds. My truck weighs 80,000 pounds. That space is there because I can see brake lights coming on a mile down the road and I need the room to keep from jackknifing my trailer or going over the top of the car(s) in front of me. I appreciate the trust you are placing in me when you take away my safety margin but honestly I don't deserve nor want that trust.
When you are in heavy traffic and for whatever reason are in the wrong lane when your exit comes up you have got to stop specifically looking for a semi to cut in front of. If we have room and time to react then most of us will let you in but when you come flying over at the last second then hit your brakes to slow down for the exit ramp you have taken away our room and time to react. You cannot believe how many of you will cut in front of us so close that we cannot even see your rear signal and brake lights. If you consider Russian Roulette to be a fun game then I guess I can't scare you off but if you don't then I hope you will realize that this is exactly what you are playing every time you do this. God forbid the day you happen to cut me off then hit your brakes just at the time I happen to be checking my mirrors because you will be dead before I even know you cut in front of me.
Well that is about it for now. Until next time try to remember that even though you wouldn't have a job if it were not for the trucks which bring your supplies and pick up your finished products; those same trucks will kill you in an instant if you make one little mistake at just the wrong time.