I set a record today!
Dec. 18th, 2006 04:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreIf any of you locals were listening to KCBS at around 1000 this morning, you might have heard the traffic report mentioning "metal debris on the connector ramp from Hwy 580 East to Hwy 24." That was me.
There were only two stops on my route today, both of them at the north end of my area. It was decided that I would take some of the stuff for South San Francisco then head over the Bay Bridge to do Concord and Pittsburg. All was fine until I reached that flyover ramp. A bump, and suddenly I saw two of my gates sliding along the freeway. Checking further, I saw that three gates were gone, and one was hanging with one post in the hole and one out.
Of course, this being an older exchange, there is no breakdown lane. Hell, there is a one-foot strip between the lane and the barrier. No place to stop. In fact, what with sound walls and the like, I had to drive about a mile and a half to an exit before I could safely stop and fix my remaining gates so they wouldn't bounce out. Called it in to the boss, and soldiered on.
Eventually got back to the shop and one of the managers tried to get me to go back and park on the freeway and walk the ramp looking for the gates. They don't pay me nearly enough to even think about doing that. I said no. My boss said fuck no. And I invited said boss to come along with me and he can help me walk in freeway traffic. That ended that!
Now my truck sits at the shop we use for our custom welding work. Hopefully, they can make the gates tonight. More realistically I'll be driving the F-350 for the next couple of days.
Oh, the record? Losing three gates in one incident. I rule!
There were only two stops on my route today, both of them at the north end of my area. It was decided that I would take some of the stuff for South San Francisco then head over the Bay Bridge to do Concord and Pittsburg. All was fine until I reached that flyover ramp. A bump, and suddenly I saw two of my gates sliding along the freeway. Checking further, I saw that three gates were gone, and one was hanging with one post in the hole and one out.
Of course, this being an older exchange, there is no breakdown lane. Hell, there is a one-foot strip between the lane and the barrier. No place to stop. In fact, what with sound walls and the like, I had to drive about a mile and a half to an exit before I could safely stop and fix my remaining gates so they wouldn't bounce out. Called it in to the boss, and soldiered on.
Eventually got back to the shop and one of the managers tried to get me to go back and park on the freeway and walk the ramp looking for the gates. They don't pay me nearly enough to even think about doing that. I said no. My boss said fuck no. And I invited said boss to come along with me and he can help me walk in freeway traffic. That ended that!
Now my truck sits at the shop we use for our custom welding work. Hopefully, they can make the gates tonight. More realistically I'll be driving the F-350 for the next couple of days.
Oh, the record? Losing three gates in one incident. I rule!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 01:12 (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 Dec 2006 03:30 (UTC)no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 02:59 (UTC)no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 03:33 (UTC)no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 03:30 (UTC)You, Drive Safely! Thank you.
Auntie M
no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 04:14 (UTC)no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 04:42 (UTC)If I hit a good enough bump with an empty bed, the gates can bounce out of place. Sometimes the bolts hold them on long enough for me to get to the side of the road and fix things. Sometimes, they just fall off.
no subject
Date: 19 Dec 2006 04:45 (UTC)