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Jun. 28th, 2006
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A safe driving tip for y'all.
Jun. 28th, 2006 09:05 pmI've mentioned before my annoyance with tail gaters. Not only do they freak me out because they vanish from view when they get too close, and if I suddenly brake they will die, no they annoy me for another reason..
Things fall off trucks. Today, it was my rear gates. My brand-new, formerly shiny gates.
I was coming down 580 E. I hit a big bump, and heard an odd crashing sound. I look in my mirror and see that the two lift gates in the rear had come loose, and were both hanging by a thread. Emergency flashers, and as fast as possible I begin slowing and moving to the shoulder.
Not fast enough, as I angled over I heard two clangs as the gates hit the road. Luckily, they hit flat and didn't bounce. And since I was already heading towards the side of the road the gates skidding out of traffic. Neither was bent, and I didn't lose my load, but...
Had someone been close up on my truck, they would have run over a gate. That will kill a tire or two. Had the gates bounced, a close-following car would have eaten it. These are the nightmares a truck driver has. People crowding us, tailgating, not understanding that in any argument between even a small truck like mine and a passenger vehicle I will win.
So please, give us some space, OK?
Once I reassembled my truck, I got caught in a thunderstorm coming up Vasco Road. Had there been room to stop safely, I would have stopped and enjoyed the rain and the show.
Things fall off trucks. Today, it was my rear gates. My brand-new, formerly shiny gates.
I was coming down 580 E. I hit a big bump, and heard an odd crashing sound. I look in my mirror and see that the two lift gates in the rear had come loose, and were both hanging by a thread. Emergency flashers, and as fast as possible I begin slowing and moving to the shoulder.
Not fast enough, as I angled over I heard two clangs as the gates hit the road. Luckily, they hit flat and didn't bounce. And since I was already heading towards the side of the road the gates skidding out of traffic. Neither was bent, and I didn't lose my load, but...
Had someone been close up on my truck, they would have run over a gate. That will kill a tire or two. Had the gates bounced, a close-following car would have eaten it. These are the nightmares a truck driver has. People crowding us, tailgating, not understanding that in any argument between even a small truck like mine and a passenger vehicle I will win.
So please, give us some space, OK?
Once I reassembled my truck, I got caught in a thunderstorm coming up Vasco Road. Had there been room to stop safely, I would have stopped and enjoyed the rain and the show.
