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sailorjimI have mentioned Vasco Road in the past. Running from Livermore to Brentwood, Vasco passes through some of the most beautiful countryside on my route, along with the always-impressive wind farms along Altamont Pass.
It is also home to some of the worst, most idiotic drivers I've ever seen. Today was a good example.
Heading north, Vasco climbs pretty sharply before hitting a long downhill into Brentwood. On that incline stretch, there are several place where the normal one-lane road expands into two, so us slow pokes can move to the right and allow the speeders to pass and find the CHP for us. Once you hit the Contra Costa County line, the road collapses back into a single lane northbound for about 12 miles. So if you don't pass in those stretches, you're stuck.
Today, I became part of drama. Ahead of me was a big rig pulling a double gravel hauler. He was doing 45mph on the downgrade, a reasonable speed (the limit is 55.) Behind him was a white Acura, then me.
The lady in the Acura was insane. She was tailgating, honking her horn, dropping back and racing up... all in an area where the poor trucker couldn't pull over. No shoulder for much of this drive. Finally we reach Camino Diablo, where the road briefly widens to two lanes for right turns. The standard is that us trucks (of all sizes) move to the right to allow the long-suffering cars to pass us. Sure enough, the hauler slows down and pulls into the right lane, and the Acura and I stay to the left. I start to accelerate to get past the truck when the Acura hits the brakes. I hit the brakes and the horn at the same time.
This is where it gets weird. The lady driving the Acura is holding up a camera and is taking pictures of the truck's cab! The poor trucker is crawling at this point, and the Acura keeps slowing. Finally, running out of space, the rig pulls back onto the road and the circus rolls on.
About a mile down the road is a speed trap. We all know it. So the truck, the Acura, and I all pull over. The Sheriff's deputy was quite amused to see all of us pile out, and the lady immediately began screeching at the cop that she wanted us both arrested. The trucker for intentionally preventing her from driving as fast as she could, and me for, and I quote, "trying to keep her from her constitutional right to collect evidence!"
The deputy, The Winslow bless him, kept his cool. He asked to see the pictures. The lady proudly showed them (evidently I missed her taking a shitload of pictures while tailgating on a winding narrow road.) After hearing our tales, seeing the pictures, and hearing the lady admit to taking them he issued a ticket.
To the Acura driver. For tailgating, reckless driving, and criminal lack of active brain cells. I thought she was furious before! I seriously expected to be splattered with blood when she had the stroke.
The Deputy got information from the other trucker and me, and confiscated the camera as evidence. When I left, the woman was still shrieking.
It is also home to some of the worst, most idiotic drivers I've ever seen. Today was a good example.
Heading north, Vasco climbs pretty sharply before hitting a long downhill into Brentwood. On that incline stretch, there are several place where the normal one-lane road expands into two, so us slow pokes can move to the right and allow the speeders to pass and find the CHP for us. Once you hit the Contra Costa County line, the road collapses back into a single lane northbound for about 12 miles. So if you don't pass in those stretches, you're stuck.
Today, I became part of drama. Ahead of me was a big rig pulling a double gravel hauler. He was doing 45mph on the downgrade, a reasonable speed (the limit is 55.) Behind him was a white Acura, then me.
The lady in the Acura was insane. She was tailgating, honking her horn, dropping back and racing up... all in an area where the poor trucker couldn't pull over. No shoulder for much of this drive. Finally we reach Camino Diablo, where the road briefly widens to two lanes for right turns. The standard is that us trucks (of all sizes) move to the right to allow the long-suffering cars to pass us. Sure enough, the hauler slows down and pulls into the right lane, and the Acura and I stay to the left. I start to accelerate to get past the truck when the Acura hits the brakes. I hit the brakes and the horn at the same time.
This is where it gets weird. The lady driving the Acura is holding up a camera and is taking pictures of the truck's cab! The poor trucker is crawling at this point, and the Acura keeps slowing. Finally, running out of space, the rig pulls back onto the road and the circus rolls on.
About a mile down the road is a speed trap. We all know it. So the truck, the Acura, and I all pull over. The Sheriff's deputy was quite amused to see all of us pile out, and the lady immediately began screeching at the cop that she wanted us both arrested. The trucker for intentionally preventing her from driving as fast as she could, and me for, and I quote, "trying to keep her from her constitutional right to collect evidence!"
The deputy, The Winslow bless him, kept his cool. He asked to see the pictures. The lady proudly showed them (evidently I missed her taking a shitload of pictures while tailgating on a winding narrow road.) After hearing our tales, seeing the pictures, and hearing the lady admit to taking them he issued a ticket.
To the Acura driver. For tailgating, reckless driving, and criminal lack of active brain cells. I thought she was furious before! I seriously expected to be splattered with blood when she had the stroke.
The Deputy got information from the other trucker and me, and confiscated the camera as evidence. When I left, the woman was still shrieking.
