EW Drivers

[Lurking Sockpuppet]

My brother got a phone call from his employer today. He drives an 18 wheeler. He was traveling in the right hand lane in a construction zone with heavy traffic. Mrs. EW called his company to complain about how rude he was because she was trying to merge from an entrance ramp and he didn't get out of her way and she ran out of road and drove into the grass.

When the person taking the complaint inquired about her having to yield she replied that yes there was a yield sign but it was still rude of him to not get out of her way.

When the person from the company called my brother and was lecturing him on being more courteous. He asked if he was supposed to hit or force the drivers to his left off the road to let those merging on the right in? They didn't have an answer for that.

Idiot ew and idiot company pencil pusher for harassing him for doing his job correctly.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Not just for doing his job correctly, but for obeying traffic laws!

Seriously, the lady was in the wrong, as the sign said "Yield," which she clearly didn't.

[mikoyan29]

Obviously the Lady didn't know how to regulate her speed to either get ahead of the truck or behind it.

[KatherineB]

Actually, not sure where you are, but in Australia it's a legal requirement that, when possible and safe to do so, those in the outside lane of a freeway/highway/motorway should move into the middle lane and leave space for those merging onto the road to do so. Of course, very few people actually know about this rule, let alone heed it (like the one about it being illegal to reverse out of your own driveway), but that doesn't make it any of a requirement.

[LillFilly]

As Katherine said, and I agree, if you can do it for merging traffic that's great, but this guy was obviously locked-into position. Stupid complaining old bat of a driver!

[Geek King]

Actually, not sure where you are, but in Australia it's a legal requirement that, when possible and safe to do so, those in the outside lane of a freeway/highway/motorway should move into the middle lane and leave space for those merging onto the road to do so. Of course, very few people actually know about this rule, let alone heed it (like the one about it being illegal to reverse out of your own driveway), but that doesn't make it any of a requirement.

That law's different here. In the state of Ohio in the US, all on-ramps have (by law) an implied yield and traffic already on the main road have the right of way. The onus of meging is legally on the merging driver.

Now, most folk here are nice enough to make a space, but you better be getting your speed up to match traffic.

[Andara Bledin]

California is the same; if you're merging, you have to match speed and find a space - the drivers already there have no obligation to let you in.

Now, in many cases they will adjust, but in many other cases, they will also pretend that they can't even see the merging vehicle, despite speeding up to make absolutely sure that they can't possibly merge ahead of them. >_<

^-.-^

[mikoyan29]

My favorites are the people that play the match the speed game...

[EricKei]

In the US, moving over -- if there's room -- is a courtesy, not an obligation...And it looks like he had no room to move over anyway. I just love how the complainant apparently doesn't know how to use her brakes, and that's somehow the trucker's fault >_>

All of this also assumes that he could see her *at all*. I have seen waaay too many people come in far too close to the side of a semi; sadly, this happens a lot more when said semi has had to move a bit to the left in order to negotiate a right turn and has had their turn signal on for the last full block or so...>_> Some idiots will actually speed up in order to "get past" the truck/get into easy smooshing range...

[bainsidhe]

She drove onto the grass? On those rare occasions when I haven't been able to merge, I tend to..you know...STOP.

[Arcus]

I'm willing to bet that she was driving in his blind spot with her turn signal on expecting him to mover over for her.

[Kazim]

No dice, Suckers bet

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm willing to bet that she was driving in his blind spot with her turn signal on expecting him to mover over for her.

Very likely. A mate of mine who used to drive a lorry told me once that there are a lot of people out there who don't have the intellect to grasp that if they're tucked in behind the lorry and can't see the mirrors, then the driver can't see them. He had quite a few heart stopping near misses from idiots who expected him to just shift his rather large vehicle out of the way so that their car could fit thru the gap, something that just isn't possible.

Back when I rode a motorbike, in that kind of situation regardless of whether it was my right of way or not, I would yield to the larger vehicle cuz I want to, you know, stay alive.

[PepperElf]

Around here we have no obligation either. A lot of people WILL - but only if they can. The left lane is suppose to be for passing, although if you have to pass on the right you can (provided you're not using the shoulder).


and of course even if there WAS an obligation - you also have a more important obligation to the other cars on the road. The one that says "don't hit them!"

So little miss impatient might be bitchy that Mr Trucker didn't give way for her. But indeed, if he had done so, it sounds like he'd have killed the driver on his left. And that's a more serious issue than Miss Impatient's impatience.


Tho I'm reminded now of the truck that DID pull aside to let me in a few nights ago. As soon as I was in lane I flashed my hazards a couple of times to say "thank you!" Normally it's the tail lights that truckers flash by flicking the headlights, but my headlights are auto-on in the dark so that would be useless.