Mother-Trucker and his game of Chicken

[Talon]

Related to Blas's "How Dare you Pass Me!" thread.

Just happened today while driving on the highway. I was on the far right lane which was about to end, turning into an off-ramp. It wasn't my exit, so I had to turn left. There was a van to my left, and an 18-wheeler behind it. When the van exited that lane I took the opportunity to take his place.

Normally when I change lanes, I signal first, take a second to check blind spot, then move. This time I just signaled and switched, prompting the trucker behind to lay on the horn. I thought I gave him enough room. Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe he saw his chance to throttle up, and got pissed when I took the spot.

I had a feeling trucker boy was going to try something, and I was right. He switched to my left lane, and throttled up. As he was overtaking me, he veered into my lane, like he was trying to broadside me.

Really now, was I supposed to be intimidated by that stunt, Mother-Trucker? Annoyed yes, but I'm sure my yawn was only out of mortal terror. I suppose I might have been rattled, had I not seen that stunt coming from miles away. I did slow down a little, just in case he was as clumsy as he was a jackass. So he got his chicken game victory, or got his manhood back or whatever. I couldn't care less.

[blas]

There are a few truckers out there who give them all a bad name. I know if any of the truckers that work with my Dad pulled that, they'd be fired on the spot.

I've passed a semi because they pulled out in front of me (for instance, they turned right on a red when they did NOT have time or space to) or just passed them in general on the freeway because they take too long to get up to speed, and a few of them have attempted to come roaring up my rear end. It's too laughable. Really? You have a semi. Sure, once you GET going, you can sure haul some ass. But I have a car. A small car. With a 2.0 engine.....I can accellerate way faster than you, and I can get further faster than you. So don't even try it, trucker. Next time, don't do such jackassed things like cutting out in front of people just because you have the biggest thing on the road. Remember that you also drive the slowest accellerating thing on the road.

[mikoyan29]

did the truck have a company associated with it? Maybe a trucker number...that almost sounds like assault with a deadly weapon to me.

[Talon]

did the truck have a company associated with it? Maybe a trucker number...that almost sounds like assault with a deadly weapon to me.

Frankly I did not care enough to check. A drunken slo-mo snail could have avoided his "attack", it was that slow and predictable. Like Blas I also drive a small Corolla. Not exactly a sports-car, but trying to nail that with a huge lumbering truck? That would be like trying to nail an airborne fruit fly with a hammer. And the hammer is made out of wank.

[ditchdj]

You think that's bad try being a cop and having to work the scene of an accident when one of these numbnuts acts a fool in their semi and takes out a whole family in the process. Heard that from a buddy. I'd have to say they're anything BUT "professional".

[Broomjockey]

I'd have to say they're anything BUT "professional".

The ones who act like the OP and blas have described are despicable, yes.

On the flip side, I'd like to related the story my dad told me. It's fairly short.

Frank was driving down a main road in the city, speed limit of 50 kph. Guy walks out in front of his truck. No time to stop, guy's nothing but a smear. Frank feels absolutely horrible. Can't drive any more, even has PTSD. Police investigation finds Frank not at fault, because apparently Smear was looking to commit suicide.

So, not every trucker takes stupid risks, or acts unprofessionally. Like every profession, you got your scum, and you have everyone else. Sorta like the philosophy of this site: Not all customers suck, we're here to bitch about the few who do.

[blas]

Absolutely, BJ.

The trucking company that my dad works for has a great reputation. The truckers are just guys with families to support, they don't have the time or the desire to jeopardize that by driving like asstards.

[Broomjockey]

The truckers are just guys with families to support, they don't have the time or the desire to jeopardize that by driving like asstards.

Oh man, don't ask why, but that just reminded me of a different story my dad told me, where the driver was an idiot, temporarily.

At a loading dock, a guy decided to pull out and turn left, rather than right, like he normally did, now for the scene, a rudimentary diagram follows:

Trailer1|Empty|Guy|Trailer2
<Usual out................This time>

Lots of room either way, technically. But since he was used to having that extra space, he cut it a bit too close and clipped Trailer2. Doesn't seem like such a big deal, normally. Those things are tough. Hell, Guy's trailer was barely scratched. However, Trailer2 didn't fare so well. There wasn't a truck hooked up, so it was sitting on the supports. Which buckled. The trailer tilted over, and probably would have fallen - except it came to rest on its diesel tank. They were lucky, in that it didn't start leaking, but wow, that coulda been a lot worse. I think Guy is still taking jibes over it.