CDL holders, fun on the road

[ditchtiger]

Any others here?
Have issues on the road? Of course never, bicycles are most polite and give way.
What else?

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[Scott F]

Was a heavy hauler for a while, mostly from Port Townsend WA to BC and AB. Retired and done with the crazy 4 wheelers trying to kill themselves now.

 

[ditchtiger]

I'm pulling a side dump with quarry rock. 96,000 total. On a scenic highway, the quarry and crusher plant are at different locations. Bicycles abound and a new mental health hospital nearby also. Eugene's finest free to walk around. Makes a drive stressful at times. South of the Coburg area.

 

[Scott F]

I wrapped a 26 wheeler grossing anywhere from an even 100,000 up to 105,500 up Hy 97 in WA 80 miles into BC for years. Mostly two lane through beautiful country. It was a great run except for winter. I remember a five day trip where I never saw a black road. Glad I retired.

 

[Stomper]

Black Roads Matter!!!

 

[Mark W.]

I drive a 105,500GVW Kenworth T800 Dump truck and 4 axle pup trailer. Everywhere from single lane forest service roads to I5 and everything in between. Some days I make 8-9 trips from West Salem to East Salem through town and in an average day I seen 8-10 vehicles blow red lights 1 accident 4 near accidents and about 50 people trying to give me a heart attack. We pave roads we build sub divisions we haul rock we haul dirt we see everything from cops texting with both hands to Meth heads weaving their stolen bikes back and forth through traffic.

Try swinging wide to get your trailer around a hair pin turn in the mountains only to have some dumbass who just read a sign warning of truck traffic and giving a CB channel for safety meet you head on. I only hope they crap their pants as often as I do.

Or dealing with people who do not understand the simple words ROAD CLOSED so they follow you into a dead end construction zone.

Oh and I got news for all you proud parents out there. The dumbest people are on college campuses followed by the people in College towns.

We had a moron at WOU drive around TWO 24" x 60" ROAD CLOSED signs knock over a traffic cone only to try to drive 15 feet behind the paving machine. Into the 3" deep 350 degree fresh asphalt. By the time the paving super got done yelling at him and they got the little backhoe to drag his low rider Honda out of the mix his tries were totally vulcanized and the underside of his car was covered with Asphalt and were his $100 Nike's College student most likely a future teacher.

And Bicycles scare the hell out of me. What on earth would possess someone to go on a nice bike ride on a road with no shoulders 20mph blind S curves that has 20-50 dump trucks an hour running up and down it from the gravel pit on it?

In Portland forget about it I have had bicycles I was passing while they were in a bike lane drift out of the bike lane and ride in the space beside my Reach (the long extended tongue) where I can't see them. I didin't know if I should stop (they might crash into me) keep going (I might be pulling a 50,000 trailer right over top of them) Only to dart out pass me then flip me off for what I don't know.

We had a guy on a bike stop and scream obscenities at one of our drivers because as we were paving the tennis courts at Benson High School he was coming out of the driveway (still in the paving machine) and he was blocking the bike path! Now this guy could have just gone around him there was little traffic but no he screams at the driver for blocking his way. Honestly the dude on the bike was very lucky he picked on that driver as a few of our other guys would have gotten out of the truck and wrapped the bike around the guys neck.

OK see you go me started

 

[nvs]

People on bikes have no concept of how physics work. What is scary is that a lot of the bike riders are educators and government officials. I get that they have the right of way but do they want their tombstone to say "but I had the right of way and still got run over". All of the spandex must cut the blood off to their head!

 

[Stomper]

Actually in Oregon, bicyclist are considered a "motor vehicle" and must obey all the traffic laws autos do.

 

[nvs]

I am not a biker and do not own any spandex but if they are considered a motor vehicle how come they do not have to have a license plate and insurance? I also wonder why a tractor has to have a slow moving vehicle placard but a slow moving bicycle rider does not need one or brake and turn signals for that matter.

 

[Mikej]

Actually in Oregon, bicyclist are considered a "motor vehicle" and must obey all the traffic laws autos do.

Guffaw!

 

[Lilhigbee]

Most Bicyclists are considered (words I can't use here without getting banned!!). I want a bumper sticker that says "Ghost Bikes Make Me Smile!!"
Incident a few years ago in Portland;
bicyclist being an bubblegum,
driver makes comment to bicyclist,
bicyclist throws down bicycle and assaults driver,
Driver is leader of local bicycle group trying to police one of their own. Funny stuff right there!!

 

[ditchtiger]

And near the plant the bike lane is 6 feet wide, and the A-holes ride on the fog line.

 

[HuckleberryFun]

Ah yes, our lovely Portland cyclists. I've had them blow through stop signs and flip me off. I've had them veer out of the bike lane suddenly and flip me off. I've had one blow through a red light and hit the side of my vehicle and flip me off. An expressive lot, always ready with an eloquent finger.

Just the other day I was talking to one old lady in a wheechair who told me she was in a crosswalk when a cyclist blew through a red light and collided with her in her chair. The guy broke her foot. This fine gentleman then starts cursing the old lady out calling her a "stupid old byotch" for getting in his way. He threatened to hit her before hopping on his bike and peddling off without offering any help to the injured old lady. The police are now looking for him for hit and run. Such is life in Portland, the green Eco-friendly city that strives to save the world but treats other people like shee-it.

 

[Stomper]

Guffaw!

Laugh it up.... fuzzball.

 

[ditchtiger]

bicyclists, the spandex mafia.

 

[transittech]

I used to ride a bike quite a bit, but I don't feel safe on a bike any more. Some intersections it's more dangerous to wait for the light/stop sign than to run it and get the hell away from crazy drivers. Drivers get super impatient with cyclists, for about a zillion reasons, especially when they are sitting in traffic and you go whizzing past. Then at the next light they try to make up and regain their "rightful place in line." Or they are sitting there fuming that you don't have to pay road taxes and that winds them up, so they are just waiting for a chance to get back at you. Like cut you off. Or yell at you. Or swear at you. Or "educate" you. Or swerve at you. Or honk at you. Or just play chicken.

Had a lady miss my foot by about 6 inches one day. I was standing in the center of the bike lane waiting for the red light and she wanted to do a right on red from the narrow parking lane with her truck. Zoomed right past me, didn't even stop for the red light. That's happened a few times. Usually they pull right up a foot off your back tire and sometimes honk. (Why are you using the bike lane to ride in?? Everybody knows its a turn lane.)

Been cut off WAY WAY too many times. It's scary literally doing a stoppie to keep from getting dragged under somebody's wheels. Usually they swerve out of their way to go out and around you on your left, so you know they saw you.

If you are riding at night, people yell at you for having a light that's too bright. Happened maybe 4-5 times, usually while they are cutting you off to turn in front of you. Its better if they have to stop for the light and you can stop behind them and melt their rearview mirrors. (Middle age and up ladies will stop and tell you- "educate you" if you light is too dim)

I was walking my bike with a flat tire one day on a country road, carrying my helmet in my left hand. My bike tires were actually in the grass. A car whizzed past at 55 or so and the passenger mirror tapped the helmet in my hand. The driver was 16-18 and making out with her boyfriend. While driving.

Had people honk at me numerous times because they thought my bike wasn't triggering the light. One day I got nervous about a particularly aggressive pickup driver behind me so I did a left on red. (Highly illegal, but nobody coming). Three cars followed me on that illegal red light. I had waited about a minute total and he had honked twice and yelled. I had passed him two lights back while he was waiting for traffic.

If a cyclist isn't riding in the bike lane on a country road, chances are there is a TON of debris in his lane (small rocks are murder at 20mph on 23mm wide tires at 120PSI and your heart rate is at 140). A small rock can knock you sideways a foot easy. Most cyclists want to stay the hell away from big trucks, but they may not have a choice. Risk swerving into traffic suddenly because of debris or just ride where it's clear?? It's a tough call.

You know how you get those grey areas of the law where you are asking yourself "who technically has the right of way here?" and then the guy in the bigger truck makes the decision for you? That happens ALL THE TIME to cyclists. If you think riding a motorcycle is dangerous, try riding a bicycle. It's 10x more dangerous.

Sorry if this winds some of you guys up, but there is always another side to the story. Bottom line- People are crazy. Doesn't matter if they are surrounded by a padded steel cage on wheels or not.

 

[Kid@Heart]

Actually in Oregon, bicyclist are considered a "motor vehicle" and must obey all the traffic laws autos do.

I thought you swore off the LSD.

 

[Diamondback]

Oh, do NOT wind me up about those spandex-clad urban terrorists... not a CDL, but they're as much of a menace to us pedestrians on the sidewalk as they are you on the road.

And for the Point After, you should see what they're like on buses too...

 

[The Courier]

I clicked on this thread because I read "CHL holders, fun on the road" and was concerned.
On the topic my father has been driving trucks for about 20 years, after one ride along with him I realized just how nuts people are on the the road especially around trucks, it's as though they forget about physics such as 2,000lbs. car vs 100,000lbs. truck = 1 demolished civic and 1 new bumper for the truck. He's been multiple collisions and everytime it was some idiot who thinks the gap in a semi's turn is a magical portal they can squeeze into.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I drive a big dump truck (66,000lbs) most days in the spring/summer/ early fall, and I can't even begin to tell you about all the idiots I have came inches from killing out on the road! Just driving down the freeway in the middle lane minding my own business and out of no where some azzhol in a mini van cuts right in and there is plenty of space for them if they had stepped on the loud pedal a little harder and waited two more seconds! I had one a few weeks ago, car came right up behind me and sat there right off my rear, so close I couldn't see the lit headlights and we were doing 60 in the middle lane! I tapped the break lights to try and get them to back off some or go around, Nothing!!! It took another trucker on his CB to radio the stater that hangs out near a certain overpass and the 4 wheeler got pulled over! Little joy in driving a big truck these days! I always love the folks that try and out run ya on the on ramps, or they try and merge in from an on ramp but "didn't see ya" and force you to break hard to keep from slamming them! You would think a great big Mack RD800 in the rear view would scare the snot out of them if they ever looked behind them selves, but I guess not! Thankfully we don't have many bicycles around here!