Road Report: I almost squished a car the other day and other ramblings

[Tobin S.]

I was rolling down the road in Knoxville, Tennessee the other day. The speed limit was 55 and there were cops all over the place so I was taking it easy and cruising in the right lane. I noticed a dumbass cop on the right shoulder clocking people. In most states now there is a law that says that when you see emergency vehicles on the shoulder you have to move over to the left one lane or slow down if you can't move over. I had plenty of room so I moved over. I passed the dumbass cop and then after checking my mirrors proceeded to move back over into the right lane. I didn't see anyone there.

About half way into the lane I started hearing someone franticly beeping their horn. I looked to the right and saw that I was forcing a little red car off the road. He had been riding in my blind spot. What I guess happened is that when I moved over the little red car driver got impatient with my slow ass and started to pass me on the right. Then he saw the cop and slowed down to the same speed as me (55) right in my blind spot. I'm sure he thought I was just being an asshole trucker because he didn't learn his lesson. He proceeded to pass the truck in front of me on the right. There were two other lanes available to the left.

I know it's not always practical, but try not to pass trucks on the right. I know sometimes you don't have a choice, so when you do pass on the right, get with the program. Don't just ride along side them or ease by going a mile or two an hour faster. There is a blind spot on the right side of most rigs big enough to hide a car in.

In other news, I've been running up and down I-75 between Cincinnati and Orlando and I'm going to try to keep doing that for the rest of the winter despite the heavy traffic on I-75. The money is good enough, I'll avoid a lot of bad weather, and I'll get home more often which is important to me now that I have a girlfriend. I'm going to start looking for local carriers to lease to around where I live, but I'm not going to jump quick.

[rurallib]

1. Glad you're not coming north - bad, bad weather coming.

Good to the girlfriend is ok with your plan for winter.
HEY - when you going to introduce her to us?
Are you ashamed of us?
I bathed last Saturday!

[Tobin S.]

2. I'm going to see her this weekend. I'll see if I can get a pic of us together.

I told her about DU and I've shown her a few of my posts here. She knows about you guys. :)

[Suich]

3. I used to own a "little red car!" (VW bug)

I can count on one hand the number of times I've passed a semi on the right. If I have to, I've got it floored!

I had a friend who called me from the hospital...she was driving her bug and passed on the right. We went and looked at the car later and there were tire marks on the top of the driver's door.

Glad you didn't run into the idiot!

:hi:

[hibbing]

4. close call

Hey Tobin,
Have always appreciated the truckers out there that keep our food and other goods moving. I'm glad everything turned out okay. I have a question that sounds kind of corny, anytime I am on the highway and a trucker passes me I give my lights a little flicker to let them know they can change back over. Is that patronizing or an okay thing to do?

Peace

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. If I may...

What you are doing is quite fine and in fact it is appreciated.

One tip, however;

At night it is better to turn them off momentarily then back on, instead of flashing your brights (not saying that's what you do, just offering advice). During the day, simply turning them on works perfectly, but flashing your brights at night invariably happens to me just as I am looking right at your car in my rear view!

I am another DU'er trucker, and I can tell you I appreciate it when cars are conscientious enough to give me the "you cleared me" signal.

[elleng]

5. Thanks for the driving info, Tobin.

Whenever I'm on the road now, I think of you. Have been doing a bit more than usual; drove from Silver Spring, MD to Cherry Hill, NJ/Philly and return, Tues/Wed.

BAD WEATHER here today, Hagerstown, MD>Silver Spring. Small amount of snow on VERY cold roads/hills/bridges, zillions of fender-benders, one tie-up after another, took me an extra hour over 60 mile trip.

Looking forward to meeting her!

[bluedigger]

6. Is Knoxville still a clusterfuck?

I haven't been through there for awhile, but I-40 has been "under construction" forever... (I always pass trucks as fast as possible - I hate getting caught beside them.)