My Weekend Tow Story

[CobyRupert]

Hard to believe someone could be annoyed you're slowing them down, and then have time to brake check you and dick around. I back way off when I see jerks like that, it's just not worth it.

One could argue that him brake checking you was actually a selfless act so that the line of cars you were holding up could go by. Whereas he could of just passed and left, he thought of others. Unlike this guy:

When I am trailering a load who and how many are behind me is not my concern. Totally focused on what is in front of me. Since I generally cruise 3 MPH below posted limits, I almost always have a line of cars behind me and the benifit of no one in front of me.
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Holding up a long line of cars it is easy to predict there will be one moron in the line who is impatient and will try to get ahead, endangering themselves and all other people around him. Now, when he kills that innocent family, it will be his fault, but the other selfish igget who held up the whole line of traffic and couldn't care about anyone but themselves also has some culpability.
Seem like both the OP and the brake-checker both have the same thought in common: "How stupid can this jerk in front of me be that he cause vehicles behind him to have to slow down?"

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I really love when a 4 wheeler pulls out in front of me when I'm doing the speed limit on a road with a loaded trailer because they don't wanna get stuck behind me causing me to have to slow down so i can keep from hitting them. Then, they turn off a half mile down the road with a slam on the brakes and hit the turn signal after they start to make the turn. :hissyfit: I have been tempted on more than one occasion to take off their rear bumper for them.

 

[Deere Dude]

Sorry Deere Dude but 40-50 on a curvy hilly 2 lane road with a 37ft fifth wheel would be my speed limit unless he was 50 in the curves and 40 in the straights

I am not by any means a speed burner, but if you are driving so slow that someone in a bigger rig has to slow down considerably, you better get off the road. If he was hauling or was on a tractor pulling some equipment, no problem. But empty, laid back and taking in the scenery, nope. I guess I could have just pulled over, went back and had a cup of coffee.:thumbsup:

 

[Garandman]

Hey, we don't have sales or income tax in NH. So we let the 'Massholes' pay the tab! :cool2:

As long as you don't mind if I lead the parade, no problem but I prefer to let the locals pass.

FWIW MA and NH Veteran's plates look similar.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

From Ca DMV handbook

Turnout Areas and Lanes

Special "turnout" areas are sometimes marked on two-lane roads. Drive into these areas to allow cars behind you to pass. Some two-lane roads have passing lanes. If you are driving slowly on a two-lane highway or road where passing is unsafe, and five or more vehicles are following you, drive into the turnout areas or lanes to let the vehicles pass.

Haven't read the whole thing yet so may be repeating something. OR & WA have the same rule and it usually works till some jerk as we are discussing decides to screw with it. Most truckers are good at pulling over. The biggest violators I have seen are motorhomes and camping trailers and boats; especially those where the tail wags the dog. CA, WA, and OR also have a rule that if you there are two lanes or more in the same direction you are not to be in the left lane except to pass. This is where I see truckers being big violators. Slowing down the left lane or repeatedly weaving between lanes will get you a ticket for "agressive driving". AD is almost as bad a ticket as reckless driving. Problem is we cannot afford enough police out there to really damper it down. WA does do saturation patrols in target areas.

Ron

 

[newbury]

<snip>Holding up a long line of cars it is easy to predict there will be one moron in the line who is impatient and will try to get ahead, endangering themselves and all other people around him. Now, when he kills that innocent family, it will be his fault, but the other selfish igget who held up the whole line of traffic and couldn't care about anyone but themselves also has some culpability.
Seem like both the OP and the brake-checker both have the same thought in common: "How stupid can this jerk in front of me be that he cause vehicles behind him to have to slow down?"

If you are going near the speed limit in many parts of the country on a two lane road you WILL soon be holding up cars. Especially when the hours are around going to work and leaving work. I'll come out of Tupelo heading north on the Trace around 3 pm and set my speed 5 mph ABOVE the speed limit (checked by GPS) and will routinely have a line of 5 to 10 cars back up. Tough, I'm speeding. And I applaud it when some jerk passes me and a few miles down the road I catch up to him on the side of the road talking to the police.

I am not by any means a speed burner, but if you are driving so slow that someone in a bigger rig has to slow down considerably, you better get off the road. If he was hauling or was on a tractor pulling some equipment, no problem. But empty, laid back and taking in the scenery, nope. I guess I could have just pulled over, went back and had a cup of coffee.:thumbsup:

I've got a narrow 2 lane 16 mile stretch I travel which is twisty and only 3 places to pass. Sometimes the shoulder is the thickness of the white line, then it drops off to a 3 foot ditch. I try to travel the speed limit, 55 mph, or if there's no one behind me maybe 50, it's a pleasant drive in my dually. Two things often happen, an elderly driver in front going about 40 or a logging truck on my rear bumper trying to do 65.

For the first case I just slow down and enjoy retirement. For the second case tough patooties. What peeves me is when both happen at the same time and the vehicle on my bumper can CLEARLY SEE I can't pass the guy in front of me but still keeps so close they are about to touch.

 

[RobertN]

I pull over when I'm towing our 5th wheel. It is not necessarily as often as some would like; I wait for safe turnouts.

I find it annoying when folks don't do the same; it is common courtesy.

Haven't read the whole thing yet so may be repeating something. OR & WA have the same rule and it usually works till some jerk as we are discussing decides to screw with it. Most truckers are good at pulling over. The biggest violators I have seen are motorhomes and camping trailers and boats; especially those where the tail wags the dog.
Ron

 

[LarJea]

Haven't read the whole thing yet so may be repeating something. OR & WA have the same rule and it usually works till some jerk as we are discussing decides to screw with it. Most truckers are good at pulling over. The biggest violators I have seen are motorhomes and camping trailers and boats; especially those where the tail wags the dog. CA, WA, and OR also have a rule that if you there are two lanes or more in the same direction you are not to be in the left lane except to pass. This is where I see truckers being big violators. Slowing down the left lane or repeatedly weaving between lanes will get you a ticket for "agressive driving". AD is almost as bad a ticket as reckless driving. Problem is we cannot afford enough police out there to really damper it down. WA does do saturation patrols in target areas.
Ron

As far big trucks go, It's ok to pass when there are two lanes going in the same direction but when there are three or more lanes, same direction, trucks have to stay out of the left lane. Unless I have been doing it wrong all these years. As far as WA. state is concerned.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

As far big trucks go, It's ok to pass when there are two lanes going in the same direction but when there are three or more lanes, same direction, trucks have to stay out of the left lane. Unless I have been doing it wrong all these years. As far as WA. state is concerned.

Lar, you are right on the 3 or more lanes. I drive I-5 a lot between Seattle and Portland. In general truckers are good courteous drivers; but, the bad apples spoil the barrel. When there are 4-5 lanes those third lane truck huggers really slow down car traffic, then you get the 60 MPH car hugging the fast lane and tempers rise fast. I have a friend who is a retired WSP and he always used to ticket those lane huggers, cars and trucks alike. His problem was the judges routinely dismissed or reduced the fine with only a warning. He always said if they increased the WSP by 100% on the road they could recoup their wages with the fines. I am too old now to be the speedster that pulls all the dirty tricks. Speed limit in right lane works for me. I am finding that lane is often the fast lane.

Ron

 

[Old Junk Man]

I drove semi for many decades. ive experienced most of what has been related. I just shrugged most of it off. My pet peeve was those folks you meet who wont dim their lights. worst is the guy behind you following to close who dim,s when meeting traffic and immediately brightens the lights . I had a cure for them. I always carried a box of BB,s . I would throw a handful down on the pavement and let them get a cracked windsheld. maybe that taught them a lesson about what happens when you follow a semi with your bright light,s?.