Country Boy i n City Traffic

scruffy · Sep 27, 2000

I will post this in 'Rural Living' rather than the 'Off Topic and just fun' type of category, basically because it wasn't fun! Just because Dodge named their pickups 'Ram' doesn't mean we have to ram things with them, as I found out. The front ends don't necessarily hold up as well as an Rams head when he butts something. Luckily no-one was hurt, except my pride. I was in stop and go traffic when the cars in front of me stopped rather suddenly, I locked the brakes up, (squalling tires) when I found something red spilled down the lane I was in, suddenly no braking traction, and it was like being on ice. I stopped, but unfortunately a foot or so to far 'down-wind' so to speak. Four cars treated rather indecently.
Learned that 4 to 5 carlengths at 30 to 35 mph is definately not enough in the I-5 Parking Lot! Keep double that!
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by scruffy on 9/27/00 00:28 AM.</FONT></P>

Harv · Sep 27, 2000

Holy Cow, Scruffy!!! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Did this just happen recently? I can see why you didn't post under "Off Topic and Just For Fun". Nothing fun at all 'bout wrinkling your truck.

Glad you and everybody else are okay. I feel bad about your truck, but I'd feel a lot worse if we'd lost a fine board member like yourself. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Now, far be it from me to make light of an unfortunate incident like this, but... please tell me you weren't pulling your L175 at the time. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

scruffy · Sep 27, 2000

Harv, I am happy to report that 'Grumpy' was home tucked under his tarp. I was 'cuttin out' from work an hour and a half early and on my way home to put my son's minibike together. Like you, the computer biz is the game and anything else has gotten to be the fun. Needless to say, I never made it home early, but later than normal.
The wrinkle job happened this afternoon/evening at 4:40 P.M.
Luckily I was going only 30 or so when I slammed the brakes on, and less than 10 at impact. Sure gave the P/U a pug nose. Weird that it didn't brake a headlight out, nor deploy the air-bag. Two days left on this contract, and I cannot make it. I wouldn't trust that for two 154 mile round trips. It overheated on the way home (after accident), but shows no leakage. Odd. Cannot get the hood open, so can't really check to see what all is tweeked out of shape. Do know the bumper has pushed back into the transmission cooler, the hood linkage is broken, as well as totally jammed, steam leaks out the drivers side defroster vent (interior) with all vents closed. It appears (looking in from side) that the top cross bar is bent back also. Oh well, its six years old (almost) so I guess its time for a dent in it. Razzlefratz anyway.

Thomas · Sep 27, 2000

Scruffy,
Glad your okay..whew.
They always sad 10mph for each car lenght to stop,doesn't seem enough to me./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Week ago Tuesday a friend of mine was board sided by a lady who went thru a yeild sign while talking on a cell phone.
I find it hard that she wasn't was only charge for running a yeild sign....maybe there should be laws about people who drive while talking on cell phones.
Again I glad to read that your okay,for the pick up parts can be bought but can't replace you. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird · Sep 27, 2000

Wow, scruffy, that'll sure ruin your day!/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif The front end of those Dodges are not as bullet proof as they appear. About 4 years ago, I was enroute to Ellensburg, WA, in a 4WD Dodge, pulling an empty 5' x 10' trailer and hit a mule deer right outside Ogden, UT, at 55 mph at about 5 a.m. We crimped the one leaking cooling tube in the radiator with a pair of needle nose pliers and finished the trip, but everything in front of the fan had to be replaced. The really odd thing was that there was no paint or straightening of anything needed; just turning wrenches to remove and replace all the front end components.

Bird

ERNIEB · Sep 27, 2000

Scruffy, You have brought up a subject here that positively gives me nightmares. I sometimes find myself in traffic such as you describe while driving my tandem dump. Loaded I'm sitting at about 48 to 50,000 lbs. According to accident reports the vehicle a truck is most apt to get into an accident with is the one in front of them. The Texas commercial drivers hand book sez one second of following distance for each 10 ft. of truck length, at speeds lower than 40mph. Over 40 add one second. This sounds good on paper, but one thing I've noticed is that if there is room between me and the vehicle in front of me , somebody is gonna squeeze in. There isn't much for me to do except try do get my distance back as quickly as is safe to do. In short, if I run into a situation like yours, I'm afraid I'm gonna do more than just ruin somebody's day. For me, thats just a very, very scary thought. Anyway, I'm sorry you had that happen, and I'm glad your OK. It's something that could have happened to anyone. I always try to avoid such traffic, but sometimes you can't.
Ernie

scruffy · Sep 27, 2000

ErnieB, no sometimes you can't avoid such traffic. For me, it has been a daily drive the past three months. I had told my wife at the start of this contract that as far as I could see, it was just a matter of time. Even though you try to leave room in front, like you said, someone will cut right in front of you. One car length per 10 mph is what I had learned, and a good rule of thumb (now X 2 in my book)up until yesterday evening. I would have been ok, but whatever was down on the pavement was slicker than snot, and it just stopped the squalling and started sliding like you were on ice. I think I left finger imprints in the steering wheel!
The main reason for this post, is to hopefully convince all of 'our' readers to leave double the room when possible! Also, to emphasize ErnieB's point, leave those truckers some 'livin room'! Generate a healthy distance before pulling back in front of them.

RobertN · Sep 27, 2000

Did the Highway Patrol figure out what was spilt, or where it came from?

We had someone over the weekend lose a small trailer near our Fire Station. They lost control of the trailer, and flipped it in to the parking lot of a day care center.

They were carrying about 10gallons of used gear oil. It was EVERYWHERE!

Of course, they split from the scene, leaving a busted up unregistered trailer and a terrible mess. I found it disappointing that the jerk left that nasty mess where kids would be later. That suff is sticcky, messy, and stinks, even when it is new!

Glad to hear your safe and ok! That's the important part!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

scruffy · Sep 27, 2000

RobertN, No the CHP couldn't (wouldn't) attempt to stop the traffic to verify skid marks or spills on the roadway. It was rush hour time, and all lanes were bumper to bumper. I don't blame them in the least! I sure wouldn't want to attempt to stop that mess, let alone be responsible for events that may occur from doing so! Probably cause many more accidents.
I was totally happy that no one was hurt in it.

gordon · Sep 27, 2000

Good thing no one was hurt but it's a shame about your truck. I'm glad that I've only got a 30 min drive to work all on two lane mostly back roads to work. Don't miss freeway rushhour one bit.
The main traffic jams this time of year for me is a combine or tractor running down the side of the road.
Gordon