It happened again!

[ss55]

....or maybe the right shoulder was too narrow for his BIG rig?

It is possible to talk to a county commissioner about adding additional shoulder width, or a left hand turning lane for a frequently used driveway.

 

[NoDakInMN]

Friday morning before Labor Day I made a trip into town to grab some things. On a side street leading to a big parking lot, a guy cuts me off with a left turn in front of me into a strip mall. I was also making a right turn into the same lot so I followed him in but parked a ways away. He comes over an apologizes, said the sun momentarily blinded him and when he saw me he was committed to the turn. He was headed east and I was headed west, so it made sense. Been there myself, I said, and no harm, no foul. He at least had the grace to come up to me and apologize. About an hour later, I was on my way home and at a 4 way stop. I was about to make a left hand turn to go north when I saw a southbound car not looking like it was going to slow down or even stop. It blew through the intersection without slowing down and had I gone into my turn, I wouldn't be here now. Later that day I'm on a 4 lane hauling my R JD on a trailer on my way to Rollag. I'm doing 65 in a 65 in the RH lane and getting constantly passed on the left. All of a sudden, the left lane traffic starts to back up because someone is slowing to make left turn up ahead. So instead of slowing down a bit, a bunch of people in the left lane shift right over into my lane in front of me, really close in front of me. Well, right away all their brake lights come on because someone up ahead is making a right turn off of the highway. Naturally, I cannot brake as fast as they do with 10,000# or so behind me, so with the horn blowing I'm taking the shoulder trying to stop. When I do, I'm cab door to cab door with the truck that had just pulled in front of me in my lane. Guy wouldn't even look over at me.

Hauling the tractor home on Monday, I'm driving about 50 on a two lane getting up to speed when a guy pulled out of the show parking lot on my right, crossed my lane and headed the opposite direction. This created another episode of horn blowing and brakes squealing. About 15 minutes later I was back on the 4 lane and slowing for a stop light in a town and I head brakes squealing behind me, I look in my RH mirror and there is a car pulling on to the shoulder. They passed me on the right and took a right at the light, but he was still holding his phone in his hand. Apparently, he was looking at the phone and not traffic or the light.

I put on 40,000 miles a year, more or less, for work, but I have never had so many near misses in such a short time frame ever.

 

[wp6529]

Friday morning before Labor Day I made a trip into town to grab some things. On a side street leading to a big parking lot, a guy cuts me off with a left turn in front of me into a strip mall. I was also making a right turn into the same lot so I followed him in but parked a ways away. He comes over an apologizes, said the sun momentarily blinded him and when he saw me he was committed to the turn. He was headed east and I was headed west, so it made sense. Been there myself, I said, and no harm, no foul. He at least had the grace to come up to me and apologize. About an hour later, I was on my way home and at a 4 way stop. I was about to make a left hand turn to go north when I saw a southbound car not looking like it was going to slow down or even stop. It blew through the intersection without slowing down and had I gone into my turn, I wouldn't be here now. Later that day I'm on a 4 lane hauling my R JD on a trailer on my way to Rollag. I'm doing 65 in a 65 in the RH lane and getting constantly passed on the left. All of a sudden, the left lane traffic starts to back up because someone is slowing to make left turn up ahead. So instead of slowing down a bit, a bunch of people in the left lane shift right over into my lane in front of me, really close in front of me. Well, right away all their brake lights come on because someone up ahead is making a right turn off of the highway. Naturally, I cannot brake as fast as they do with 10,000# or so behind me, so with the horn blowing I'm taking the shoulder trying to stop. When I do, I'm cab door to cab door with the truck that had just pulled in front of me in my lane. Guy wouldn't even look over at me.

Hauling the tractor home on Monday, I'm driving about 50 on a two lane getting up to speed when a guy pulled out of the show parking lot on my right, crossed my lane and headed the opposite direction. This created another episode of horn blowing and brakes squealing. About 15 minutes later I was back on the 4 lane and slowing for a stop light in a town and I head brakes squealing behind me, I look in my RH mirror and there is a car pulling on to the shoulder. They passed me on the right and took a right at the light, but he was still holding his phone in his hand. Apparently, he was looking at the phone and not traffic or the light.

I put on 40,000 miles a year, more or less, for work, but I have never had so many near misses in such a short time frame ever.

Makes you want to become a shut-in doesn't it?

 

[miangus]

As a kid we were taught to pull up to the center when making a left turn with hay wagons so at least the car would hit the wagon and not the tractor. You would want to watch when following the older farmers with wagons they would always start right then turn left. I think it can from using horses.

 

[JMOR]

As a kid we were taught to pull up to the center when making a left turn with hay wagons so at least the car would hit the wagon and not the tractor. You would want to watch when following the older farmers with wagons they would always start right then turn left. I think it can from using horses.

I see that "right at first & then left turn", swing wide, every day with automobile drivers.

 

[wp6529]

I see that "right at first & then left turn", swing wide, every day with automobile drivers.

Usually the ones in the "smart" cars who apparently think their two door speck is an aircraft carrier...

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

It is possible to talk to a county commissioner about adding additional shoulder width, or a left hand turning lane for a frequently used driveway.

Possible? Sure. Worthwhile? No.

When the county can't even fix the roads they have, you think they're going to put in a turning lane for little old you? In a farming community there can be dozens if not hundreds of frequently used driveways that could stand to have turning lanes. It would cost a fortune and take years.

It's not that they can't do it. They WON'T do it.

 

[Rich'sToys]

It is possible to talk to a county commissioner about adding additional shoulder width, or a left hand turning lane for a frequently used driveway.

Possible? Sure. Worthwhile? No.

When the county can't even fix the roads they have, you think they're going to put in a turning lane for little old you? In a farming community there can be dozens if not hundreds of frequently used driveways that could stand to have turning lanes. It would cost a fortune and take years.

It's not that they can't do it. They WON'T do it.

That only works if the county commissioner lives on the same road you do. Then it would have already been done!

 

[JMOR]

Folks , you do realize that some equipment can plow 50 feet at a pass and even when folded for travel is over 15 feet wide. A road lane may be 10 feet and on little country roads much less. Two vehicles meet on road in front of my country house, one moves over into the grass or into a driveway.........no 10 ft lanes here!

 

[RedMF40]

Topping a blind hill in my antique car, someone behind had to get around me in a hurry. Couldn't wait. They crossed the double yellow risking a head-on collision. Ten feet later they turned right onto a side road. I actually had to slow my already-slow car when they braked to make the turn.
I think for many drivers the roadway is just an obstacle course. I sold the car because it was too unsafe to drive around here--the person passing me then turning right was definitely not an isolated incident. And in all fairness there were a few occasions when a courteous driver would put on their four-way flashers for the time they were following me. A 1923 Ford Model T really doesn't belong on many modern roads.

 

[JMOR]

Topping a blind hill in my antique car, someone behind had to get around me in a hurry. Couldn't wait. They crossed the double yellow risking a head-on collision. Ten feet later they turned right onto a side road. I actually had to slow my already-slow car when they braked to make the turn.
I think for many drivers the roadway is just an obstacle course. I sold the car because it was too unsafe to drive around here--the person passing me then turning right was definitely not an isolated incident. And in all fairness there were a few occasions when a courteous driver would put on their four-way flashers for the time they were following me. A 1923 Ford Model T really doesn't belong on many modern roads.

Obstacle course …or they watch too much NASCAR and behave likewise. "I gotta be ahead of you, no matter the cost to anyone!"