Or maybe I should call this piece, "Little courtesy Please" or maybe even "How about some common since please". Grrr People! Got to love them I guess. What am I so frayed about. Just another fine specimen of a truck driver I ran across today. Thats all. Go figure. I guess it takes all kinds to make up this industry. I just wish too much for the good old days. You know, back when drivers gave you a break so you could get out in traffic. Back out of it so everyone had a chance. Just does not seem to happen much anymore in today's time. As one of my friends calls it, "FYIF" or blank you, I'm first syndrome.
So here's what happened to me today. I pop in at one of my favorite eating spot out in San Jon, NM. I'm jumping back on the interstate headed east bound and I'm picking up speed quit easily because I'm running light today. When I get to the top of the ramp, I notice two big trucks, one passing the other and they are still back on the bridge. I'm running out of room on the ramp and almost up to sixty five miles an hour so I slide out into the right lane.
The driver in the right lane behind me has not even made it to the ramp yet but he's not slowing down. He keeps racing the driver trying to pass him. Finally when he gets to about eight truck lengths behind me, I can see his front end drop like he jammed his brakes, lets the driver in the left lane get by him by about a foot, and then whips his truck into the left lane behind the first truck. But wait. There's a four wheeler in that lane. He gets about half way over and finally realizes that he's about to run that car into the median. So he whips it hard back to the right, narrowly missing an accident. As I lose sight of him in my left mirror, I look to the right mirror and see he is in the emergency lane whipping it back to the left to keep from running off the road. I thought he was going to roll it over at this point.
But he's still a good five truck lengths behind me at this time. I've picked up speed and doing almost seventy at this point. And he's still not happy because he went straight back into the left lane about two foot off the rear bumper of the car he almost ran off the road just seconds before. By now the first truck in the left lane is starting to pass me and I just back out of it. I let all three of them pass. As my friend slowly passes me I look over and see him just screaming at the windshield.
I'm not really sure what his problem was. I was plenty far enough ahead of him with enough speed that at most all he had to do was tap his brakes for a second and then go around. Any driver worth their salt knows to watch the ramps for oncoming traffic, especially when you're being passed near ramps. I cannot believe he did not see me jumping on out in those wide open spaces. You can see for miles if you just look. I just think he was upset because he had to tap those brakes. I think the loss of those few seconds were important enough to him to almost kill a car load of people.
Here's my thinking on this. If your one of those drivers that feels that in your long career as a truck driver, that no one is ever going to make you put on your brakes, wow, are you going to be disappointed. That old highway is getting busier and busier every day. The one thing I can guarantee you is this. If you let it upset you like this driver did today, you will surly find yourself looking at some dead people up close real fast. Slow down and breathe for a second. You will get there. I promise. Ok, I'm done with my little rant for today. Everyone drive safe and have a beautiful tomorrow.
Jeff Head Like Today's Thoughts?. Don't forget to share or add me as your friend
