The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
How not to change lanes
This video clip appears to be from Russia.
I'm sure snow and ice were involved . . . perhaps a little vodka, too?
Once, years ago in Canada, I performed a similar ballet, except on that occasion there were only two cars on the road -- myself, and the pickup truck that was traveling a good 30kph more slowly than me on the on-ramp who nevertheless decided that it was very important to merge onto the autoroute when I was within a carlength of his back bumper. It was a very long on-ramp, and it seemed evident that he was moderating his speed in order to pull in just behind me at the merge point. Then all of the sudden he was in front of me in my lane. Oops!
I managed to avoid colliding with the illegal merger, and managed to keep the yaw to much less than 180 degrees in either direction, but it did cost me both tires on the rear axle. They both failed within the next 100 km.
My last winter in Scranton, I was headed to work - got on the 8 lane {4 lanes one way, 4 lanes the other} and the snow was falling, not too heavily, but the highway was coated. I wanted to slow down, gently depressed the brake pedal on my old pickup, and promptly went into a 180 .................. there was a tractor-trailer a safe distance behind me when I applied the brake - ye-eah, not so safe as I saw him through my windshield, when I was facing the wrong direction. I ended up on the shoulder, got myself turned around, took the next exit, headed back home, called work & said I wouldn't be in that day ................... the shakes didn't stop for a few hours ................... ;-)
That was... surprisingly uneventful. :)
ReplyDeleteClearly, that was a demonstration of automotive ballet. Don't you know anything?
ReplyDelete:)
I want to see the guy do it twice.
ReplyDeleteOnce, years ago in Canada, I performed a similar ballet, except on that occasion there were only two cars on the road -- myself, and the pickup truck that was traveling a good 30kph more slowly than me on the on-ramp who nevertheless decided that it was very important to merge onto the autoroute when I was within a carlength of his back bumper. It was a very long on-ramp, and it seemed evident that he was moderating his speed in order to pull in just behind me at the merge point. Then all of the sudden he was in front of me in my lane. Oops!
ReplyDeleteI managed to avoid colliding with the illegal merger, and managed to keep the yaw to much less than 180 degrees in either direction, but it did cost me both tires on the rear axle. They both failed within the next 100 km.
My last winter in Scranton, I was headed to work - got on the 8 lane {4 lanes one way, 4 lanes the other} and the snow was falling, not too heavily, but the highway was coated. I wanted to slow down, gently depressed the brake pedal on my old pickup, and promptly went into a 180 .................. there was a tractor-trailer a safe distance behind me when I applied the brake - ye-eah, not so safe as I saw him through my windshield, when I was facing the wrong direction. I ended up on the shoulder, got myself turned around, took the next exit, headed back home, called work & said I wouldn't be in that day ................... the shakes didn't stop for a few hours ................... ;-)
ReplyDeleteSemper Fi'
DM