Simple physics.

[Chromatix]

Probably because their surname isn't Baudelaire.

[BrenDAnn]

One of the things that amuse me is how people drive around semis. People...

1) Semis do NOT stop on a dime. If they are going a good speed, it takes them awhile to come to a stop. By the time they do, you will be a grease stain.

2) Your vehicle weighs a fraction of a semi. If you are in a wreck with a semi, you will lose. If you are in a semi, and hit another semi..both lose.

3) If you are behind a semi, and right on it's bumper..and it stops..you will LOSE. The driver can not see you, see rule two about your size and the semi's size.

4) They can be the best driver in the universe, but once momentum gets ahold of that semi..they can only do so much. You cause them to jackknife, and more people will lose. Probably you also.

5) They drive LONG hours, do not tempt fate..give them the proper distance.

Thank you. Thank you so very much. As the daughter of a man who has driven a semi for most of my life, and is good at what he does, I can't tell you how much it means to see a post like this. Now, if only the rest of the idiots out there would get this through their thick skulls!

[Mytical]

I have my CDL. I went through all the training, and there is just no way. People who drive Semi's for a living have nerves of steel. Give a tip of my hat to your dad. He deserves it. People are crazy around the big rigs. I've seen vehicles that have their bumper almost touching the bumper of a rig.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yep, Renault...which wasn't content with foisting the "Le Car" on civilization...couldn't resist naming their sport coupe the Fuego. Appropriate, since they did tend to fry because of cooling problems. Of course, if you find that amusing...the Encore was even more so. Why? Well, the "second act" was Renault selling American Motors) to Chrysler, and then leaving the US market for good

My friend had a Renault for a while in college. Her dad ended up taking it home, but for a while they were driving it with the windows wide open in the middle of winter in Pennsylvania because the heater was at full blast and they couldn't turn it down. Not sure if that's better or worse than the month and a half I spent driving with no heat at all in January/February (luckily I only worked two miles from home).


I work at at warehouse, surrounded by other warehouses, right near the Turnpike entrance. I have much respect for semis.

[Rapscallion]

We have quite a number of drivers at our place. Sort of expected when you're a distribution company.

The amount of times they come back with tales about idiots in cars thinking that eighteen tonnes of oil, plastic, metal, fuel, and usually as much flour as we can fit on it, can stop instantly. This is why they pull in front of our trucks and slow right down when there's nothing in front of them.

Fuckwits.

Rapscallion

[ApolloSZ]

My grandad owned his own Transport company a long time ago. He used to have a trick for people tailgating him in a tractor trailer unit. The trailer units back then would automatically turn on the brake lights when you took your foot of the gas (Safety feature I guess) but not brake.

Can you see where this is going?

He'd notice a tailgater, let his foot of the gas, then laugh as the tailgater dropped back rather quickly. Surprising how quickly they took notice of a trucks brake lights.

[protege]

My friend had a Renault for a while in college. Her dad ended up taking it home, but for a while they were driving it with the windows wide open in the middle of winter in Pennsylvania because the heater was at full blast and they couldn't turn it down.

My dad worked for the ad agency responsible for promoting the Renault Le Car (the 5 to you non-Americans), and sometimes had one as a demo. Oh, how he hated "that French piece of shit!" Too expensive for its class, as well as being underpowered, it was no wonder those models didn't sell well here.