Heating Fuel Truck - A Lesson Learned

[LMorley]

I did not see this coming, but my safety zone worked. I was following a home heating fuel truck on a two lane road in a residential area of a township. Truck started to slow and then stopped. I could not see past the truck and my first thought was that this was just a normal stop for other reasons, left turning traffic, stop sign, etc. Boy was I wrong! Suddenly the 4 ways come on, the truck angles right and then begins backing towards me to back into a driveway on the left side of the road. I had held back some on my stop and that left enough room for the trucks backing, but it was still too close for comfort. Since I was in the center of the lane, I am sure I was in his blind spot. Being to the far left or right of the lane may have put me in his mirrors. Lesson learned, give delivery trucks lots of room and stay out of blind spots.

[AlexB]

One thing that I have realized, based on reading Hough and others, is that life is too short to make every mistake to learn from it. And some mistakes have a rather high mortality rate.

 

You might want to check out the book Hough wrote called Street Strategies.

[louisvillebob]

I had an almost identical experience a few days ago. I was following a UPS truck by a good distance. The truck swung wide right. I thought he was turning right. Not so. He stopped, backed up across the road, preparing to turn around and come back in my direction. By then, I was pretty close. Yikes!! Never relax!! Expect the unexpected!!

[Wyn]

How bout this, I watched a guy back his flatbed truck into a new 7 series BMW. His rear crash bar ripped her hood front to back as we were yelling at the guy he puts it in gear drags her down the street (his crash bar locked between hood and cowling)and finally looks at us like, whats the problem? He found out.

 

The kicker, I got supenoed? to court as a witness. I didn't want to go but a few friends said I probably should. Took that day off of work. Sat in the court room for about 2 hours till they called his case. The judge called him up to the bench spoke to him for a few seconds. The guy turns around walks out and they call the next case. I WAS PISSED!

If I had any balls I would have stood up and excuse me, I just took a full day from work sat here listening to sob stories from the dregs of society for 2 hours and you blow this guys case off. You want me in a court again, come find me!!! This will be the last time I'll ever do my civil duty!!